As current events have the U.S. in a challenging place, Torah guides us in how we to judge historical figures, like our founding fathers and others. Independence Day reminds us of the freedoms we can celebrate while living here. In previous years, we’ve explored where to catch a minyan in Colonial America, but this year, we […]
Someone once asked how my skullcap stays put on my head. I jokingly replied, “Peer pressure.” Wearing a yarmulke, otherwise known as a skullcap or kippah, 24/7 is something I said I would never do. At a certain point, I had no interest in being identified as a Jew everywhere I went. While I was […]
The Orthodox Jewish community has been getting enormous negative press over the last several years, especially the segment known as the Haredi or the Hasidim. They have been vilified in every way imaginable way by the media, and negatively stereotyped. I cannot imagine the burden such a group has to bear due to the misunderstanding […]
Dear JITC- Are hobbies allowed according to halacha? Thanks, Margaux Dear Margaux- Thanks for your question. I assume your starting point is the statement of the Shulchan Aruch in Yoreh Deah (246:25) that anyone who is able to engage in Torah and neglects to do so is guilty of “despising” the Torah. This is actually […]
NFL Quarterback Kirk Cousins Wishes a ‘Mazel Tov’ and Cites Torah in Message to Jewish Students Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins scored a touchdown with his congratulatory message to the graduates of a Jewish student program. Cousins wished the graduates of the Jewish Student Union, a program of the Orthodox Union’s youth group NCSY, a […]
The other day, my five-year-old responded to a mention of “doing nothing” by pointing out that it’s impossible to do nothing; everyone is always doing something. In fact, all four of my kids have had a similar eureka moment at some point in their lives. It might be related to attempts to grasp the notion […]
