When you first become “religious,” you’re passionate. You’re motivated. You’re going to be the best Jew ever. This is called “frumming out.” Conversion candidates do this just as much as baalei teshuva. And are just as unpopular for it. You might just drive everyone you know crazy. You have discovered The Truth, and if everyone […]
What Not to Do When You “Frum Out” Read Post »
It’s been a while since we enjoyed a pop culture post, so let’s tackle the “Stuff Xs Say” theme. They’re reasonably safe for work, but you probably shouldn’t be watching them at work anyway. The original, and probably the best made: My second favorite: “I love waiting 6 hours between meat and milk. …It gives
All my Jew Crew on Facebook is all a-twitter about the Shema. Someone pointed out that the Shema is a haiku, and it began to spread like wildfire through status updates. After a few friends “verified” it, I decided it was finally time to investigate it for myself. The Haiku The haiku is a traditional
Even the other toothbrushes don’t like Shabbos Toothbrush :'(
No One Likes the Holier-Than-Thou Guy Read Post »
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
Feel Bad About Your Hebrew? Don’t! Read Post »
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
Phrase of the Day: Being “Religious” Read Post »
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
Nice Video from Aish About Torah Study Read Post »
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
The Hebrew Alphabet Read Post »
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
Convert Quote: Handicaps 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 »