Hey JITC- What is our responsibility to the environment as observant Jews? Best, Kiki Dear Kiki- Thanks for your question. Our responsibility to the environment does not vary based on whether we are observant Jews, non-observant Jews or non-Jews; we all have the same responsibility. This is because the way in which we interact with […]

Dear Jew in the City- In the Haggadah, it states “Pour out Your wrath upon the nations that do not call out Your name.” Aren’t we supposed to be compassionate and non-violent? How do we come to terms with this difficult text? Best, Jocelyn Dear Jocelyn- Thanks for your question. The first thing one has […]

Dear JITC- Where does the custom of hiding the afikomen (and ransoming it, children from parents or vice versa) come from? Thanks, Lisa Dear Lisa- As you note in your question, there are different customs regarding how to play the afikomen game. In some families, the parents hide it and the children win a prize […]

Dear Jew in the City- What are the halachic requirements of attraction in a prospective marriage? Sincerely, R.G. Dear R.G.- Thanks for your question. Let’s discuss two types of “attraction” – emotional attraction (which we’ll call “love”) and physical attraction (which, for the sake of literary balance, we’ll cynically refer to as “lust”). Let’s address […]

Dear JITC- When should forgiveness be granted? If someone did something really awful – how do we know the apology was sincere and not just lip service? When are we supposed to forgive if the iniquity wasn’t done to us but disgusts us? What does forgiveness look like? Is it tolerating the abuser? Allowing him […]

Dear Jew in the City- Are the mistakes of youth (teens) counted differently in Judaism? Thanks, AJ Dear AJ- Thanks for your question. In Judaism, the age of an offender is certainly taken into account, in a number of ways. The first and most obvious example is the concept of bar and bas mitzvah, that […]