Of course I believe in Hashem, but he’s the Boogey Man waiting to strike me down.  These horrifying words were uttered by an attendee at the first Makom shabbaton several years ago during dinner. Where did such an abhorrent idea come from? How could a person possibly have a relationship with God if she felt […]

If God Himself made open miracles to tell you that it was time to return to the land of your forefathers would you listen? The Biblical commentator Rashi asks (on the first verse of parshat Yitro) what it was that Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, heard that motivated him to leave his homeland and idolatrous proclivities in order to join the […]

Dear JITC- All my life I’ve heard the Jews referred to as “The Chosen People.” It feels really offensive to think that we are better than non-Jews. Aren’t all men (and women) created equal? Sincerely, Nikki Dear Nikki- Let’s assume that you work in an office. The boss calls a meeting for all the sales […]

Dear Jew in the City, I know that there is a mitzvah to tell the story of our Exodus during Pesach, but why then? Why don’t we have to tell the story of getting the Torah or the story of sitting in succahs? Why is this the holiday we have to tell stories on? Sincerely, […]

With all eyes on Pyeongchang and the 2018 Winter Olympics, a worldwide interest in K-Pop, Korean television dramas and Kimchi is booming. Korean pride is nothing new to Chana Bilek, an Orthodox Jew from South Korea, with equal pride in the cultures she calls her own. “I was born in Korea. When I was just […]

The other day, as I was sitting in the kitchen after school with my children, I started thinking about how fortunate I am to have such wonderful kids. (In other words, everyone had slept through the night, and no one was fighting that moment!) I told my kids, “I can’t believe that Hashem gave me such wonderful children. […]