Even the other toothbrushes don’t like Shabbos Toothbrush :'(
Feel Bad About Your Hebrew? Don’t!
Do you feel inferior because you can’t read Hebrew at the speed of light like your congregation? No need to feel that way. A) It’ll come. Really. Just keep slogging through it. Lest you think I’m being dismissive, I assure you I’m right there with you, struggling to read at a non-embarrassing speed. I spend […]
Phrase of the Day: Being “Religious”
I’ve written before that I don’t like the phrase “religious Jews.” Now I have a better explanation for it, thanks to Rabbi Joseph Telushkin. I’m still looking for a better phrase if you have one! Rabbi Telushkin sums up the situation very well in Hillel: If Not Now, When?: …[I[f two Jews are speaking about […]
Nice Video from Aish About Torah Study
This isn’t worth a “regular” daily post, but I thought this was a really nice video. Regardless of what you think of Aish, I like how they showed the diversity of people who study Torah regularly and that even the busiest professionals find a way to make time for it! “Read it. Study it. Enjoy […]
The Hebrew Alphabet
The Hebrew alef-bet is easy to learn, even if you’ve never learned another language or think you’re too old of a dog to learn new tricks. And you don’t have to do it alone! Approximately every November, the National Jewish Outreach Program sponsors “Hebrew reading crash course” classes. Locate a class near you here! It’s free and […]
Convert Quote: Handicaps
Sammy Davis, Jr., is one of the most famous American Jewish converts. In true borsht belt/vaudeville style, Mr. Davis has a very famous quote involving Jack Benny, a contemporary American entertainer. On a golf course, Jack Benny once asked Sammy Davis, Jr., what his handicap was. “Handicap?” he asked. “Talk about handicap! I’m a one-eyed […]
More Jewish Pop Culture Than You Can Shake a Stick At
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 […]
Word of the Day: Yeshivish
Yeshivish is a language all its own. Supposedly it’s a form of English, but sometimes, you’d never know it! Yeshivish exists most strongly in Yeshivish communities (whodathunkit?), but many orthodox Jews (primarily Ashkenazim) keep some yeshivish up their sleeve. Sometimes, it’s just a faster way to communicate an idea. The words may be either Yiddish […]
Last Minute Thoughts before Rosh Hashanah
Aish Connections has asked me to pass along information about their No Membership Required campaign: it’s “a complimentary database of synagogues across the country that offer social, engaging and unique services for non-members. It lists Synagogue details (and prices where relevant) and indicates what range of services are offered including additional programs such for youth, teen, and explanatory […]
Falling Into the Rabbit Hole of Orthodox Pop Culture
It is 3am, and I have a post that has to go up today, but I know all of you want to be “in the know,” so we’re going to have a double post today! The Maccabeats released their new video tonight, while mysteriously everyone but the Maccabeats were at a Jewish rock concert. In […]