Dear Jew in the City, When and why did Jewish boys and men start wearing yarmulkes, and are there any circumstances when a yarmulke need not be worn? M.L. Dear M.L., The practice of wearing a yarmulke (kippah in Hebrew) is an ancient tradition that has its roots as a “middas chasiddus” (an act of piety) before […]
Dear Jew in the City, With the Presidential Inauguration coming up, I was wondering what Judaism has to say about inaugurations, especially of a new king, and was the transition of power always smooth? Curious in Georgia Dear Curious in Georgia, Well, for starters, kings don’t have inaugurations, they have coronations, but let’s call that a […]
This week’s big new big budget movie release Assassin’s Creed brings the popular action-adventure video game to the screen. In it, a man played by Michael Fassbender uses new technology to uncover his “genetic memories” of a previous life as a skillful challenger to an oppressive, evil organization. While this story is fantasy, every culture […]
Dear Jew in the City – Is it kosher to celebrate Thanksgiving since it’s a non-Jewish holiday? From, A Kosher Turkey Fan Dear Kosher Turkey Fan- You’d think this would be a straightforward yes-or-no question. You’d be wrong. One of my all-time favorite theological quotes is from that profound modern-day philosopher of The Simpsons […]
Dear Jew in the City, With Halloween coming up, I was wondering what the Jewish view on witchcraft and magic is. Is it mentioned anywhere in Jewish texts? Do you need to believe in it to be an observant Jew? The ancients might have believed in it, but we now know that magic is a […]
The book of Jonah tells the famous story of a big fish (not whale) swallowing Jonah for three days until the prophet emerged unscathed. To someone like me with more of skeptical point-of-view, this episode is hard to swallow. Jonah had fled from the land of Israel after God set for him an unpleasant task, […]
