Yes, yes, and yes. I saw this google search come up and wanted to reassure all of you that your RCA (or IRF or private beit din or whoever) conversion does not tie you to a particular hashkafah (philosophy, approach to Judaism). Well, it doesn’t have to. I wrote a while back about the special challenges that […]
Can a RCA Convert Become Lubavitch After Conversion? Read Post »
Remember to light your candle tonight. Place your candle on the far right side of the menorah (from your perspective, facing it). Recite the blessings after you have lit the shamash (helper) candle but before you light the Hanukkah candle. If you’re a visual learner, check out this video from the learning site Jewish Pathways.
Tonight Is the First Night of Chanukah! Read Post »
You finally have a date with your full beit din! Yay! …Now what? Whatever you do, don’t panic. Google “how to cope with stress” if you need tips on how to keep your calm over the next few days or weeks. Nervousness will trip you up in the meeting and make you forget basic facts.
How to Prepare for Your First Beit Din Meeting Read Post »
I guess I have to be like everyone else and weigh in on the Matisyahu Beardgate 2011. In case you don’t have access to any news source, Facebook, Twitter, etc…Chassidic singer Matisyahu shaved his beard. GASP! Shock! Disbelief! This is ridiculous. My initial thoughts on the news: “Oh. Interesting.” And then I moved on to doing
The Mandatory Matisyahu Post: Must Jewish Men Have Beards? Read Post »
I’ve been trying to decide how to approach the Chabad question for several months. It is definitely an issue that needs to be addressed for conversion candidates because many discover Judaism through local Chabad houses. However, it is difficult to handle a controversy fairly and without making too many people angry! I am not Chabad,
Controversies You Should Understand: Chabad Conversions Read Post »
Nusach is the style of the prayer service practiced in different communities. The differences in structure and melodies (the melodies are also called nusach) are normally relatively minor, but they can be enough to trip you up. When dealing with an unfamiliar nusach, just keep following the siddur. There are many nusachim, but there are
Word of the Day: Nusach Read Post »
There is a mitzvah to make a mitzvah beautiful or otherwise enhance the mitzvah beyond the demands of the halacha through aesthetics. Generally, it refers to the beauty of a physical ritual object. The source for hiddur mitzvah is Exodus/Shmot 15:2 “This is my God, and I will glorify Him.” Many mitzvot require a physical
Phrase of the Day: Hiddur Mitzvah Read Post »
There seems to be a lot of Jewish stuff going around in pop culture around now. Or maybe now I just have better sources to bring this stuff to my attention. In that spirit, I now pass these along to you. First, a very interesting post about actress Mayim Bialik’s decision to work on yom
More Jewish Pop Culture Than You Can Shake a Stick At Read Post »
I hadn’t planned to write about slichot for another week or two, but apparently Sephardi custom is to say Slichot for the entire month of Elul. That means they start tonight. Or so I think. Ask your rabbi. Ashkenazim should begin saying slichot on Saturday night, September 24, 2011. Since it’ll be after midnight, it
Slichot in a Nutshell Read Post »
The Lubavitcher Rebbe used to tell a story: A nobleman who enjoyed the aesthetics of life hired a farmer to stand inside his castle and move back and forth with a hand pick, just as he would do in the field. The nobleman took great pleasure in the simple elegance of the farmer’s sway, and
The Value of Productivity Read Post »