2021-07-28 01:45
Dear Jew in the City-
Jacob Steinmetz and Elie Kligman both just made history as the first Orthodox Jewish players to be drafted to the MLB. Steinmetz plays baseball on Shabbos but Kligman d… Read More
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Breaking down stereotypes about religious Jews and offering a humorous, meaningful look into Orthodox Judaism
2021-07-27 06:02
When President Joe Biden learned that Chief of Staff to Israeli President Reuven Rivlin was mother to twelve, he bowed to her. Now, Ravitz balances a role in politics with the traditional sc… Read More
2021-07-27 03:02
Jackie Mason was the first comedian I ever saw live. This was a huge deal for me, mostly because my family didn’t do things. While I was no older than 14 at the time, nearly 20 years l… Read More
2021-07-22 23:15
“My Unorthodox Life” is a story about someone unhappy in her relationships framed as a story about an extreme form of Judaism that Julia Haart never actually lived.
To see how t… Read More
2021-07-21 12:46
Meet Joyce Azria, former Creative Director of BCBGeneration. From fashion royalty to Orthodox Judaism, hear one woman’s story of how a journey to observance brought her empowerment and… Read More
2021-07-20 05:05
We need broader stories about the Orthodox Jewish community told. Jew in the City has tried and it has fallen on deaf ears. It’s time Hollywood confronts its Jewish bias. Watch Jew in… Read More
2021-07-19 16:56
Many Makom members immediately spotted the dysfunctional behaviors of Julia Haart from My Unorthodox Life based on the dysfunctional patterns in their own childhoods, which contributed to th… Read More
2021-07-18 15:05
As I sit here mourning the loss of the Beis Hamikdash (Holy Temple) that was burned to the ground 2000 years ago, catapulting the Jewish people into a painful exile, where we’ve been b… Read More
2021-07-16 16:37
The hotly contested reality television series My Unorthodox Life debuted this week on Netflix and has inspired a cadre of criticism, backlash and responses that aim to educate its subject, f… Read More
2021-07-16 04:01
Dear JITC-
What prophecies are we supposed to be seeing during the times of Moshiach that we may be seeing right now?
Thanks,
MM
Dear MM-
Thanks for your question, though I don’t love… Read More
2021-07-15 03:08
Dear Jew in the City,
In My Unorthodox Life, Julia says in Judaism a man can divorce his wife if she burns his food, but she can’t divorce him even if he beats her. Is this really true… Read More
2021-07-15 02:14
Now that the public has seen some (or all) of Netflix’s new series, My Unorthodox Life, the people who know Julia Haart (Talia Hendler) are stepping forward to clarify that this s… Read More
2021-07-14 16:26
Now that the public has seen some (or all) of Netflix’s new series, My Unorthodox Life, the people who know Julia Haart (Talia Hendler) are coming out of the woodwork to clarify t… Read More
2021-07-14 16:26
Dear Jew in the City,
I just watched the first episode of My Unorthodox Life and Julia says that according to the Talmud a man can divorce his wife for burning is food, but a woman cannot di… Read More
2021-07-14 02:08
There are problems in the Orthodox Jewish community and there are challenging Jewish laws and sections of the Torah. Episode 1 of Netflix’s My Unorthodox Life basically lays out a… Read More
2021-07-13 20:44
Following yesterday’s news that HAFTR graduate Jacob Steinmetz became the first Orthodox Jew drafted to Major League Baseball (and the Arizona Diamondbacks), today Elie Kligman has bec… Read More
2021-07-12 20:00
Jacob Steinmetz, a 17 year old from the Woodmere, New York made history today as the first Orthodox Jew ever drafted to Major League Baseball. The Arizona Diamondbacks selected Steinmetz wit… Read More
2021-07-09 19:51
Maritza Rodríguez was a Colombian telenovela star, until she became Sarah Mintz, left her career and made aliyah with her Orthodox Jewish family. After converting from Catholicism to… Read More
2021-07-09 01:14
