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 […]

Dear Jew in the City- What’s the history of Selichos? Why did it come about? Best, Mark Dear Mark- Thanks for your question. As far as the liturgy goes, Selichos are fairly contemporary. By that I mean that they are measured in mere centuries, rather than millennia. Some of the prayers we recite, like Shema, […]

Herman Wouk: Remembrances The enduring appeal of Herman Wouk’s many novels speaks volumes — and though he’s well past the century mark, he’s still writing. The man who wrote “The Caine Mutiny,” Herman Wouk, was once a naval officer himself and has just published the book he says will be his last at 102. Emma […]

When my father was almost 50 years old, he became an Orthodox Jew. My mother, two years his junior, did too, but she always had a positive association with religious Jews and Judaism. Her “Bubbe” and “Zeide” were frum, spoke only Yiddish, learned Torah, and had long seders. Her love of the alter heim, its food […]

Even though eight-year-old Laila and her family are from New York, they never had much experience with Orthodox Jews until Laila was diagnosed with cancer. Laila’s mother recalls that when treatment began, that changed in an instant. “Memorial Sloan-Kettering gave us more direct exposure to Orthodox Jews. They have a big presence at there.” Laila’s […]

How This Film About Modern Orthodox Women Turned Into a Surprise Hit The film “The Women’s Balcony” has no fancy camerawork, no huge twist, no laugh-out-loud moments, no sex and no violence (although there is some yelling — it is, after all, a movie about Israelis). Yet the movie is a breakout hit in its […]