“We refute our Jewishness,” said Jonathan Glazer in the beginning of his controversial Oscar award winning speech. But does he, or for that matter, we, even really know what “our Jewishness” is about? Jewish customs seem like they can range from being deep and meaningful like reading the hagadah to startlingly unintelligible like getting drunk […]

Dear Jew in the City, As we think about the Jewish people being redeemed, what can we think about the Purim story about the Jews meriting redemption? Sincerely, Abraham   Dear Abraham, Thanks for your question. I’m curious why your premise is that we’re “think(ing) about the Jewish people being redeemed.” Because of the war? […]

Last night, Jewish director Jonathan Glazer won an Oscar for The Zone of Interest, his harrowing film about the commandant of Auschwitz during the Holocaust. The film was noteworthy because it didn’t show the horrors of the camp: we mostly just hear gunshots, screams, and other sounds in the background as the family goes about […]

When was the last time you thought about a rare disease? If you’re lucky, it’s never. If you’ve been impacted in some way — whether you have one or someone close to you does — you know how debilitating and painful it can be. That’s what Yehuda Gelman is trying to change — and already has in […]

Faith in God, like loving one’s spouse – is not a static thing. It ebbs. It flows. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. And it requires work and commitment to make it last. God’s presence in the world is hidden – it’s meant to be hidden, in part, so that we have free will. As […]

There are certain events that happen that give us a renewed source of hope. When the two hostages Fernando Simon Marman and Louis Har were rescued earlier this month, the whole world felt lighter for a second. Our hostages are still alive. There is still the chance we can get them back safely. Our prayers […]