For the past few months, I’ve been writing a weekly article for Jew in the City, celebrating amazing people who shine a positive light on Orthodox Judaism. But this week, I’m goi… Read More
2021-07-08 23:57
The first kosher ecohotel in Europe has opened in Kent, southwest of London. Combining Jewish traditions with environmental awareness, the Sadeh Farmhouse advertises itself as a family-frien… Read More
2021-07-08 23:56
As Israel’s fitness trend has taken off across the country, religious women there are enjoying a “Revolution” in their new approach to health, in the words of Baguf Bari (I… Read More
2021-07-07 20:00
I recently connected with a non-Jewish Olympic gymnast. I read that there was this new pushback in the gymnastics world, where female gymnasts were asking for more fabric like their male cou… Read More
2021-07-07 01:45
Dear Jew in the City-
I’ve heard people say that the Torah was lost in Jewish history and then found, either in the time of Ezra or Josiah. Is this true or are they trying to discredit… Read More
2021-07-04 20:54
As the United States celebrates its 245-year-old freedom, the current climate is unfortunately rife with rising anti-semitism. As anti-semitic attacks – both physical and verbal &ndash&hell…Read More
2021-07-04 20:53
Jori Epstein isn’t a typical sports reporter covering the NFL: She’s an Orthodox Jewish woman. The 26-year-old Dallas resident covers the Dallas Cowboys for USA Today. She has ju… Read More
2021-07-04 20:53
As a record number of anti-Semitic incidents have been reported in the U.K., British Jews are reacting with understandably high levels of fear. Following the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in… Read More
2021-07-02 18:27
A 24-year-old suspect is in custody after Rabbi Shlomo Noginski was stabbed multiple times outside of a Jewish day school in Brighton, Massachusetts where a camp was being run. The attack oc… Read More
2021-07-01 23:32
Dear JITC-
Who is allowed to be zealous like Pinchas? Are we allowed to use him as a model for extremist, vigilante behavior or is there a rule to cap zealotry?
Thank you,
C.T.
Dear C.T.-
Wh… Read More
2021-07-01 03:03
While media representation and public opinion of mikvah has been sullied over the years (check out our mikvah video), Naomi Rosenbach, a PhD student at Hofstra, got to thinking abo… Read More
2021-06-29 15:43
Over the last few weeks, I’ve answered question about the difference between Chasidim and Orthodox Jews, as well as on the women of Shtisel versus the women of Unorthodox. Last week&rs&hell…Read More
2021-06-29 03:08
Last week, the world was shocked as Britney Spears testified in court, describing how she’s been demeaned, controlled, and unable to act with agency for the last 13 years since the con… Read More
2021-06-28 16:11
Alexandra Friedman is not a typical Monsey Hasidic mother of ten children, but she is one of a few who can now be proud to be called “Doctor.” With children ranging between 8-mon… Read More
2021-06-28 16:10
A 20-year-old Hasidic Jew walking in Midtown Manhattan was physically harassed when three teenagers grabbed his hat and would not give it back until the Jewish man yelled “Free Palesti… Read More
2021-06-28 16:09
The first-ever Hasidic fine art Gallery opened this week in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, at the Condor Hotel. Exclusively exhibiting works by talented Hasidic artists, the themes range from Jewis… Read More
2021-06-24 17:35
When Dov first discovered his father’s gambling addiction, he was paralyzed. It was bad enough that his otherwise religious parent was breaking Shabbos to get his fix. Dov wasn’t… Read More
2021-06-24 03:30
Last week Variety editor Malina Saval penned an important piece: Too Jewish For Hollywood: As Antisemitism Soars, Hollywood Should Address Its Enduring Hypocrisy In Hyperbolic Caricatu… Read More
2021-06-23 02:08
Amar’e Stoudemire, Brooklyn Nets’ Assistant Coach, Leslie Berland, Chief Marketing Officer of Twitter; Jordan Gorfinkel, the creator of Batman: Dark Knight; and Sharon… Read More
2021-06-22 03:44
