Dear Jew in the City- What’s the meaning of blowing the shofar and why are there different shofar sounds? Sincerely, Jessica P. Dear Jessica- Very often, to answer a question, I’ll take a roundabout path to ultimately arrive at the answer. In this case, the response is much more straightforward. The shofar has a lot […]

Dear JITC- I have been privately not religious anymore for over a year and a half now. I don’t keep Shabbos or kosher privately, and I stopped keeping both publicly when I’m away from home or no one is around. This was never really my intention, but life happened in many painful ways. I used […]

Dear Jew in the City- I was raised to see Rosh Hashana as a terrifying time of year, that I would be judged by God in (aka Who Will Live and Who Will Die). I’ve obviously made a lot of mistakes, but I’ve met people who approach the holiday in a more positive way. What’s […]

Dear Jew in the City- I heard that when Moshiach comes, bacon and pork will be kosher. Is this true? Sincerely, MM Dear MM- Thanks for your question. Long story short, no. Now, short story long. I know exactly what you’re talking about and I’ll explain it. The first thing you need to know is […]

Dear JITC- I’m confused as to whether being Jewish is a religion, a race, a cultural identity or all three. If it’s not a race, then how come Jewishness is inherited? All the best, Miranda Dear Miranda- Thanks for your question. This is a tricky topic so let’s define what things are. A race is […]

Dear JITC- Is there a way to feel out a rabbi’s opinion on something before committing to following their psak? Best, Shterna Dear Shterna- You’ve probably heard that one is not permitted to “shop around” for a psak (ruling) that one likes; rather, one should have a rav whose positions one follows consistently. But what’s […]