Dear Jew in the City, Are Jews allowed to pray on the Temple Mount? Sincerely, AJ Dear AJ, Thanks for your question. The answer is both halachic and political. Before we get to the question of praying on the Temple Mount, let’s first address whether Jews may even ascend the Temple Mount. Short answer: it’s […]
Kadesh, urchatz, karpas…tzafun, barech, Hallel, nirtzah. Kiddush, washing, karpas…afikomen, grace after meals, Hallel… Many of us have been singing the steps of the seder for as long as we can remember – which is great if we want to remember what to do, but not so great if we want to think about why we […]
It is early Shabbos morning. I’m relaxing on the couch with my ritual morning coffee, inhaling the steam, wrapping myself in the serenity of Shabbos. My siddur rests on my lap, awaiting my sacred time spent with God. Honestly, I carry God with me all the time, sometimes consciously and other times unconsciously. Sometimes I […]
Before this year’s NYC Marathon began on Staten Island, a large number of Orthodox Jewish runners joined the “Marathon Minyan.” There, participants were able to daven, stretch, enjoy a kosher bite of food and get strength and blessings from each other before the race. This is the 50th anniversary of the 26.2 mile race, and […]
Ani l’doni v’dodi li – I am to my Beloved and my Beloved is to me. (Song of Songs 6:3) The Hebrew letters at the start of these four words form the word Elul, the name of the month preceding Rosh Hashana. With the “beloveds” at the center of Song of Songs being metaphors for […]
When an Orthodox Jewish father of seven from London got sick suddenly last Spring, he fell into a coma and woke up to a worldwide pandemic. Originally from South Africa, Eli Seliger is grateful to Hashem for helping him survive. After overcoming Kidney failure, pneumonia, and a nerve disorder, he was also diagnosed with ADEM, […]