Last week, I answered a question about the difference between Chasidim and Orthodox Jews. Around the same time as I received that question, I was forwarded an email with a lot of questions o… Read More
2021-06-21 23:23
Nissim Black, the Orthodox Jewish rapper who has made a new life for himself and found new musical inspiration in Israel was recently interviewed by Sheinelle Jones on The Today Show. Raised… Read More
2021-06-18 19:44
Hungarian Orthodox Jewish Rabbi Zsolt Balla was one of the first rabbis ordained in Germany in 70 years. The Covid-19 Pandemic provided a backdrop for him to rise to international fame when… Read More
2021-06-18 17:35
JScreen might be known for its reproductive carrier screening kits, but it is its recent foray into cancer screening that is making waves medically and saving lives in the Orthodox Jewish wo… Read More
2021-06-17 16:32
African and Middle Eastern food store Al Basha grocery in Tucson, Arizona is now proud to provide an “opportunity for people to see each other as real people, and have a normal interac… Read More
2021-06-17 16:02
This week Israel has inaugurated a new prime minister, kippah-wearing, New Jersey-raised Naftali Bennett, whose identity as a Benjamin Netanyahu ally and right-wing settlement advocate is a… Read More
2021-06-16 16:56
While Raizy Silberstein Greenbaum was raised in a black hat Orthodox Jewish community, her career took her to Broonklyn’s Black community where she had the privilege of connecting with… Read More
2021-06-16 04:59
Aaron Johnson, known as “the best mailman in the whole world” in the Beachwood, Cleveland, Ohio neighborhood where he works, received a surprise 60th birthday celebration, courte… Read More
2021-06-15 18:12
A couple weeks ago Chanale Fellig approached us explaining that a Tiktoker called Emma’s World had made a viral and very historically inaccurate video claiming libelous things about Je… Read More
2021-06-15 02:14
Dear Jew in the City-
What’s the difference between Hasidic vs. Orthodox Jews? What about the Jews on Shtisel vs. Hasidic Jews?
Thanks,
Michael
Dear Michael-
Thanks for your question… Read More
2021-06-14 18:00
Seven high school football coaches have been fired after it was caught on surveillance video that they forced a kosher-keeping player to eat a pepperoni pizza as punishment for missing a tra… Read More
2021-06-09 20:02
Avigail and Rosie Harrison are both soccer standouts on their youth travel teams. And not just because they’re among the better players on the field.
What sets them apart is “wea… Read More
2021-06-09 19:35
As more children search out help with their mental health during the pandemic, Orthodox Jewish organizations have stepped up to help. Not only did the Orthodox Jewish kids of New York experi… Read More
2021-06-09 02:55
Do you also feel that the world is simply coming apart at the seams? That humanity is crash-landing into oblivion on the backs of emptiness, instant-gratification, confusion, craziness, ange… Read More
2021-06-08 17:44
Introducing Jodea, an indie film written by and starring an Orthodox Jewish actress, is getting great reviews for being a fun and heartwarming Pygmalion story. When Chloe Traicos had the ide… Read More
2021-06-08 01:26
Dear JITC-
Israel is being accused of being genocidal murderers and war criminals. Are there sources that show that Jews love life and value universal humanity?
Thank you,
Ari
Dear Ari-
Than… Read More
2021-06-04 16:58
Your eyes did not deceive you, the latest contestant on American Ninja Warrior is an Orthodox Jewish woman! Not only that, but she is a crusader for women’s fitness of body, mind and s… Read More
2021-06-02 21:08
I just realized that if you want to be a passable Jew, you better de-Jewify.
If you want to be a Jew that is tolerated, you better not be too Jewish, for there is a harm in being too Jewish… Read More
2021-06-02 14:05
Antisemitism is predicted in the Talmud and is a byproduct of Jews being in exile. This means that in every generation, Jews must shape-shift into the enemy du jour in order to be hated. The… Read More
2021-06-02 02:54
Dear Jew in the City-
Do we have the concept of soulmates in Judaism? Can you have more than one?
