Dear JITC- I saw in Shtisel the topic of surrogacy came up. It wasn’t very favorable. Is this across Orthodoxy or just in more right-wing circles? Thanks, G.S. Dear G.S.- Thanks for your question. I’ve never seen Shtisel (and I have no intentions to) but I assume you are referring to gestational surrogacy, in which […]

Dear Jew in the City- What does it mean that every soul was at Har Sinai but there are more Jews today then there were then? Thank you, Shanie Dear Shanie- Thanks for your question. You seem to understand that midrash to suggest that all the souls were there bodily but I don’t think that’s […]

Dear JITC- Why do Orthodox Jews rock when they pray? Thanks, Shawn Dear Shawn- Yes, Orthodox Jews rock. We rock so hard. The swaying to which you refer is called shuckeling, from the Yiddish word shuckelen meaning to shake. While a widespread – though not universal – practice (it’s not the practice of Sefardim, for example), its […]

Dear Jew in the City- What language do Orthodox Jews speak? Sincerely, Madison Dear Madison- Thanks for your question but it’s a little like asking what language Catholics speak. (I doubt very much you’d expect all Catholics to speak Latin!)  Hebrew is the traditional language of the Jewish people – that’s the language in which […]

Hi JITC- Does Orthodox Jewish law recommend the COVID vaccine? -Sruly Dear Sruly- This is an important topic and we absolutely should discuss it but I know what comes with this territory: hate comments.  I get it; there are those who oppose vaccinations. The rest of us know what you have to say but we […]

Dear Jew in the City- Covid has a weird symptom of removing people’s senses of smell and taste. What do smell and taste represent in Judaism? Also, my whole family lost our sense of smell from Covid. How do we handle the besamim part of havdalah? Sincerely, Jody Dear Jody- Thanks for your question. I […]