Dear JITC- I didn’t grow up hearing about Hashem loving me. My education focused on all the punishments in the Torah. As an adult, I’ve learned of this concept but I have two questions – what Torah sources say that God loves us? And if He loves us, why is He always killing people in […]
Dear JITC- Are hobbies allowed according to halacha? Thanks, Margaux Dear Margaux- Thanks for your question. I assume your starting point is the statement of the Shulchan Aruch in Yoreh Deah (246:25) that anyone who is able to engage in Torah and neglects to do so is guilty of “despising” the Torah. This is actually […]
Dear Jew in the City- Should a rabbi meddle into someone else’s personal life? Thank you, R.B. Dear R.B.- Thanks for your question. First, let’s clarify what you mean by a “rabbi.” In the Orthodox community, becoming a rabbi is not the same as becoming a priest in Catholicism. In many ways, it’s more like […]
Dear Jew in the City- Now that the summer is here, I have a question. Is it proper for an Orthodox Jewish married woman to wear sandals/open-toed shoes in public? Thanks, JJ Dear JJ- Thanks for your question, though I’m not sure where marital status enters into it. (The only law of modesty that hinges […]
Dear Jew in the City, Do Orthodox Jews Have Arranged Marriages? Does Jewish law allow this? Thank you, Alex Dear Alex – First, another question: What does “arranged marriage” mean? For that matter, what does “allowed” mean? Let’s assume “arranged marriage” doesn’t just mean a blind date. Does it mean two sets of parents agree […]
Meet Ethan Zohn, winner of CBS’s Survivor Africa & cancer survivor. Learn about his relationship to the Orthodox Jewish community, how Jew in the City has shaped him, and how Judaism has guided his life through childhood tragedy up through facing our current pandemic.
