This post is intended for people living outside easy driving distance of an orthodox community. We’re not talking about “living outside the community” as in “living 5 miles from the eruv and shul.” I’m going to share how I would approach living in an area without any Jewish resources. As always, each situation is different […]
What If You Live Outside a Jewish Community – Temporary Solutions Read Post »
When I began my conservative conversion process, the rabbi had a policy that all potential conversion candidates must visit the orthodox rabbi in town and ask him the following questions. I believe these are good questions to consider when deciding which movement to convert through. In other words, you should make an informed decision before
If You’re Considering a Non-Orthodox Conversion, Speak to an Orthodox Rabbi First Read Post »
Tonight begins the two days of rosh chodesh Elul, the new month of Elul. (Don’t get confused. Tonight starts the last day of Av, and tomorrow night starts the first day of Elul. Both days are rosh chodesh Elul. That’s two-day rosh chodesh for you!) Elul is the last month of the Jewish calendar, as
What Is Elul and Why Does It Matter? Read Post »
Shabbos Cholent really isn’t hard to make. Open your fridge. Is there food in it? Good. You’re on the right track already. Put your crockpot on the counter. If you’re really fancy, put a crockpot bag in there to make it easier to clean up. If you’re not so fancy, you can spray some Pam
The Only Cholent Recipe You’ll Ever Need Read Post »
What happens when your community standards (which are either halacha or custom) are not the standards of a place you travel to? Let’s discuss some examples (this is not exhaustive): You live in the diaspora, so you celebrate an “extra” day of yom tov for 8 days of Pesach. You travel to Israel, where Pesach
UPDATED: Your Community Standards v. Travel Read Post »
You’ve heard it before (and maybe you’ve even said it), “Shabbat is so restrictive. All you can do is go to synagogue.” And reenforcing that perception, a Google search looking for activities allowed on Shabbat only returns pages and pages of things you can’t do on Shabbat. For someone new to Shabbat, you’re left wading
What CAN I do on Shabbat? Shabbos-Friendly Activities Read Post »
If you’re a pet owner, you have probably already discovered that you’re a bit of an oddball in the Jewish community. Especially if you own a dog. (Much less a big dog…or two big dogs like your author.) Because of the lack of pets in the community, it is key to find a rabbi knowledgeable
How to Walk a Dog on Shabbat Read Post »
As the Nine Days approaches, you should begin preparing your clothing. During this period, we do not wear “freshly laundered clothing” and don’t do laundry. So what will you wear without looking and smelling like a crazy homeless guy? It’s easy. A) You may wear freshly-laundered (aka, clean) underwear and socks (and some say undershirts)
How to Wear “Clean” Clothing During the Nine Days Read Post »
One thing that annoys me endlessly is when women wear button-down shirts and there are obvious gaps between the buttons, exposing the woman’s bra or undershirt. In the Jewish context, this is untznius. In the everyday world, it’s sloppy. I, too, was once a victim of this scourge on fashion. (I didn’t know better. But
How to Make Button Shirts Tznius Read Post »
We discussed earlier what halachic non-Jews (and/or people who don’t keep kosher) can bring to a Shabbat meal. How do you get it there? Hopefully this thought occurred to you. And if not, maybe I’ll save you a little embarrassment (though there is no reason to be embarrassed by a lack of knowledge). What’s the problem? Carrying between public
Practical Tips: Carrying Food/Drinks to a Shabbat Meal Read Post »