Dear Jew in the City, Why do Orthodox Jews wear big fur hats? Sincerely, Suzanne Dear Suzanne, Thanks for your question. I’m sure you are familiar with the children’s riddle, “Why do firemen wear red suspenders?” The answer, “To keep their pants up,” only addresses why firemen wear suspenders. The question one should have asked […]

Dear Jew in the City, What’s the deal with this Jewish death curse? Is there any legitimacy to it? Sincerely, Alex Dear Alex, Thanks for your question. For context, let’s explain what happened to prompt this inquiry. Exiled Ukrainian oligarch Hennady Korban – who is Jewish – recently revealed that he performed a ritual known […]

Dear Jew in the City, What is the Jewish stance on social media? In some ways, it’s something to be avoided yet in others it is one that can spread so much good. Some rabbis take a hard stance to not use it and want others to ban it as well, while there are other […]

Editor’s note: After publishing this article, a reader asked us to clarify the following points: The article below is not attempting to discuss the modern day halachic understanding of the issue of child sexual abuse. In modern times, child sexual abuse is prohibited additionally given its devastating effects on its victims – depression, anxiety, PTSD, […]

Dear Jew in the City, Why do Orthodox Jews do circle dancing? Sincerely, Kayla   Dear  Kayla, Thanks for your very interesting question. It might surprise you to learn that circle dancing is not exclusively Jewish, let alone Orthodox. Circle dances can be found the world over, from Armenia to Sweden, from Greece to Germany, […]

Dear Jew in the City, How did Jewish law handle unjust governments in past eras and how does that apply to America in modern times? Sincerely, Sam   Dear Sam, I’m going to be honest, I’ve sat on this question longer than I’d normally like. I kept kicking it down the road because I didn’t […]