As we approach the close of Mental Health Awareness Month, Jew in the City is ready to tackle an insidious, and often unspoken-of issue in religious communities: that of toxic leadership. In conversation with Rabbi Yanky Horowitz and Dr. Michael Salamon, Allison sparked a discussion about manipulative leaders and self-serving power dynamics. An abusive leader […]
Dear Jew in the City, Why is Jerusalem so special to the Jewish people? Sincerely, Michelle Dear Michelle, Thanks for your question. I could start the story of Jerusalem with the creation of the world (see, for example, Bereishis Rabbah 14:8, cited by Rashi on Genesis 2:7) or with Avraham (Jerusalem being where the akeidah […]
If you’re not a fan of NBC’s “This Is Us,” you should be. (The first episode has a bizarre moment where the father (Jack’s) naked backside is briefly flashed, which originally turned me off, because it was a cheap and crude device. But I was assured that the rest of the show was nothing like […]
Dear Jew in the City, Why do the curses given on Har Eval soooo outnumber the blessings given on Har Gerizim? Why is there so much cursing in the Torah? Sincerely, Mo Dear Mo, Thanks for your question. I have a lot to say about it. First, the way you phrased the question “Why is […]
In yet another horrific antisemitic attack, an 18-year-old boy was punched in the face on Tuesday because he wouldn’t say “Free Palestine,” when a group of teens approached him and a friend, Fox News reported. The Jewish teen attempted to ignore the group when he was punched, which resulted in a bloody eye. The attacker […]
Pesach is one of the most joyful times in the Jewish calendar, but historically it has also been blood libel season, when Jewish communities around the globe were accused of murder in the name of using the blood of Christian children to make matzos. While blatantly untrue, this falsehood has persisted for centuries and in […]
