Building a Jewish Life

It’s that time, folks. The Ten Days of Repentance. People are probably saying a long Hebrew phrase at you, and you’re trying to figure out what the heck it is. Don’t feel bad. The first year, I was really confused for a week or so, and then it stopped, and I forgot all about it. […]

Nope. Whether your name is Shaindy or Sunshine, Chaim or Christina, Mendy or Moustafa, you are Jewish if you’re Jewish. Now, who qualifies as Jewish is a much bigger and hotly debated question!  If you’re Jewish (by whatever definition you’re using) and don’t have a Hebrew name, you can continue to live without a Hebrew […]

Let’s get in some deep psychological stuff today. Let’s talk about impostor syndrome. Sometimes (okay, maybe a lot), I feel like a Jewish impostor. We’ll start with a visit to my Inner Monologue: After 10 years in the community and almost 3 years after Conversion 2.0, I still wonder if I was really, totally sincere. And […]

I happen to be a big fan of the Colbert Report. Stephen Colbert is a fellow Charlestonian, so I can hipster you by telling you that I’ve probably been stalking him longer than you. I was catching up on last week’s episodes and caught a great segment called The Atone Phone, where Jews can call […]

Looking to wish people a happy new year? The internet is here to help.  There are a few ways to greet people over the coming week, but we’re going to start with “Shana tovah!” Here’s a great Israeli pronunciation. You’ll notice that the accented syllable is different from what many American Jews say: ShaNAH ToVAH. […]

No. Just no.  There is no prohibition against a person with tattoos using a mikvah, either male or female. I have never heard of anyone being turned away from a mikvah, other than single women (but that’s a different discussion – premarital sex, not tattoos). Getting a tattoo is prohibited, but there is no prohibition […]

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 […]