The lulav and the esrog might be the strangest-looking ritual in Judaism, but there are some common symbolisms you should know. There are two major “theories” of what they represent, so let’s go through them! That way, you won’t be caught unawares this chag. And then we’ll discuss two more symbolic theories so you can […]

As you probably learned over Rosh Hashanah, three day yom tovs require a lot of logistical awareness. I thought it might be a good idea to write it out to help you plan the 3 day chag coming up this week. However, this timeline is written for 3 day chagim generally. Always double-check the times […]

Succot, Sukkot, Succos… but for some reason, you never see it written Sukkos.  Don’t rely on the “How to pronounce Sukkot” video on YouTube. It’s a computer voice with a British accent that is actually trying to say Sukkos. Don’t bother with this other computer-generated-Brit sound file either and for the same reason. Accented Syllable […]

Daf Yomi is the practice of studying one page of the Talmud daily in a seven year cycle. By “page,” we mean two “normal pages” front and back of one sheet of paper, also known as a folio. One page a day for a total of 7.5 years. And at the end, we throw a […]

It’s that time, folks. The Ten Days of Repentance. People are probably saying a long Hebrew phrase at you, and you’re trying to figure out what the heck it is. Don’t feel bad. The first year, I was really confused for a week or so, and then it stopped, and I forgot all about it. […]

Nope. Whether your name is Shaindy or Sunshine, Chaim or Christina, Mendy or Moustafa, you are Jewish if you’re Jewish. Now, who qualifies as Jewish is a much bigger and hotly debated question!  If you’re Jewish (by whatever definition you’re using) and don’t have a Hebrew name, you can continue to live without a Hebrew […]

Let’s get in some deep psychological stuff today. Let’s talk about impostor syndrome. Sometimes (okay, maybe a lot), I feel like a Jewish impostor. We’ll start with a visit to my Inner Monologue: After 10 years in the community and almost 3 years after Conversion 2.0, I still wonder if I was really, totally sincere. And […]

I happen to be a big fan of the Colbert Report. Stephen Colbert is a fellow Charlestonian, so I can hipster you by telling you that I’ve probably been stalking him longer than you. I was catching up on last week’s episodes and caught a great segment called The Atone Phone, where Jews can call […]

Looking to wish people a happy new year? The internet is here to help.  There are a few ways to greet people over the coming week, but we’re going to start with “Shana tovah!” Here’s a great Israeli pronunciation. You’ll notice that the accented syllable is different from what many American Jews say: ShaNAH ToVAH. […]

No. Just no.  There is no prohibition against a person with tattoos using a mikvah, either male or female. I have never heard of anyone being turned away from a mikvah, other than single women (but that’s a different discussion – premarital sex, not tattoos). Getting a tattoo is prohibited, but there is no prohibition […]