Dear Jew in the City, How much separation does halacha require between men and women? Best, Jacob   Dear Jacob, Thanks for your question. The answer is both objective and subjective. First let’s establish that separating the genders, at least on some occasions, is not a modern, Medieval, or even Talmudic innovation. It was practiced […]

Dear Jew in the City, Are Jews allowed to get drunk? Sincerely, Eva   Dear Eva, Thanks for your question. It’s funny; normally we’re asked about whether there’s truly an obligation to get drunk on Purim. We’re never asked about whether this is permitted on a regular Thursday night or whatever. That’s probably a question that should […]

When Orthodox Jewish U.S. Army Specialist Daniel Agami was killed by an improvised IED in Iraq, he was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart among several other honors, and his parents earned the designation of being Gold Star Parents. Despite this bittersweet distinction, his mother Beth Agami’s deep faith in Hashem has allowed her journey to […]

Dear Jew in the City, Why do we eat dairy on Shavuos? Thanks, Maya   Dear Maya, Thanks for your question. You know, I’ve been fielding questions on Jew in the City for a decade this August and this is the first time this has come up! Frankly, I’m surprised. Eating dairy on Shavuos is not […]

Dear JITC, I know you’re not meant to “shop around” in matters of getting a psak (a ruling in a matter of Jewish law). But can you ever seek a second opinion and, if so, how? Best, Josh — Dear Josh, Thanks for your question. It dovetails very nicely with another topic that we discussed […]

Dear Jew in the City, What is [REDACTED] Judaism? Sincerely, Tom Dear Tom, Thanks for your question. You may be wondering why I redacted it, removing certain information before releasing it to the public like some sort of sensitive government document. It’s because you asked about another stream of Judaism. (Which one isn’t important; readers […]