Dear Jew in the City, With the recent Donald Trump/Elon Musk spat dominating headlines, what guidance does Jewish wisdom offer about how to argue passionately without crossing a line? How can we disagree better/respectfully, especially in such a polarized world? Sincerely, Kate Dear Kate, Thanks for your question. I’ll share some thoughts on disagreeing, […]
Tevye, from Fiddler on the Roof, is beloved by all who have the chance to be embraced by his sweet nature and boisterous spirit. Chaim Topol, the Israeli actor who played the character in the 1971 film adaptation as well as the musical, has much of the same effect. Large audiences are in agreement — he […]
When I was studying in Israel after high school, my roommate and I had some interesting late-night conversations. One of our favorite recurring themes was a debate that, as we discovered, showed up long before our gap year – for instance, in the following Talmudic passage: Rabbi Tarfon and the Elders were reclining in the […]
As a secular Jewish American young woman, I was raised to be a feminist. I went through a stage in middle school where I exclusively called God “She,” even though I wasn’t sure if there was a God. I was always one of the loudest and most outspoken students in any class that I was […]
There’s war, there’s inflation, there’s a pandemic that won’t quite quit, but the news of the day is Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars last night for making fun of Smith’s wife’s baldness due to her alopecia. Lots of people are sounding off today, mostly on the side of “violence is never the […]
Earlier this week, actor, proud Jew, and occasional snowman (Olaf from Frozen) Josh Gad tweeted: “It never stops breaking my heart how easily antisemitism comes to so many. And how difficult it seemingly is for people to speak out against it. I will stand up against bigotry of all kind from Islamiphobia to racism. Wish […]
