Dear Jew in the City, Why are we forced to be sad in the Three Weeks? Best, Aaron Thanks for your question, Aaron. For those who may not be aware, the Three Weeks is a period of increasing mourning that runs from the seventeenth day of the month of Tammuz through the ninth day of […]

After the tragic collapse in Surfside, Florida of the Champlain Towers South condominium building, the community’s strong Orthodox Jewish contingent has been working nonstop to maintain traditional Jewish burial customs for the many Jewish victims. From through the period between death and burial known as aninut, the tahara, the ritual cleansing of the bodies, to […]

Dear JITC- I’ve already been experiencing a very hard time with lockdown. Not listening to music during the three weeks seems daunting from a mental health perspective. Is there any leniency in that regard considering the state of the world? Thanks, Tsippy Dear Tsippy- I hesitate to answer this question because it strays dangerously close […]

Dear JITC- What did Rabbi Akiva’s students do wrong? Whatever they did, isn’t killing 24,000 of them a bit much? Thanks, Daria Dear Daria- Thanks for your question. Allow me to flesh it out a bit for the benefit of those who may not have the necessary frame of reference. The sefirah period, which lasts […]

Many Orthodox Jews Had Their Phones Off During the Sabbath. Then They Learned of a Massacre. Many of America’s most observant Jews refrain from using phones, television or the Internet on the Sabbath. On Saturday, it resulted in a shock. How an Orthodox Businesswoman Rose in the Ranks at the NSA Forty-two-year-old Anne Neuberger, an […]

Dear JITC- I’ve heard that, after Moshiach comes, Tisha b’Av will become a day of joy and that the only holidays we will celebrate will be Purim and Chanukah. Is that true? Can you tell me more about that? Thank you, Zach Dear Zach- That’s a great question. In fact, that’s two great questions! Believe […]