If you’re young enough, every conversion candidate thinks about the possibility of going on Birthright. I went on Birthright after my conservative conversion, but I was on a trip organized by an orthodox organization and the specific trip was actually labeled as “modern orthodox.” I think that effectively just meant that the trip was shomer […]
New Video from the Groggers!
I know I’ve foisted the Groggers on y’all plenty already, but it’s my blog, so you have to indulge me sometimes. Power pop is my favorite genre of music, so I can’t resist anything combining that with Jewish pop culture humor. The Groggers released their latest video yesterday, Upper West Side Story. The Upper West […]
Phrase of the Day: Bentching Gomel
Bentching gomel is a special prayer that allows you to thank Hashem for delivering you from danger. (Imagine being at a football game…”Go, Mel!” It doesn’t rhyme with camel.) You must have actually been in danger. Close to danger isn’t enough. You have defied death, so now you should thank Hashem in public during the Torah […]
UPDATED: Your Community Standards v. Travel
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 […]
Question of the Day: Women Shaving During the Omer
I apologize for today’s post being a bit late, but I always write my Friday posts on Thursdays instead of scheduling them ahead so that I can write something related to my week. Unfortunately, thanks to a dead car battery, I didn’t get back from my camp Shavuot experience until around 2:30am. But the three […]
The Four Holy Cities of Israel
Just about everyone in the Western world knows that Jerusalem is a city that is holy to Jews. However, there are four holy cities in Eretz Yisrael (the land of Israel)! The Four Holy Cities are Jerusalem, Tzfat (also known as Safed), Tiberius, and Hebron. Jerusalem: Jerusalem is the center of the Jewish world. We […]
Word of the Day: Nebbish
As you know, I’m driving cross-country at the moment. Driving all day, every day since Sunday morning is totally awesome. Not. Well, it mostly is, but after four days, I’m tired of it. I want to be in my new home already! But tonight, Wednesday night, I’m only 2 hours away from New York City, […]
Social Strategies for the Isolated Conversion Candidate
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 […]
The Ideal Passover: Go Away!
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 […]
Shabbat Shalom! The Tznius and Prejudice Edition
Happy April Fools’ Day! Assuming you can call it a happy day. Personally, I’m not a fan because I’m a gullible person. Remembering that it’s April Fools’ Day is half the battle: I’m going to assume every person is a liar today. Fridays have apparently become my soapbox day, where I write about whatever’s on […]