In my many years of blogging, I’ve learned that sometimes, it is better to leave some things unsaid. I know first hand how your best intentions, laid out in black & white, can be misconstrued, twisted and be read different ways by different people. Which is why I’m struggling here and now to even put this post together. But I will – because I feel that there is a precious soul out there that needs [...]

One of the things that tends to drive me up the wall is the inaccurate media definitions of Orthodox Jews. They seem to carelessly and loosely define the term, as well as make it synonymous with Chassidic Jews, as well as having to clear distinction made between “standard” Orthodox Jews and “Ultra-Orthodox Jews“. First of all, let’s start with the basics. An Orthodox Jew is simply a Jew that believes that the Torah is divine [...]

Does anyone remember the Phil Donahue show? The show went off the air when I was 17, but I distinctly recall liking Phil Donahue a whole heck of a lot more than Oprah Winfrey. Some time spent looking at old episodes on YouTube reminded me why. It’s because Phil Donahue had shows like this on a pretty regular basis: It may shock many people to hear that I actually agree with the general sentiments of [...]

Tonight it is Tu B’Shevat; one of those obscure holidays that most people don’t know about and/or don’t know what to do on it (including us Jews). It’s not one of those holidays that has a lot of traditions, rules, or sentimental ties about it. But it is one of the four Jewish “new year” celebrations. In the past I’ve tried to make it a point to consume most (if not all) of the seven [...]

I love Chanukkah. While it is not a major holiday on the Jewish calendar, it is one that holds a special place in the hearts of many Jews…including myself. Chanukkah, like Pesach (Passover) is one of those holidays that “marks” a Jewish home. Yet unlike Pesach, Chanukkah has no restrictions on work (except for the first 30 minutes after lighting Chanukkah lights). However, there is still a “right” way to celebrate Chanukkah; and no, playing [...]

Two nights ago I started getting wind of all the windfall surrounding Matisyahu shaving off his beard. As expected, many Jewish sites jumped up quickly to post the news, with some reactions being pretty negative; while others focused on the deeper, halachaic significance. As I read the articles and blogs in earnest, I’m glad that I waited a bit before blogging about the subject myself. That is because, like many people, I “react to scandal”; [...]

I’ve been encountering more and more Jews who are not Orthodox themselves, but have Orthodox Jewish relatives. It is always interesting to hear their opinions of their decision to live Torah observant lives; although the remarks are not always positive. Not too long ago, I was speaking with a woman who was absolutely baffled at women who were baalat teshuva. She just could not understand why educated, modern women would opt for a lifestyle where [...]

Conversion to Judaism is kinda codified (in that there are lots of books and online resources about it), but it kind of isn’t. This is especially true in regards to conversion to Orthodox Judaism where the experiences from convert to convert vary greatly. One of the things that I wish I had when I was converting is a means to communicate with other converts. I have been a member of a Yahoo group for Orthodox [...]