Sheina Vaspi, 20, will be Israel’s first and only competitor at the Winter Paralympics in Beijing, taking place from March 4 to 13. While the country has sent a team to the Summer Paralympics, this is the first time the country has had representation at the Winter Paralympics. When Sheina was three, she was injured […]
Hasidic Jews are often seen as fodder for controversial television shows like Unorthodox or in everyday life as a community that’s completely foreign to the onlooker. Justin Bettman, an LA-based commercial, editorial, and fine art photographer, whose clients include Nike, Google, Spotify, Atlantic Records, New York Times and more set out to change that. He […]
Dear Jew in the City- What’s the difference between a halacha, minhag, chumra and inyan? Which ones are mandatory and which are optional? Thanks, Eli Dear Eli, Thanks for your question. Let’s start with halacha. “Halacha” means law. These can be Biblical or rabbinic. The Torah gives us mitzvos – commandments – like “keep Shabbos,” […]
The entire Jewish world was shaken on Saturday when a terrorist held four people at a Colleyville, Texas synagogue hostage on Shabbat morning. Luckily, the vice president of Congregation Beth Israel synagogue was able to dial 911 discreetly and get help. What followed was an 11-hour standoff between authorities and Malik Faisal Akram, a British national who was holding […]
An eight-year old Jewish boy was spit on by a woman who proceeded to go on an anti-Jewish rant in Brooklyn today. The incident was reported by the boy’s father, according to News 12. This story comes at an unsettling time, shortly after the Texas synagogue hostage situation this past Saturday. These incidents are becoming […]
Dear Jew in the City- Should I throw out Chain Walder’s books? Thanks, Sara Dear Sara, For those who have been living in a cave for the past few months, Chaim Walder was a rabbi and therapist who wrote a number of acclaimed books that help kids address a variety of personal and emotional issues, including abuse. […]
