The Jewish people have a history of feeling alone. During the Holocaust, there was no one that spoke out in support of us, that helped us, that came to our rescue until six million of us were killed. Now, after the horrific October 7 attack against so many of our brothers and sisters in Israel, […]
On October 7, I didn’t spiral. Like all Jews, the last seven weeks have been torturous to live through. But had October 7 happened a few years ago, I would have now been in the mud, clawing my way through a deep depression, trying to find a reason to live. Years ago, the slightest hiccup […]
Dear Jew in the City, You recently wrote about prayer and I was wondering: Do our prayers actually accomplish anything? Can my prayers make a difference in the world, or even in my own life? Sincerely, Joseph Dear Joseph, Thanks for your question. As we discussed in that previous article, the purpose of prayer […]
When Hamas terrorists came to maim, torture, rape and murder thousands of Israelis on October 7, a 22-year-old woman named Neta Portal and her boyfriend, Santiago, living in Kibbutz Kfar Aza, found themselves in a life and death situation. Neta turned to the one person she knew could save her — her estranged father – […]
“Should I take down my mezuzah?” A friend asked me the other day. I shuddered at the thought. The idea of hiding my Judaism by removing such a fixed item on my home, one that ironically is there to protect that home, was a level I just couldn’t imagine getting to — that I didn’t […]
Dear Jew in the City, Why does Hashem need our prayers, especially when He already knows what we want and need? Why is prayer so important? Sincerely, Rachel Dear Rachel, Thanks for your question. Unfortunately, you’ve got things backwards. God is complete and perfect; we’ve got nothing to offer Him that He “needs.” Sure, […]
