A very straight-forward reference post for you today. You generally needn’t memorize the Hebrew dates of most holidays, unless told differently by your beit din. However, you should be able to list these major holidays in chronological order, starting either with Rosh Hashana or Pesach. You may want to compare and contrast with the post
Handy Dandy List of Jewish Holidays with Hebrew Dates Read Post »
You will eventually need to know the short-hand names for the eating-related brachot, so here is a handy list to help you out! Even better, you’ll hear these phrases thrown around quickly in conversations, so now you’ll understand what these people are talking about, and you can even use these phrases in your conversations! What
The “Nicknames” of Brachot Read Post »
A book has just been released that you should consider buying or checking out from the library. (Since it literally has just been published, you may have to request that your library get a copy of the book. It’s a simple procedure.) Disclosures: I did not receive this book to review it. However, I did
A Convenient Hatred: The History of Antisemitism 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 »
Something that confused me for a long time was that Hebrew letters are also numbers. Worse, the words for numbers have both feminine and masculine forms. But today, we’re going to focus on Hebrew numerals. Think of Roman numerals (I, V, and X) and Arabic numbers (1, 2, and 3). I find the Hebrew system
When Hebrew Letters Are Actually Numbers Read Post »
Today, I’m going to tell you why the Voca People are awesome. But I’m not going to make you take that on faith. I’ll tell you a little about myself so that you can know I am a clear authority on their amazingness. First, I saw it. Second, I’ve seen a lot of performances of
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 »
This is truly an eternal debate, and everyone has an opinion. Mostly, they focus on the negative opinion: which do they hate? Personally, I hate early Shabbos, but not for the reasons you would think. First, what are early and late Shabbos? Early Shabbos is in the winter, when Shabbos begins early on Friday afternoon.
Debate: Early Shabbat v. Late Shabbat Read Post »
Tomorrow is a fast day! Sunrise to sunset only. If you are uncertain how the laws of fasting apply or how they apply to you, ask your rabbi! Remember that if you are halachically unable to fast because of your health, it is a mitzvah for you to eat! The Fast of the 17th of
Tomorrow Is the Fast of the 17th of Tammuz Read Post »
Appropriately enough after my last post, today’s word is “b’seder.” This word/phrase is ubiquitous in Israel. That means it is everywhere. Israelis say “b’seder” more than teenage girls say “like.” Literally, it means “in order.” It generally means “ok” or “fine” or “everything will be ok.” You can even end your sentences with it, like
Phrase of the Day: B’Seder Read Post »