Religious Jewish fathers don’t get a very positive portrayal in the media. On the side of fiction, there’s Tevye, from Fiddler on the Roof, who is strict and expects his family to obey him. There’s Shulem from Shtisel, who tries to limit his son Akiva and his dreams of being an artist. And then there’s […]
Growing up, I didn’t have a strong religious background. I never would have expected to become an Orthodox Jew. Being non-affiliated was a choice my grandfather made that trickled down to my immediate family. Other Latino families had Catholic memorabilia donned all over their walls, but we didn’t. I was curious about God, and I […]
Dear Jew in the City, Are there any laws that tell people not to talk about their intimate lives? What are the exceptions? Sincerely, Hannah Dear Hannah, There are indeed such laws, and you’ve probably heard of them. Collectively, such laws are referred to as “tzniyus.” “Hey!” I hear you say. “Tzniyus refers to the […]
Sometimes you watch a story that has twists and turns, but you know the inevitable that’s going to happen no matter how many things are thrown the character’s way. That’s Dylan Kaplan’s life. His path to becoming both religiously observant and a Broadway producer (he produced Sweeney Todd which is on Broadway now!) has never […]
“Orthodox Judaism, Torah, I infuse it into my life and it provides a springboard for me to enhance my life, and [it puts] meaning in everything that I do.”
On Tuesday afternoon, I thought my neighbor was making a bbq and that it was about to rain. Neither of those things turned out to be true. Instead, the “bbq” and gloomy sky were a result of wildfires in Canada. This phenomenon is affecting 90 million Americans at the moment. I have a weird confession […]
