Dear Jew in the City, With all the international attention on Israel’s war with Hamas, I’ve been hearing a lot of debate—both within the Jewish world and beyond—about whether Israel is obligated to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza. Some argue that as Jews, we’re commanded to help all people, even our enemies. Others say that […]
Omer Shem Tov was only 21 years old when he was abducted from the Nova Music Festival on October 7. As Hamas terrorists murdered innocent concertgoers and launched their assault on surrounding kibbutzim – resulting in the tragic deaths of over 1,200 people – Omer was captured with his friends Maya and Itay Regev. While […]
Dear Jew in the City, I just saw that there was a blood moon recently, and was wondering: is there any Jewish meaning to a blood moon? Sincerely, Jonathan Dear Jonathan, Thanks for one of the more interesting questions. Before answering, I think we should first make sure that everyone knows what a “blood […]
Dear Jew in the City, Ozempic and similar treatments are trending like crazy. Is there any Jewish law against using them? Or is it a good thing to take care of your body in this way? Best, Barbara Dear Barbara, Thanks for your question. My answer, perhaps surprisingly, starts in the book of Bereishis. In […]
Dear Jew In the City, Israel seems to have hit Hezbollah hard this week with blowing up their technology. How do we balance celebrating defeating our enemies with not taking too much joy in the death and destruction of human beings? Sincerely, Jonathan _ Hi Jonathan, Thanks for your question. We have addressed questions about […]
(Editor’s Note: While this article was written years before October 7, its words ring truer than ever. The Jewish people are experiencing the worse calamity in our lifetimes and even as we heal, we will forever carry brokenness. This is not new to our people. Rabbi Aaron Goldscheider poignantly explains what it looks like to […]
