“Intimacy education pioneer” and “cutting edge medical expert” are not words most people associate with Hasidic Jews, but then again, Rabbi Yitzchak Melber, originally from Monsey, is not your average Hasid. Raised Skverer, Rabbi Melber, who now resides in Israel, became a Chasan teacher when he was first married and discovered something troubling. There were many […]
Dear Jew in the City, My family’s Pesach traditions are so strict and burdensome that I don’t want to observe the holiday anymore. The work is too much and I’m starving the whole time. Is there room for me to be more lenient? -A.E. Dear A.E, Thanks for your question. As I mentioned last […]
In a time when Jews are feeling more under attack than they have in recent times, GE is leaning into its Jewish clientele. In a recent video, CEO of GE Appliances, Kevin Nolan, sent a positive message to the Orthodox community. GE wants to best serve their customers, so they created an initiative, Zero Distance […]
Dear Jew in the City- What’s the difference between a halacha, minhag, chumra and inyan? Which ones are mandatory and which are optional? Thanks, Eli Dear Eli, Thanks for your question. Let’s start with halacha. “Halacha” means law. These can be Biblical or rabbinic. The Torah gives us mitzvos – commandments – like “keep Shabbos,” […]
Dear JITC- I just saw Spider-Man, which seems to be about the Christian version of justice. Christians believe in turning the other cheek. Desmond Tutu, who just died, said Holocaust survivors should forgive Nazis! Jews believe in compassion but also in stopping and punishing evil. Why does Judaism believe in vengeance in addition to compassion? […]
Watch our live interview on the halachic and hashkafic implications of BRCA testing with Rabbi Jason Weiner, the senior rabbi and director of the Spiritual Care Department at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, where he is responsible for the chaplaincy team and all aspects of spiritual care. This video is in partnership with JScreen. Visit […]
