Jewish Blogs

Dvar Torah Behar: Conditional Guarantee

For the past year or so, I’ve been reading the government welfare blessings in English while the guy reads it aloud in the shul at which I daven and just tonight, I discovered a correlation with something from this week’s parsha.When we ask that “Yisrael yishkon lavetach” (Israel should dwell in security), I see a parallel to the promise made ...

Dvar Torah Behar-Bechukosai: Raining Theories

After I finished dental school, I interviewed at a yeshiva for the position of high school biology teacher. Even though my wife was keen on me making lots of money and actually working as a dentist, I had always wanted to teach and figured that I’d fit this in somehow. But my wife didn’t have to worry — I wasn’t ...

Dvar Torah Acharei-Kedoshim: Putting Abominations Back into Perspective

Linda Malcor has both a Master’s and a PhD in folklore and mythology, which seems fitting, seeing how easily her surname could have come straight from Harry Potter.In 2000, Malcor self-published this article online about homosexuality, outlining her opinion of biblical references to abomination as a discussion with (the perhaps proverbial) Mr. Literal, who “insisted in the literal truth of ...

Dutch Doll Costume For Purim!

Here’s my cute Dutch doll daughter, all dressed and ready for Purim! The costume was a huge hit at school, fortunately my daughter didn’t mind all the attention. While we’ve know for months that we wanted to make a costume with the crocheted wig, we just didn’t have a solid direction until the last minute, when we pulled it all ...

Dude Where the Heck Were You?

Usually when I abandon the blog for a week I announce it, but this time it just sorta happened. I was working my butt off up until the Wednesday before Pesach and I literally hopped out of work, dumped my camping gear, rain gear, some shabbos clothes which most would call weekday clothing and my bike into the old car ...

Drew Barrymore Converting to Judaism

Is Drew Barrymore Jewish? The answer is that she currently is not, but she appears to be interested in converting to the Jewish faith. She is engaged to marry Will Kopelman this year.While many non-Jews preparing for conversion to Judaism reach out to rabbis or Jewish friends for guidance, Drew Barrymore has sought out a colleague who has been an ...

Dressing the Part

So a few weeks ago I stumbled across this weird video. It’s a fashion show from the ’80s, a Jean-Paul Gaultier collection featuring hot bored-looking chicks dressed up as Hasidic Jewish men.Of course.I was basically compelled to feature it in a Jewniverse, which I did (it’s out next week–subscribe right now to get it!). Then I wrote it. Then I ...

Dreaming of a heimishe kiddush

Every once in a while I actually remember my dreams, rarely do I have great ones, but this past Friday night I dreamed of kiddush. Not only did I dream of kiddush, I dreamed of the ideal yeshivish/hemishe/chassidish shteeble style kiddush that I have not had in many moons.Northern Californians don’t really do kiddush so well, sure they have great ...

Drake’s Bar Mitzvah (Again)

In Judaism when a Jewish man turns 83 he ceremoniously celebrates his bar mitzvah for the second time. The reason for this is that Judaism believes that the length of a man’s life is 70 years so at 83-years-old he symbolically turns 13 once again. Aubrey Drake Graham, AKA “Drake”, is only 26 and far from the traditional age of ...

Dr. Skip Goes Back to Africa

You might infer that it’s really lovely in Sumbawanga this time of year because my dad keep going back. But after listening to his tales about giant bugs and airless hotel rooms, somehow, I don’t think he’s there for the spa atmosphere. For the fourth summer in a row, my father has traveled to a remote hospital in Tanzania to ...

Dr. David Pelcovitz – Three Keys to Raising Your Children

On Moetzaei Shabbos, December 25th, Dr. David Pelcovitz, one of the foremost child psychologist gave a lecture to over 500 men and women at the Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills. You can download the shiur here.Dr. Pelcovitz is the son of the former long time Rabbi of the White Shul in Far Rockaway, Rabbi Raphael Pelcovitz and his lectures ...

Downton Abbey’s Lady Grantham: Honorary Jewess With Attitude

“Is she Jewish?”It’s one of the first questions we Jews ask about anyone in pop culture who even slightly looks like one of the tribe, or has a “berg” or a “witz” as their name’s last syllable.I’m usually curious to find out the answer, but I’m rarely obsessed. But with one particular woman, I absolutely MUST KNOW. Who is she? ...