When it comes to Jewish holidays, some often joke that the celebrations revolve around a similar pattern: “They [our enemies] tried to kill us, they couldn’t kill us, so let’s eat!” Chanukah originates in the middle of a literal war on our Jewish way of life. Surviving forced assimilation by threat of death is a […]

Dear Jew in the City, Is it a problem to give and get gifts on Chanukah? Why do we do it? Sincerely, Cindy Dear Cindy, Thanks very much for your question. I have complicated feelings regarding the practice of exchanging gifts on Chanukah. On the one hand, I really like to give gifts; it’s kind […]

Having three teenage daughters, body image is a huge topic in my house. I hear my girls and their friends obsess over how they look, and it’s hard to hear. I desperately want to raise them with a healthy sense of body confidence. I want them to be comfortable in their skin — to feel […]

Rosh Hashana is also known as the day of judgment. We enter a proverbial courtroom and face G-d’s judgement from the past year. The day seems solemn and can invoke terror within, but if you look at the way we celebrate the holiday, it doesn’t fit in at all. We get dressed up in beautiful […]

One of my earliest childhood memories is when I was four or five and my school took us on a trip to see the Queen of England. It was extremely exciting because we were let into the gates of Buckingham Palace. At that time, the palace was closed to the public, so it was incredibly […]

The imagery of Elul, the month we recently entered, is often associated with a King. Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi explains through a famous parable that the King, who is usually high up and away from His subjects (i.e. God) is, “in the field.” As in, He’s close to and among us, available for us […]