Hi JITC- What is the point of inviting these guests to our sukkah? Thanks, Max Dear Max- Thanks for your question. I see from the subject line of your message that “these guests” refers not to your corporeal yom tov guests but to the Ushpizin. “Ushpizin” is an Aramaic word that means guests. Aramaic is […]

I watch her in awe – the way a sports fan might watch a great athlete – but the thing that this woman has mastered is herself. Every time I’ve been a guest in this friend’s home over the last fifteen years, I am blown away by what a person looks like when she truly […]

This week I’m going to do something different. I’m going take two questions that were submitted separately and combine them into a single post because (a) they’re related and (b) my answers are relatively brief.   The first question is: Dear Jew in the City, “Why do we shake the lulav and other arba minim […]

Dear Jew in the City, Why is Sukkot the holiday of happiness over other holidays? Best, Raphael   Dear Raphael, Thanks for your question. Let’s assume you were jaded and cynical. I know that doesn’t apply to anyone here, but if you were jaded and cynical, you might think, “Well, when the Rabbis composed the […]

Sukkot is the harvest holiday that commemorates the booths that the Children of Israel sat in during their exodus from Egypt. It is a time of gathering and enjoying time with family and friends, something tech giant Meta knows a few things about. This year, they’re merging technology with the holiday and encouraging the public […]

The Jewish holiday of Sukkot is called z’man simchaseinu, (the time of our happiness), and as millions of Jews around the world have been rejoicing this week with festive meals, prayers, concerts, and family outings, some antisemites tried to dampen the mood. On Wednesday night, a modern Orthodox shul in LA was left shocked when […]