Dear Jew in the City- Are there Torah sources that encourage the idea of having a clean home? Thank you, Hailey Dear Hailey- I love this question, so I’d like to cast the net a little wider. Namely, I’d like to address personal hygiene, laundry and then clean homes. For starters, forget that old chestnut […]

Hi JITC- Why do Orthodox Jews tend to marry at a younger age? Thank you, Alec Dear Alec- We’re going to be able to keep this one short and sweet because it’s pretty straightforward for a change. The reason Orthodox Jews tend to marry at a younger age is because they’re normal. Jewish law doesn’t […]

Dear JITC- How will Covid affect Purim this year? Thank you, Rachel E. Dear Rachel E. – “I am no prophet, nor am I the son of a prophet….” – Amos 7:14 In other words, “How should I know?” Honestly, last Purim did any of us have any idea what Pesach would look like? Or […]

Hi JITC- People are having a hard time being decent to people they disagree with these days. How does the Torah say we’re supposed to treat our enemy? Thanks, Michelle Dear Michelle- I don’t always have the full context of a reader’s question and am sometimes left to infer some details. In this particular instance, […]

Dear Jew in the City- Does Orthodox Judaism believe that marriages should have romance? Thank you, Olivia Dear Olivia- My wife and I have a friend we’ve known for about three decades. While she’s now the wife of a well-known local rabbi, we met her as a college student going through all the usual dating […]

Rabbi Jack Abramowitz has spent his career helping people find meaning in living a Torah life. His articles on the Orthodox Union’s website, OUTorah.org, as well as here on Jew in the City, consistently draw on relatable ways to give context to tough topics. His seventh book, Ask Rabbi Jack, features the Ask Rabbi Jack […]