There have been several articles written recently in the mainstream media about the poor secular education in parts of the Orthodox Jewish world, particularly in certain Hasidic circles. In one piece, a man from a Hasidic community (who is no longer religious), describes how his secular education was lacking so greatly he was unable to make a […]
Dear Jew in the City, Here’s a question that no one seems to be willing to answer … how can one EXIT the Jewish community and why doesn’t the religion allow for it?! I was born to a reformed family who couldn’t tell you anything about “what it means to be….” I have never felt […]
She had been in my life since I was a young bride and had helped me make Shabbos almost every week. But then last Friday – without warning – she gave out. And by “she,” I mean my black plastic measuring cup whose handle suddenly snapped off while I was scooping flour. Of course it […]
When I began my journey back to Jewish observance in my mid-teens, Orthodoxy was not my original destination. In my mind, Orthodox Jews were not the kind of people you’d want to emulate. So I tried to become an observant Conservative Jew at first, hanging out with the most religious Conservative Jews I knew. There […]
The following story is a true story about diaper wipes. But is a story ever just about diaper wipes? Hopefully not. Here’s what happened: An old friend invited my family to spend a three day holiday at her house one year when we were in Israel. That meant that she was hosting and feeding all […]
Dear Jew in the City, My great-grandparents were Jews from Kiev who emigrated to Romania before second World War. Both my grandmother and mother were secular people. I always knew about my heritage because my mother was very attached to her grand- mother and often speaks about her. Apparently, she was somewhat observant. I grew up […]
