Dear JITC- Is there a problem with trick-or-treating according to Judaism? If so, why? Thanks, Jamie Dear Jamie- Thanks for your question, though I don’t know how relevant it will be this year. Thanks to the global pandemic, I suspect there will be far less trick-or-treating this year than in the past, and I certainly […]
Dear JITC- What are some possible ways the Covid pandemic might affect fasting on Yom Kippur this year? If I have symptoms, if I’ve been exposed, if I’m sick, if I’m higher risk, if I’m the ba’al tefillah, etc? Sincerely, Avi Dear Avi- Thanks for your question. As you are probably aware, all mitzvos in […]
Dear Jew in the City- Is there religious significance if someone dies on Rosh Hashana or Erev Rosh Hashana? -Josh Dear Josh- Thanks for your question, which I assume was motivated by Justice Ginsburg’s passing. A lot of people online are saying that it’s a sign of righteousness. The rationale underlying this is that a […]
Dear Jew in the City- Why do we ask God to remember us on Rosh Hashanah? It’s not like God forgets things. Thanks, Eitan Dear Eitan- Thanks for your question, though my reply will probably have less to do with Rosh Hashana than you were expecting. It has more to do with grammar. Obviously, we […]
Dear JITC- There’s a woman in my community who I used to be pretty friendly with. Then something changed. She’s not mean to me, but she seems to be keeping her distance even as I try to continue to reach out to her. As we approach the High Holidays, I’m thinking about making amends with […]
Dear JITC- How do we deal with blowing a shofar during a pandemic that spreads through viral droplets? Thank you, Ryan Dear Ryan- I’m glad you asked this question because it’s something that has concerned me literally for months. Unfortunately, the reason it concerned me was because, as you say, blowing a shofar spreads droplets […]
