JITC Branches
From the archives
As current events have the U.S. in a challenging place, Torah guides us in how we to judge historical figures, like our founding fathers and others. Independence Day reminds us of the freedoms we can celebrate while living here. In previous years, we’ve explored where to catch a minyan in Colonial America, but this year, we […]
While Akiva Shtisel may technically not be Hasidic (as Yerushalmim look the part, but have different customs than Hasidim) and Zalmen Glauber is not angst-ridden like the fictionalized TV character, seeing a traditionally-dressed Jewish man from a close-knit community creating art that captivates the outside world, naturally reminds any Shtisel fan of the show’s protagonist. […]
Dear Jew in the City, How do Orthodox Jews view Jesus? Sincerely, Wondering Dear Wondering, Thanks for your question. I would be hard-pressed to tell you how many times in the course of my “day job” a non-Jewish reader has written me asking, “What do Jews think of Jesus?” Sometimes they just can’t accept […]
Last week, a Sephardic member of our shul (synagogue) asked me which Middle Eastern country my family comes from. “None,” I explained, “We’re Ashkanazi.” “Really?” he exclaimed, “I was certain you were Sephardic.” After this encounter, I got to thinking: despite being completely Ashkanazi, with both sides of my family hailing from Ukraine, Russia and […]
Popular videos
In a world obsessed with devices, it occurred to me that we are living in an age where silence dominates many situations. Silence between couples, silence between families, silence everywhere you turn as people tap, tap, tap on their devices. What an isolating existence. But what if there was an antidote to silence? What if […]
Big Bang Theory star, Mayim Bialik, asks Jew in the City can science and religion work together in a Jewish framework? While there are some Orthodox Jews who believe in a literal account of the creation story, many of us hold that the events must be understood another way. RAMBAM, also known as Maimonides, stated […]
Recent videos
When Australian journalist Nikki Goldstein was placed into a medically induced coma in September 2022, doctors warned her family to prepare for the worst. Goldstein, who had long struggled with chronic lung disease, had entered the hospital believing she had another chest infection. Instead, her condition deteriorated rapidly. By her second day in the ICU, […]
Rabbi Simcha Weinstein knows what it means to be called to something. As the longtime Chabad emissary (shaliach) at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, Weinstein has spent years helping students navigate questions of meaning and purpose. But one of the deepest callings of his life emerged much closer to home. When one of his sons was […]
