JITC Branches
From the archives
The great violinist Itzhak Perlman contracted polio at the age of four, and for his entire life he had to wear metal braces and use crutches to walk. One time, the great violinist came out on stage, and as he was tuning his violin, one of the strings snapped. Instead of asking for another string, […]
I recently became a fan of Billie Eilish. Full disclosure: I’m #old. So I didn’t know who she was until yesterday. From my brief online research, Eilish is a newly popular 17 year old singer who doesn’t like to smile. She came to my attention after I saw a headline about her wearing baggy clothes […]
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 […]
Dear Jew in the City, Why is it a mitzvah not to free a slave? That seems pretty messed up. – Moshe Dear Moshe, Thanks for your question. Before I answer, let me contextualize things for readers. We previously discussed a question about slavery, specifically how American Jews might or might not have participated in […]
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
In a time when antisemitism is rising and passionate Jewish voices in mainstream media remain few, CNN anchor Bianna Golodryga and Israeli Channel 12 news anchor Yonit Levi have teamed up to do something quietly radical: write a children’s book about antisemitism, allyship, and what it means to stand up for what’s right. Their new […]
Following Zohran Mamdani’s victory in the New York City mayoral race, JITC founder and executive director Allison Josephs joined ILTV News to discuss what this political turning point means for Jews in New York and around the world. In the interview, Josephs spoke candidly about the climate among New York’s Jewish residents in the aftermath […]
