This Orthodox Jewish Woman is a Real-Life Shark Scientist

If you had to choose one marine animal to call the “underdog of the sea,” we have a slight feeling sharks wouldn’t be the first (or tenth) to come to mind. For Yakira Herskowitz, though, it’s a different story. “Sharks are really misunderstood,” she says. Herskowitz became interested in sharks at the age of 11 […]

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Why Are We Forced To Be Sad in the Three Weeks?

Dear Jew in the City, Why are we forced to be sad in the Three Weeks? Best, Aaron Thanks for your question, Aaron. For those who may not be aware, the Three Weeks is a period of increasing mourning that runs from the seventeenth day of the month of Tammuz through the ninth day of […]

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How and Why Did the Yiddish Language Come To Be?

Dear Jew in the City, How and why did the Yiddish language come to be? Best, Liza   Dear Liza, Thanks for your question. A few months ago, we discussed Ladino (“Judeo-Spanish”), so I guess it’s only fair that we discuss its Ashkenazic counterpart. The Yiddish language is over a thousand years old. Literally meaning “Jewish,” […]

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Historic Sabbath SCOTUS Ruling Builds On Founding Freedom Of Religion

Last week, in a unanimous decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Sabbath accommodations in the workplace, ruling that accommodation is required unless it causes a substantial burden to the employer’s business. But how did a country founded on religious freedoms take almost 250 years to adequately protect Sabbath observance in professional spaces? […]

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