Jewish Blogs

Signs Of Spring In The Upper Galilee

When the wild red poppies start covering the fields in the Galil, you know that Spring is here. There really is nothing quite as lovely and inspiring as taking a walk and suddenly coming upon a field of gorgeous wild flowers. Especially when you’re not expecting it!This week I took my son to the dentist in the little town of ...

Shuls should really have a gong for chazzans that suck

Once in a while I get pissed off enough to write about something and I’m kind of pissed at the moment. I am sure I have brought up what I am about to rant about before, but you people just don’t listen. Countless times I have davened for your sake and have asked ribono shel olam to send shuls a ...

Shuls begin to charge for legroom and desirable seats

Taking after the airlines, synagogues in the New York metropolitan area are going to be charging premium prices for premium seats, like those with more legroom. Many synagogues are lacking the funds to properly maintain their sanctuaries have hot kiddushim and have scholars in residence, but they think charging more for certain seats may help them raise necessary funds.Read More: @ ...

Shul honors only mortgage holders

There’s a bit of a kerfuffle at Shaarei An-Daron in Iberia, Missouri. As it turns out, the shul has started to formally segregate between members who are home owners and those who rent apartments. This is getting some people very upset.Read More: @ Frumsatire.netYou might also like: Finding a Seat When You’re a Guest in a ShulMaking reservations for succos this yearBuilding ...

Shoutout to Toronto

Even though I’ve been living in California for 2 years now, this blog is still an East Coast blog. New York is the center of all things Jewish and my Jewish worldview will always center on the place I grew up in, so rarely do the people from “out of town” communities get any love from me. All they get ...

Should’ve Made ‘Em Just Play Again, Only Naked

When I was a kid, the neighborhood boys would play a game with a Nerf football called “Smear the Queer.”I wasn’t old enough to discern the homophobic nuances, but the spectacle of pre-teenagers with spindly mustaches beating the living crap out of the unlucky guy with the ball was enough to keep me in my own yard, safely ensconced in ...

Should we say kaddish for the New Yorker?

Should we say kaddish for the New Yorker? Yes, judging from the article the magazine published today about its new iPad edition, we should say kaddish — the prayer for the dead — for this 20th century publication.Don’t get me wrong. I think that the New Yorker is a literate, quality magazine. It just seems to us that they are ...

Should Jews Stop Reciting the Messianic Alenu Prayer?

Haaretz columnist Carlo Strenger recently wrote a strong op-ed reeling against religious messianism in Israel. He called it the, “Decline and fall of Israel’s Messianic politics” which he sums up thus, “Ultimately, Israel’s sane majority that wants peace and democracy rather than war and theocracy will wake up and break the destructive stranglehold of those who wish to make the ...

Should Jews be Paid to Study Torah?

I signed up this year to participate in a Bet Midrash program for international students studying abroad at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. The program pairs local English speakers with students to study in a one-on-one chevruta. I had participated in a similar program as a young professional back in Washington, D.C. and got so much out of it that I ...

Should Adult Orthodox Men Work or Study Torah?

The Times reports on a significant Talmudic clash of cultures in Israel.The mainstream secular culture considers it desirable and preferable for adult men to work in materially productive jobs. The Haredi Orthodox culture deems it worthy that adult men (now 60% of them) sit in Yeshivas and (ostensibly) study Torah, which they deem to be a spiritually productive occupation.The Haredis ...

Shomer negiah tefillin date

I met the girl on frumster and after several conversations we agreed to meet. This was going to be another run of the mill date. I would pick her up in the Heights and we would try and check each other out in the dark car while making awkward conversation about driving a stick shift in the city and shidduch ...

Shofar Music

It’s not that hard to play the shofar. Believe me, I’ve led enough High Holiday kids services in my life to know that even a five year old can play the shofar.What I’ve learned though is that there are three levels of shofar blowing abilities:Read More: @ myjewishlearning.comVisitors found this page by searching for: shofar blowing music (1) You might also like: More Life-Sized Cardboard ...