Thank you,
Annie
Dear Annie-
Thanks for your question. We do indeed have such a concept in J… Read More
2021-06-01 06:54
Having been hit hard initially by the Covid Pandemic, the Orthodox Jewish community has rebounded by vaccinating in large numbers, thanks to education initiatives. Between community activist… Read More
2021-05-31 21:32
When Orthodox Jewish U.S. Army Specialist Daniel Agami was killed by an improvised IED in Iraq, he was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart among several other honors, and his parents earne… Read More
2021-05-31 04:29
When an Orthodox Jewish father of seven from London got sick suddenly last Spring, he fell into a coma and woke up to a worldwide pandemic. Originally from South Africa, Eli Seliger is grate… Read More
2021-05-28 04:16
As hate crimes against Jews continued around the world this week (and in spite of the cease-fire in Israel), righteous gentiles and even MMA fighting secular Jews have stepped up to protect… Read More
2021-05-27 00:28
I have had tortuous abuse in my life, the silence being the factor which I’ve suffered from the most. The feeling of always having to quiet myself for fear of my secrets being out. It… Read More
2021-05-25 20:02
Earlier this week, actor, proud Jew, and occasional snowman (Olaf from Frozen) Josh Gad tweeted: “It never stops breaking my heart how easily antisemitism comes to so many. And how dif… Read More
2021-05-25 03:35
Dear Jew in the City-
I know how to solve the Israeli/Palestinian crisis – make Israel a 51st state of the United States. Let them leave behind that land to the Palestinians and we&rsq&hell…Read More
2021-05-23 18:03
From Roman invaders
And Hellenist Greeks
From violent Crusaders
Those days were so bleak
From Inquisitors in Spain
And Nazis of Reich three
Cossacks in Russia
And then the KGB
But not in Ne… Read More
2021-05-21 17:54
As a mob attack on Jews dining at a West Hollywood restaurant where the attackers were heard yelling “Death to Jews” is investigated as a hate crime, Hollywood celebrities are sp… Read More
2021-05-21 03:35
Beloved comedic actor, iconic talk show guest and host Charles Grodin passed away this week in Connecticut. Raised in Pittsburgh in an Orthodox Jewish family, Grodin became famous for memora… Read More
2021-05-21 02:57
Dear JITC-
I saw in Shtisel the topic of surrogacy came up. It wasn’t very favorable. Is this across Orthodoxy or just in more right-wing circles?
Thanks,
G.S.
Dear G.S.-
Thanks for yo… Read More
2021-05-20 16:58
With shocking videos captured by bystanders worldwide, the apparent huge uptick in anti-semitic attacks has been seen and felt in major cities worldwide in the past few days. From London and… Read More
2021-05-20 03:12
New York City, Los Angeles, Lima, St. Louis, Melbourne, Miami, Manchester, Chicago, Winnipeg, Atlanta, Toronto, Tokyo, Passaic, Tucson, Lexington, Vancouver, Mo… Read More
2021-05-19 16:46
Israeli businessman Isaac Yosef, the operator of the sole kosher bakery in all of San Francisco, is a standout for another heartwarming reason: he is known for giving second chances to forme… Read More
2021-05-16 15:29
While mikvahs are used by Jewish women all the time for the observance of Family Purity, they are also the special place where a non-Jew completes his conversion, as Rus did in the megillah… Read More
2021-05-14 17:00
After a protest of pro-Palestinian supporters and a counter-protest of Israel supporters clashed in Midtown Manhattan, a Jewish man was beaten, chased and took refuge in a store, which helpe… Read More
2021-05-14 16:45
Michal Oshman, a TikTok executive from Israel who now lives in London, just wrote a book which shows the ways in which Judaism allowed her to find her true purpose. As TikTok Europe’s… Read More
2021-05-13 01:20
In the last 3 days, the terrorist organization, Hamas, has fired over 1000 missiles into civilian communities throughout Israel. Supporters of Hamas (and they include the people who say, &ld&hell…Read More
2021-05-12 02:46
Jenny Goldfarb, Founder and CEO of Mrs. Goldfarb’s Unreal Deli, got a deal on Shark Tank with Mark Cuban last year. Her pitch was full of charm and Jewish references. I was immediately… Read More
2021-05-11 01:31
Dear Jew in the City-
What does it mean that every soul was at Har Sinai but there are more Jews today then there were then?
Thank you,
Shanie
Dear Shanie-
Thanks for your question. You seem… Read More
2021-05-10 00:39
A message from Jew in the City founder and director, Allison Josephs: Over 20 years ago when I was becoming Orthodox in my late teens I learned of a song religious Jews sing… Read More
2021-05-07 03:13
May is Mental Health Awareness month and instead of brushing it under the rug, the Orthodox Jewish community is increasing conversation and resources, and having Shabbatons to help those who… Read More
2021-05-05 22:18
For the first two seasons of Shtisel, I feared that featuring so many dysfunctional Haredi Jews who live such stringent and strict lives would be off-putting to Jews from less observant back… Read More
2021-05-05 18:49
An Chabad Hasidic Israeli man who was visiting Baltimore to attend the wedding of a cousin was shot and killed on Sunday night. Efraim Gordon, z’l, worked in IT and was 31 years old. A… Read More
2021-05-05 01:07
Dear JITC-
Why do Orthodox Jews rock when they pray?
