This Shabbos morning began like any other. My husband gave the littlest kids their breakfast so that I could get a few extra minutes of sleep. After he left for shul, I got myself and the kids dressed, and we headed next door to our shul, PZ. The only excitement was that my oldest son […]
Hello Jew in the City- I relate to praying as something that I must do three times a day. While, whenever I think about it, I conclude that Hashem IS in control (at least to a large degree), but I do not truly believe that Hashem listens to my praying. As such, saying tehilim or otherwise davening for something […]
Dear JITC- Why do Jewish men wear hats? All the best, Carla Dear Carla- Thanks for your question. It has been asked before: A man asked his rabbi, “Why do Jewish men wear hats?” The rabbi replied, “Because our forefather Abraham wore them.” “How do you know that?” the man inquired. “The Torah says, ‘And […]
Learning to Pray When Words Fail Julie Shulman decided to study linguistics because she wanted to help people with speaking disorders. She never imagined how personal this mission would become when her husband, business-development manager Ayal Shulman, suffered a massive brain hemorrhage. Despite the initially grim prognosis, his cognitive function is intact. But his speech […]
Mayim Bialik and I have shared a special friendship and study partnership over the last many years and have collaborated on several projects at JITC, but it was super fun to sit down with her recently (28 min video interview below) to discuss something amazing she created – her new book “Girling Up” (which spent five and […]
Dear Jew in the City- This week Americans will show their thanks by getting together and eating Turkey and stuffing. Are there any Jewish customs or rituals for expressing gratitude? Thanks, Adam Dear Adam- Thanks for your question. There is an important characteristic in Judaism called hakaras hatov, acknowledging the good. It is stressed that […]
