I get this question a lot, as I imagine many of you do. I’ve finally hit on an answer that I like to use on friends. I have yet to try this on someone I don’t know as well, but I would try it out. Question: What are you not allowed to do on Shabbat? […]
Common Question: What Can’t You Do on Shabbat? Read Post »
An important read from the other convert blogger named Chavi: The Real Danger? Other Converts. From the post: “I don’t know if it’s new, but all of the conversion crises talk has exacerbated this self preservation to the point that converts, in some communities, have become bullies. It is the classic case where the bullied
Bullying Within the Conversion Community: The Enemy Within Read Post »
Some of you may be considering orthodox conversion, but you don’t live in an orthodox community. You know that you will be required to move if you want to pursue this. (See Convert Issues: the Community Requirement.) However, because of school, a lease, saving money, owning a home, or a million other reasons, you’re stuck
Social Strategies for the Isolated Conversion Candidate Read Post »
Sunrise to sunset on April 18 this year is the Fast of the Firstborn. This fast commemorates the saving of the Israelite firstborns from the final plague: death of the firstborn. All the firstborns of Egypt, the children of the garbage man to the baker to Pharaoh himself, died. Only certain firstborns are required to fast. There
The Fast of the Firstborn Read Post »
Using the Star K’s kosher-for-Pesach pet food list (locate the PDF under the food lists), I finally purchased my pet food for Pesach. For eight days and three upset pet tummies, I spent $70 on Science Diet food. The other brand (Blue Wilderness) would have been $100. I’m a little shocked, as you might imagine. One more reason
Shabbat Shalom! The Pets and Pesach Edition Read Post »
Halacha in a Nutshell is a series that does not aim to actually teach you halacha. The goal is to acquaint you with the general ideas of a halachic issue so that you can follow conversations without looking like a total n00b. For many people, an eruv is an essential “feature” of any orthodox community.
Halacha in a Nutshell: What Is an Eruv? Read Post »
Shiksa is a Yiddish word that means “non-Jewish female.” It’s especially used for an attractive woman who could be a “temptation” to Jewish men. The people who use this word in conversation very rarely know its real meaning: abomination. And the people who know the meaning and use it for that meaning probably aren’t the
Why You Should Never Call Someone (or Yourself) a Shiksa Read Post »
With all the effort that goes into Pesach, the ideal plan is to not have to make that effort! Go away from home and let someone else do the hard work for you! There is big business in “kosher for Pesach” resorts in Mexico, Arizona, Florida, New York, Israel, and just about everywhere else Jews
The Ideal Passover: Go Away! Read Post »
Just a quick vocabulary lesson today! There are many ways to classify mitzvot, and one of the major ways is by source: from the Torah or from the rabbis. Mitzvot d’oraita (mitzvos d’oraisa) are mitzvot directly from the Torah, both the Written Law and the Oral Law. The theoretical punishment (when there was/will be a
Adventures in Semantics: D’Oraisa v. D’Rabbanan Read Post »
Last year during the High Holydays, I had to write out a timeline of the Holydays for my school in order to justify why I couldn’t attend certain classes because of a religious holiday. (Because of night classes, just putting down a date wasn’t sufficient because many days, I could attend day classes but not
Passover Timeline: When Do I Do What? Read Post »