Dear Jew in the City, You recently published an article disproving some of the negative things that people claim are in the Talmud. Can you please share some of the positive things that are in it? Thanks, Joana _ Hi Joana, Thanks for your request. “Positive things” is a broad stroke and it can include […]
Dear Jew In the City, Some horrid information has been spread about the Talmud on X this last week. How do we refute it? Sincerely, Ella – Dear Ella, Thanks for your question. First let’s discuss the general topic of misinformation and disinformation. There are a lot of ways that a message can get garbled. […]
Dear Jew in the City, Are Orthodox Jews allowed to consume alcohol? Thanks, Sam Dear Sam, Thanks for your question, though I really wonder what prompted it. Anyone even passingly familiar with Jewish ritual life would be aware that wine plays a regular role in it. We usher Shabbos in and out with kiddush and havdalah […]
Dear Jew in The City, How should we respond to Iran’s threat of war on Tisha B’Av? Sincerely, Yosefa – Dear Yosefa, Thanks for your question. This is a very serious matter, so I’m going to play against type this time by not cracking any jokes. Tisha b’Av is a day of communal mourning. On […]
Dear Jew in the City, Do Sephardic Jews have their own language like Yiddish? Sincerely, Sara They sure do. It’s commonly called Ladino. (It’s also known by a few other names, but we’ll come to that.) Ladino started among Jews who lived in the Iberian Peninsula in the 15th century. Originally a dialect of Old […]
Dear Jew in the City, Is kashrut only about spiritual health, or physical health too? Thank you, Liat _ Dear Liat, Thanks for your question. I think this is something we may have discussed in the past, but even if it is, it bears repeating. One of my nine (to date) books – all of […]
