Former Italian Synagogue Sees 1st Jewish Wedding in Centuries Rabbi Umberto Piperno, the former Chief Rabbi of Naples, officiated at the Orthodox Jewish wedding of the couple. Both bride and groom have traced their lineage to anusim – people who had had to conceal their Judaism or practice secretly amid persecution in previous centuries. This […]

All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost. – J.R.R. Tolkien The journey to and from Orthodox Judaism can leave people bruised. If you’re coming in, your family may reject your choices and your new adopted community may waste no […]

Watching Haredim on TV is all the rage since Shtisel came to Netflix. Everyone told me I HAD to watch it, but committing to being awake enough late at night to read subtitles was not something I was ready to do right away. Finally, last month, I took the dive and joined the masses. (I […]

Hi Jew in the City- With the Aladdin remake in theaters, it made me wonder what’s the real difference between prayers and wishes? I know that Hashem is no genie to do our bidding, but sometimes I wonder about the limits of what we’re supposed to pray for. What do Jewish sources say? Sincerely, Jessica […]

Haredim in Caps and Gowns Eight years ago, Yehuda Sabiner, then a 20-year-old married father and Ger Hasid, entered the Technion, the Israel Institute of Technology, with the dream of becoming a doctor. This spring he completed his studies at the Technion Faculty of Medicine, and is set to become the first Ger Hasid in […]

While getting my degree in Education, I took a social studies course where we learned about the concept of historical perspective. We often bring a “presentist” approach to our understanding of the past, using our current values and beliefs to judge people. We forget that they lived in different eras, faced different dilemmas, and had […]