Dear Jew in the City, I know you get a lot of questions about conversion, however, it’s something that I’ve been mulling over for a while. I would also like to say, that I’m fully aware of the serious nature of converting, as well as, “the righteous of all nations have a share in the […]

Dear Jew in the City, Can you explain how the basic Biblical commandments re: such subjects as the kosher laws have been vastly elaborated and expanded on by post-Biblical rabbis? For example, the kosher laws as spelled out in the Bible (in which God simply says “don’t eat this”) have morphed into a mammothly elaborate set […]

Dear Jew in the City, So I have a question that I have been pondering a great while. I am not Jewish but I live in a city with a large Orthodox population and I happen to live in this neighborhood and I truly love it. I do however find myself at times seeing one […]

Dear Jew in the City, I am 17 years of age and like some teens, I currently have an interest in tattoos. I know under Jewish law it is forbidden to get one, but how did this come to be and why? Thanks, Katie Dear Katie: Thank you for your question. Tattooing is specifically prohibited by the […]

Dear Jew in the City, Here’s a question that no one seems to be willing to answer … how can one EXIT the Jewish community and why doesn’t the religion allow for it?! I was born to a reformed family who couldn’t tell you anything about “what it means to be….” I have never felt […]

Dear Jew in the City, My great-grandparents were Jews from Kiev who emigrated to Romania before second World War. Both my grandmother and mother were secular people. I always knew about my heritage because my mother was very attached to her grand- mother and often speaks about her. Apparently, she was somewhat observant. I grew up […]