Eighteen years ago, I sat nervously in my doctor’s office. It was a cold and sterile place. Under the fluorescent lights, as I watched the clock tick by, I felt uneasy and unable to sit still. I came in because at age 36, while I was pregnant with my youngest daughter, I experienced strange numbness […]

Everyone’s talking about Nobody Wants This – the rom-com with “the hot rabbi” who loves being Jewish, the shiksa goddess who has a refreshing curiosity for his faith, and some nagging, stereotypical Jewish women and their henpecked husbands. While the series makes some improvements in Jewish representation, there are numerous problematic elements to the story. […]

Dear Jew in the City- Are there any Torah sources to counter anxiety? To live in the present and not worry about the future? The election outcome is making me nervous. Thank you, A.C. Dear A.C.- Thanks for your question. When I was 18, my life was profoundly changed by the book Gateway to Happiness […]

I grew up petrified of dogs. The very sight of one would have me running away and crossing the street. I remember feeling so scared, unsure of what the dog might do to me. The fear of the unknown was overwhelming, completely controlling me. I realized that I needed to understand my fear and study […]

Hi JITC- On the first full shabbos I kept, I had a wonderful time, but as I was walking to shul, I asked my host, “Do you really believe that all of those animals were in that ark?”Because it seemed difficult to believe. I put it out of my mind for years, but now it’s […]

Dear JITC- Is there a problem with trick-or-treating according to Judaism? If so, why? Thanks, Jamie Dear Jamie- Thanks for your question. There are two types of holidays: religious and secular. Despite the commercialization decried by those who observe it, I think that most people would have no trouble recognizing Christmas as a religious holiday. […]