When my father was in the final weeks of his life, languishing in Cornell hospital, I found myself reaching my breaking point. I was the only relative nearby that could come to the hospital on a regular basis. As a single parent, I was away from my kids for five Shabbosim in a row. It was […]

As Sex Ceases to Sell, Modesty Has Its Fashion Moment The style is as old as Adam and Eve, but it’s newly cool. Runways this year were full of more-covered-up options far removed from stereotypically dowdy looks. Valentino SpA and the Row have led the way with luxurious fabrics and designs so ornate and layered […]

You’ve heard the term “modern Orthodox,” but have you ever heard of “modern chasidic,” also known as heimish? At Jew in the City, we love to show the nuances in the Orthodox Jewish world that many people are completely unaware of. In some cases, this lack of understanding even exists between one Orthodox community and […]

One of the biggest disadvantages I had growing up in an extreme, unhealthy Orthodox Jewish community is that I learned from an early age to view the world as black and white. They’re wrong. We’re right. We follow Torah correctly. They don’t. We’re living the life that God intended when He created the world. They’re […]

I was raised in an extreme religious environment that stressed fear and punishment over love and joy. Anti-Semitism was taught as a rebuke from a vengeful God. And it’s followed me everywhere. Because of this negative messaging, my relationship with Judaism was fraught from a young age. By early adulthood, I found myself drifting away. […]

Jacob Benezra Has a Unique Story to Tell as an African American, Jewish Basketball Player When he arrives at the bench, the hoodie comes off to reveal that his head is covered by a bright blue yarmulke with an engraved orange basketball. At that point, something even rarer is divulged — an African American Jewish […]