Dear Jew in the City, Is there anything we can look to within Jewish sources to understand the blood libel accusations against Jews when Jews uniquely value life? Sincerely, Samuel   Dear Samuel, Thanks for your question. The short answer is no. The longer answer is also no. Jewish sources are great for explaining why […]

Dear Jew in the City, Recently, you referenced a relationship between Jews and Hindus. Can you please expand on that? Sincerely, Rebecca Dear Rebecca, Thanks for your question. That was in the article on Jewish-Muslim relations. What I wrote there was, “Avraham had other children, with his second wife, Keturah (who may or may not […]

Dear Jew in the City, Why does Hashem care so much about the intricate details of our practice, i.e. all the halachot of Shabbat, kashrut, etc.? Sincerely, Yuval Dear Yuval, Thanks for your question. You want to talk about an intricate detail? Let’s talk about commas. A comma is a tiny thing. Certainly, the inclusion […]

In a time when it seems like the world is turning against us, when people all over are crying out that a Jewish state shouldn’t exist, we keep getting gifts that show us just how true to the land we are. (If only others would take note!) The discovery by researchers at four Israeli universities […]

Dear Jew in the City, Can you please explain Jewish/Muslim relations in the Torah, in particular why they’re so contentious? Sincerely, Itai   Dear Itai, Thanks for your question. The Torah has literally nothing to say about Jewish/Muslim relations. To explain why this is, please consider the following timeline: 1312 BCE – The Torah is […]

Dear Jew in the City, Up until now, Jews of our generation lived in a bubble, mostly insulated from overwhelming Jew hatred that has always permeated society. Now that the mask is off, we better understand what our ancestors experienced. How did they cope? How did they find joy and hope in a world where […]