Jewish Blogs

MSU Hillel: If You Build It

Like many rabbis I’m often asked why I chose to become a rabbi. People are interested to know if there was a pivotal moment in my upbringing that steered me to the rabbinate. In responding to that question I’ve always cited my years as a student leader at Michigan State University Hillel.A few weekends ago I spent a memorable weekend ...

Maybe I’m Just a Self Embarrassed Jew!

I’m not sure why, but whenever I’m in New York or another large orthodox community I suddenly like to hide my Jewishness. Normally, I wear my yarmulke and tzitzis everywhere, but the second you put me in a place where Jews are everywhere I want nothing to do with them. think it has something to do with being embarrassed by ...

Is Gambling Assur?

I’ve been told that there are quite a few ins and outs regarding the halachos of gambling. Most of them, though, deal with dice games. In Tractate Sanhedrin, dice gamers are called kubiustos and it is said that they are afraid of daylight. I always feel like shit after a night of gambling and don’t want to face the daylight, either, but ...

Is Menstruation Kosher?

Well that silly question got your attention… Kosher means fit or proper.Yes, you will know that menstruation is kosher, if you are an educated person. There is nothing unfit about it. It is a normal part of human health and life.But according to an op-ed report in the Times, “The Taboo of Menstruation,” religious and cultural taboos concerning menstruation are ...

Talmud for Christmas: Tractate Chopsticks

A lost Talmudic tractate has been discovered that answers age-old rabbinic questions about the appropriate way for Jews to fully accomplish the obligations associated with eating Chinese food on December 24th/25th.By Rabbi Rick Brody & Rabbi Rachel Kobrin with inspiration from: Rabbi Jeremy Winaker, Rob Kutner, Carolyn Austin, Bill Seligman, Sam Rosenstein, and Rabbi Ben Newman.MISHNAH 1: Our Rabbis ask: When does ...

The Times v. the Orthodox Male Control Over the Non-Sacred Space at the Western Wall

The Times is helping to stir up anti-Orthodox political sentiment in Israel by focusing in a report on the denial of rights to women at the Western Wall.Talmudic AnalysisIn fact the area of prayer at the Wall is not a holy site in formal Judaism. It is outside the location of the ancient Temple, hence it is an ordinary space ...

Dvar Torah Vayechi: The Reverse

Jacob gives some blessing to Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Menashe, and crosses his arms so as to effect a modification of the precedence of the firstborn (Genesis 48:13-19) — not altogether surprising, since anyone paying attention for the last few months can plainly see that the firstborn status among the children of Abraham has yet to actually follow the ...

A Few More Stories for the Road

As I prepare to leave my position as JWA’s Director of Public History after more than 12 years here, my mind keeps returning me back to the summer day in 2000 when I first stepped into the offices of the Jewish Women’s Archive. At the time, I was a disgruntled graduate student, disillusioned with life in the Ivory Tower and ...

Braving a Botoxed World: A Mother’s Tale

In the recent Disney/Pixar film, Brave, a young princess defies an age-old custom and fights to make her mother understand that she is not ready for marriage. I know you’d rather not think of the Disney princesses at all, but we live and breathe, and shop at Target, so I contend—if forced to choose among that whole pastel-clad, sugary lot, you’d want ...

Is New Year’s Eve Jewish?

Is the celebration of New Year’s Eve allowed in accord with the Jewish religion?No, not in Haifa, Israel, according to the rabbinate there. They say that a New Year’s Eve party is an act of “Idol worship,” as JTA reports:Haifa rabbinate forbids New Year’s Eve partiesJERUSALEM (JTA) — The Haifa rabbinate has warned local hotels and event halls that they ...

Dear Heshy: I Saw a Frum Woman Wearing a Bikini and Covering Her Hair!

Greetings, thought would like this…my family and I are hanging by the pool…and there is this obvious young Lubavitcher long beard, baseball cap and his wife with a perfect Israeli Style Tichel/kerchief not one hair showing ….yet in a tiny bikini!!! What’s with that?? Bikini is ok? but she cannot show her hair??? I get that some people pick and ...

A Very Jewish Christmas

There are many things I don’t love about Christmas.First off, those ridiculous fake antlers that people put on their cars. And that infernal Salvation Army bell ringing – whywhywhy do they keep ringing at you no matter how much money you put in there? I swear I’d drop a fifty just to be able to get from the front door ...