Thanks,
Shawn
Dear Shawn-
Yes, Orthodox Jews rock. We rock so hard.
The swaying to which you refer is called shuckeling, from the Yiddish… Read More
2021-05-04 21:59
After news site Al Jazeera reported on the tragedy in Meron, 30,000 people commented on Twitter within the first six hours of the news being tweeted. Unfortunately, more than a third of the… Read More
2021-05-04 01:47
Watching the horror in that holy alley of death and hearing the harrowing details of how it happened – there is a glaring lesson for ME, and I’m sharing in case you relate to it… Read More
2021-05-03 00:53
As the Jewish world continues to mourn the calamitous events that occurred in Meron last Thursday night on Lag B’Omer, leaving 45 dead and hundreds wounded, there are a variety of resp… Read More
2021-04-28 19:42
As I noted in my first review of Season 3, Episode 1, what I love about this season of Shtisel is that we get to see examples of better practices in the Haredi world pushing back against wor… Read More
2021-04-27 16:45
Last week, I read about how US Gymnastics is getting a major overhaul in safety. Five years since it came out that pedophile Larry Nasser abused many of their star athletes for decades… Read More
2021-04-27 03:37
Dear Jew in the City-
What language do Orthodox Jews speak?
Sincerely,
Madison
Dear Madison-
Thanks for your question but it’s a little like asking what language Catholics speak. (I d… Read More
2021-04-23 16:28
12-year-old Adi Topolosky of Rockville, MD appeared on the Kelly Clarkson Show this week in the aftermath of her journey in advocating for women’s sports representation. Her search for… Read More
2021-04-23 06:00
Judge Ruchie Freier has made incredible efforts to help Orthodox Jewish women in Brooklyn to train and work as EMTs, and her volunteer ambulance service Ezras Nashim has created a new percep… Read More
2021-04-22 12:30
Ari Tolwin grew up in a sea of black hats, hailing from a yeshivish family from Detroit. But last month, he swam with the Sharks on ABC’s “Shark Tank.” How did the son of … Read More
2021-04-22 02:29
Growing up not religious, I distinctly remember noticing Orthodox Jews passing by on the streets of New York City with seemingly no emotions. I saw men walking quickly and not smiling and wo… Read More
2021-04-21 02:30
Hi JITC-
Does Orthodox Jewish law recommend the COVID vaccine?
-Sruly
Dear Sruly-
This is an important topic and we absolutely should discuss it but I know what comes with this territory: ha… Read More
2021-04-20 01:50
While the centuries-old prohibition of women singing in front of men may have historically kept some women from launching careers in music, the outlet of Instagram is providing a surprising… Read More
2021-04-20 01:29
Chief executive of Mission Barns, Eitan Fischer, grew up in Israel. It was growing up there that inspired his company’s mission: “Making the world’s first kosher pork ever… Read More
2021-04-19 23:35
“Why Do Orthodox Jews Carry Plastic Bags” is one of the top questions trending on Google now if you search for Orthodox Jews, which is pretty weird, since that’s not the so… Read More
2021-04-16 02:53
Whenever I see an Orthodox rabbi on TV or in movies, I brace myself for impact. While I have personally had a couple disappointing interactions with a couple rabbis in over 2 decades of bein… Read More
2021-04-15 20:29
An initiative for Yom Hazikaron has brought secular and religious Jews together in Israel, as Haredi Jews signed up to read Tehillim for fallen Israeli soldiers. With increased tension betwe… Read More
2021-04-15 00:48
While this year of the world battling Covid-19 has kept many people in their homes, some people have questioned where they want their home to be. On Yom Ha’Atzmaut, we celebrate aliyah… Read More
2021-04-14 01:30
Major Res., Yossi Levy is the CEO of Nahal Haredi. Born in Jerusalem, educated in ultra-Orthodox institutions, he served in the Netzach Yehuda Battalion as a soldier, commander and infantry… Read More
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