The Gregorian New Year is upon us, and it’s hard to ignore the “new year, new you” energy coming from everywhere you look. Why not embrace it? Regular times of introspection, reflection, and teshuva are an important part of Judaism, and we have four New Years every year (it’s not just Rosh Hashanah!), so use […]
Make your New Year’s resolution Jewish! Read Post »
I made this video last year, but apparently I never posted it here! Building a new workflow for my material has been surprisingly hard. Too many moving parts! But better late than never, right? Struggling with your old holiday seasons as you become Jewish? Not at all unusual. Whether you loved them or hated them
Dealing with Holiday Season Grief Read Post »
Hosting Shabbat meals can be stressful. Even cooking for yourself or your family can be hard! No one has enough time or energy for the Shabbat meals of their dreams. So here’s my best tip: the “bar” concept – a versatile and practical solution for your Shabbos meals! (Keep reading for my easiest go-to Shabbat
The Easiest Way to Prepare and Host Shabbat Meals Read Post »
Do you need a havdalah set to “do” havdalah properly? In short, nope. It’s absolutely not required to make a kosher havdalah. But is it nice? Did I spend years thinking my life would be better if I had one? Yes. But there was never enough money for it. I always needed books (or rent
Do I Need a Havdalah Set? Read Post »
You’ve done it. You’ve survived Passover. Cue tearing open the cabinets and returning life to normal! But wait! There’s more! Sit down and write down everything you need to remember for Pesach 2016. Before you forget, before all the carbs make your brain fuzzy, before you throw away something you should keep for next year
Plan for Next Year’s Pesach RIGHT NOW Read Post »
Here’s the best practical tip you’ll get this close to Pesach: go get a haircut, hippie. Don’t forget. Someone always forgets, and that someone will probably be you. In all seriousness, don’t forget to get your hair cut, especially if you’re a guy. Otherwise, you might start looking like a hippie over the next few
#ProTip: Go Get a Haircut Before Pesach Read Post »
Can I go to synagogue on the High Holidays without a ticket? Well, sure. However, your mileage may vary whether you get in the door, whether you have a seat, or whether people are jerks to you. (All of the below applies to synagogues in any movement – orthodox, conservative, and reform.) I don’t
Synagogue Tickets & the High Holidays: What No One Tells You Read Post »
I used to be known as “the girl with the 3-legged cat.” Now the poor mutilated cat has been upstaged by some dirty, poor-mannered dogs. Now, if a stranger knows anything about me, they know I have “two huge dogs.” And in New York City, of all places! If I’m at a Shabbos table, this
The Growth of Dogs in the Jewish Community Read Post »
YES! But uh…it depends on who you ask. There is a halachic basis for the rabbis who declare you must eat meat on Shabbat. (Though even they will admit there was a great rabbi-whose name I forget-who was vegetarian every day but Shabbat.) I find most of these rabbis tend to be far to the
Can You Be an Orthodox Jew Who Happens to Be Vegetarian or Vegan? Read Post »
There is a lot that can be said on this topic, but we’re going to touch on the major causes superficially. This is basically a warning to make sure you realize what you’re getting into. After the steep cost of the initial set-up, living Jewishly doesn’t seem that much more expensive to the average single
Why Being an Orthodox Jew Is Expensive Read Post »