Dear Jew in the City, Is this Hamas war the war of Gog and Magog? How will we recognize it? Sincerely, David Thanks for your question, David. First, let’s address what the war of Gog and Magog is. Many people are under the misconception that “the war of Gog and Magog” refers to a conflict […]
When news broke out of the attacks on Israel over the weekend, Jews everywhere were in shock. Included in that were newlyweds Anastasia and Nahum Mittelman, whose wedding was supposed to take place on Sunday evening at sunset, October 8. The two live in Tel-Aviv and were woken up early Saturday morning by sirens, which […]
This week I’m going to do something different. I’m going take two questions that were submitted separately and combine them into a single post because (a) they’re related and (b) my answers are relatively brief. The first question is: Dear Jew in the City, “Why do we shake the lulav and other arba minim […]
Dear Jew in the City, Why do some people approach Yom Kippur as a day of celebration? Sincerely, David Dear David, Um… because it is? On the surface, Yom Kippur may resemble Tisha b’Av, which is the saddest day in the Jewish calendar. On both of these days we refrain from eating and drinking, bathing, […]
Dear Jew in the City, What is the connection between the Rosh Hashana segulot and eating those foods? Does eating them really do anything or is it symbolic? Sincerely, David Dear David, Oh, boy. This is one of those posts that isn’t going to be very popular with some people. For those who are […]
Dear Jew in the City, What is tashlich? Does it really have to be done by a pond with ducks? Do we really have to throw bread in the water? Sincerely, Noah Thanks for your question, Noah. Tashlich is a prayer typically recited on Rosh Hashana afternoon, intended to help guide us in the […]
