Growing up in secular America, it was always a major event when they would broadcast The Ten Commandments on one of the major, primetime networks. Although I watched it on a television screen decades after it “played on the big screen, it still took my breath away – even as a child of the eighties, […]

Although it was only a pretend cell phone it came really close to hitting my father’s head after my three year old son slung across the room the day we arrived in Israel for our yearly Passover trip. It played annoying music and had no volume control, but I had bought it the day before […]

My mother was diagnosed with cancer 20 years ago. The disease was asymptomatic for years, but once it went into high gear, she had to begin treatment which tied her down to the hospital. When she made progress in fighting the cancer (she appears to be in remission, thank God!) and her new treatment protocol […]

  Dear Jew in the City- If there’s no Temple anymore, why are we still counting an Omer that’s not even being brought? Didn’t other Temple-related actives just cease after its destruction? Thanks, Losing Count Already   Dear Count, That’s a pretty good question. Let’s first explain what “counting the omer” is. Leviticus chapter 23 […]

Passover appears in several TV shows and movies, from comedies to dramas and everything in between. By watching this media, kids and adults alike can learn about the holiday and get into the spirit before the seder. However, the depiction of Passover is not always accurate. Sometimes, when adding a dramatic or comedic spin, TV […]

Dear Jew in the City, How can we celebrate our freedom this Passover when there are still hostages being held in Gaza? Sincerely, David   Dear David, Thanks for your question. Shortly after the current war in Gaza began and antisemitism was being normalized in the U.S. (and elsewhere), I replied to a completely different […]