Building a Jewish Life

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 like that shuls charge exorbitant amounts for “tickets” for the High Holydays. I […]

Thanks to readers like you, last week’s Orthodox Women Talk panel was very successful! Question #2 is up now: Orthodox Women Talk  The Question: How does one prep or enjoy Shabbos with young children/while working full time/on long Shabbos afternoons? Be sure to go join the conversation!

I’m part of a new series that asks various orthodox women questions about their Jewish practice. The first post is up today, and you should check it out! Orthodox Women Talk The first question: Do you find it boring to sit through endless Shabbat services conducted in a language you may or may not know?

All the conversion candidates named Sarah, David, Samuel, Rebecca, and Alexander can rejoice!  If you already have a “Jewish name” and you like it, then you don’t have to change your name! Rachel becomes Rachel, and Rebecca becomes Rivka.  However, some rabbis may insist that you use a different name in order to separate yourself […]

Yes, yes you can. But remember, you’re gonna be naked. So choose wisely. But you may be wondering, “Guests?? Why would I want guests?!” There are three types of potential guests: Asking a same-sex friend to be your mikvah attendant (to make sure you’re prepared properly and answer any questions) Asking same-sex friends to go […]

I’m no fortune cookie, but I see a lot of celebrations in your future. That’s right. You now have all the birthdays. Let’s count them, shall we? Your physical date of birth according to the secular calendar Your physical date of birth according to the Hebrew calendar The English date of your conversion The Hebrew […]

Let me tell you an almost-secret: I was kicked out of a conversion beit din. And I’m not alone. Heck, I wasn’t even alone in my own kicking out: three of us were given the boot at the same time due to one bully’s accusations. But it wasn’t the end of the world for any […]

Entering the Jewish synagogue, one word in particular might seem familiar: Amen. In the Hebrew world of the shul, it can be really exciting to hear a word you already know! You might already know Shabbat, shalom, and a few other words, but Amen is downright familiar to the average American. But don’t go around […]

I got the opportunity to review a new book from Artscroll! There has been a great deal of buzz around this book here in the NYC community, and I think it’s justified. This is not the average “frum” story. But you may not react to it exactly how the publishers hoped. First, here is the […]

When choosing a minhag (custom) or halachic opinion, you might think there are two choices: Ashkenazi or Sephardi. That’s not quite accurate. Ashkenazi and Sephardi are geographic categories, but they are not inclusive of every group. There are many “ethnic” groups within Judaism: Mizrachi, Ethiopian, Yeminite, B’nei Menashe, Kurdish, Lithuanian, Chassidic groups (in some communities this […]