Dear JITC – What is Hoshana Rabbah? Why are we beating willow branches? Thanks, Jason Dear Jason- Thanks for your question. The answer boils down to the Oral Law. The Oral Law is an integral part of the Torah. It’s absolutely impossible to observe the Torah without it. For example, the Torah tells us that […]

Dear Jew in the City- Every year I read about the Orthodox Jews who use chickens in some sort of atonement ceremony. It seems incredibly cruel to have chickens handled like this. Is there no law against animal cruelty in Orthodox Judaism? All the best, Jon Dear Jon – Thanks for your question. The ceremony […]

Dear Jew in the City, I hear people in the Orthodox community sometimes talk about tznius (modesty) for a woman like it is her MOST important mitzvah. Like what she exists for. While I’m a fan of tznius, this perspective on it does not sit well with me – that our greatest goal in life […]

Dear Jew in the City, The month of Elul is a beautiful concept, but can be hard to relate to. What do I do actionably in Elul? What should we be trying to accomplish pre-teshuva? Best, Matt Dear Matt- Thanks for your question. First, let’s examine what Elul is. You might not realize how much […]

16 years ago today, God gave me a second chance at life. I was working in a summer camp in Israel for my third summer in a row, and Thursdays were usually the day that I’d be with our cab driver from morning to night running all over Jerusalem doing errands. Every time we passed […]