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 […]

Dear Jew in the City, Let’s say a teenager wasn’t able to express his real thoughts growing up, because his parents actively silenced him, gave him the message his opinion wasn’t wanted or didn’t meet his emotional needs in a significant way? In order to heal, he’s supposed to go through different stages of emotions. One […]

Dear Jew in the City, I was told you can only seek medical help on Shabbos if you’re certain it’s life or death. Is there more leniency you can rely on? Sincerely, Chani Dear Chani, Thanks for your question. Before I address it, I want to make two things clear: (1) here, we answer questions […]

Dear Jew in the City, What are the basic halachic requirements for tzniyus? Sincerely, Teri Dear Teri Thanks for your question. I try to avoid answering “what’s the halacha?” questions because of the lack of universal parameters in matters of halacha. For example, I once made the innocuous observation that the bracha after eating rice […]

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 21st anniversary of the falling of the Twin Towers is on Sunday. Like many, I have distinct memories of September 11, 2001: I was in second grade, and was already in my Brooklyn classroom davening shacharis by the time the first plane crashed into the North Tower. While understanding the gravity of the situation, […]