About a decade ago, when chromosomal testing first came out, Lara Diamond, a Baltimore-based genealogist decided to do some DNA tests. She was in search of long lost relatives, but her query eventually produced something even more valuable than reconnecting with family – her own life being saved. Diamond explains, “There were earlier tests that weren’t […]
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, HBO’s flagship sports show, followed Amar’e Stoudemire’s journey from the NBA to Orthodox Judaism. The retired basketball star spent time with both the New York Knicks and Phoenix Suns before playing for Hapoel Jerusalem and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel while he underwent conversion. Still a part owner of the […]
Sunday night, as I lit the first candle of the Menorah, I thought about my personal journey of performing this incredible commandment with pride and joy. My story begins in 1982 in Odessa, Ukraine, which at the time was controlled by the Soviet Union. I was raised in a traditional Soviet family at a time […]
It is early Shabbos morning. I’m relaxing on the couch with my ritual morning coffee, inhaling the steam, wrapping myself in the serenity of Shabbos. My siddur rests on my lap, awaiting my sacred time spent with God. Honestly, I carry God with me all the time, sometimes consciously and other times unconsciously. Sometimes I […]
When Goldy Guttman heard from Jew in the City founder, Allison Josephs, that most non-Jewish people have never met a religious Jew, she reached out to share her story as a Satmar Hasidic woman. Growing up in Boro Park in a Satmar home, Guttman practiced Hasidic customs and attended Hasidic schools. While the media views […]
While comics tend to be humorous quips, Chari Pere, an Orthodox Jewish illustrator and comic strip creator elevates the humor by incorporating meaningful topics into her work. Pere started drawing when she was eighteen months old and attended art camp by six. From a young age, Pere wanted to positively represent Judaism. She only wore […]
