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Yes! (But in some communities, it may be discouraged or even “not done.”) But doesn’t a name need to be official before you can use it? Nope. That’s true both under the secular law and Jewish law. Well, in the sense that neither prohibits you from calling yourself whatever you want whenever you want. Want […]

It’s World Yoga Day! Maybe you think yoga is just for Indians and hippies who idolize Indian culture. Maybe you’ve tried it, and maybe you haven’t. Or maybe you love yoga.  As you become more religious, can you continue to do yoga? Or maybe you’d like to try yoga for its scientifically-proven benefits to health and

In a way that was unimaginable when I started this blog 4.5 years ago, there is such a powerful online community for converts and conversion candidates. I’m very proud to have been a part of that, though it still boggles my mind that so many people know this blog. (I’ve had a few awkward experiences

Shabbat dinners were one of the most alien things about orthodoxy to me. Not only was the food weird, there was just SO MUCH OF IT. My family didn’t do multiple courses or even dessert most of the time. Yes, my white trash family just took food from the pans on the stove. Also… it

Women in Beit Shemesh, Israel, won a great victory today for Judaism and human decency. Beit Shemesh has been having some problems between some factions of the chareidi community and the modern orthodox/non-orthodox community in Beit Shemesh. Most of you probably know about the elementary school girls who were spat upon outside their school and

If you know anything personal about me, it’s probably that I LOVE books. I get many review copies from various sources, but not usually on Jewish topics. I’m a voracious reader; a couple hundred books a year. For realz. Not all unemployed people are down at the race track, you know. However, there’s one genre

Books are a staple of Jewish life. Studying Jewish texts can take over your entire table, since you may need at a minimum: the text itself, a Tanach to look up verses cited, a Hebrew dictionary, and an Aramaic/Talmudic dictionary. You can replace or supplement these with your laptop nowadays. But you still need a

Are you a conversion candidate or baal teshuva or potential baal teshuva in the DC area? Or can you get to Kesher Israel in DC one evening a week? Here’s a great class for you! And it’s FREE! I’m afraid I can’t find a link to more information, but this is the announcement I received:

Have a question about something in your kitchen? Did the ever-present chicken soup spill on a dairy plate? Did you accidentally stir it with a pareve spoon? Or perhaps you dropped a piece of cheese in the pot? Sometimes asking the question is harder than realizing there is a question in the first place. You