Dear Jew in the City, Are Orthodox Jews allowed to consume alcohol? Thanks, Sam Dear Sam, Thanks for your question, though I really wonder what prompted it. Anyone even passingly familiar with Jewish ritual life would be aware that wine plays a regular role in it. We usher Shabbos in and out with kiddush and havdalah […]

Dear Jew in the City, As we think about the Jewish people being redeemed, what can we think about the Purim story about the Jews meriting redemption? Sincerely, Abraham   Dear Abraham, Thanks for your question. I’m curious why your premise is that we’re “think(ing) about the Jewish people being redeemed.” Because of the war? […]

Breathe in…and breathe out. If you’re anything like me, reports of rising antisemitism have you speed-dialing your therapist and questioning everything you know about the world. As Editor-in-Chief of Jew in the City, it’s literally my job to stay up to date on the latest antisemitic events. We haven’t been able to go a day […]

The Talmud tells us to do something strange on Purim: drink until you don’t know the difference between “blessed is Mordechai” and “cursed is Haman” (“ad d’lo yada”). This is a surprising statement. Judaism generally doesn’t promote getting drunk. And why would we want to be confused about not knowing the difference between blessing Mordechai (the […]

The Jews are facing annihilation. This time, there seems to be no way out of their predicament. The king has issued a decree, and once the king has issued a decree there is no way of rescinding that decree. Yet, miracles of miracles, the Jews triumph! Out of seemingly nowhere, Esther, the quiet niece of […]

Are you ready to hear a chilling story about Purim? Let’s take it back to the Talmud to start – the book of the Talmud connected to Purim. Jacob said before the Holy One, “Do not grant Esau the wicked the desire of his heart.” This refers to Germamya, a royal province of Edom, who […]