In honor of the nine days of mourning leading up to the commemoration of the destruction of the Temple on 9 Av, which we observe this Sunday, I share this email from a reader. A very close friend of ours died about a month ago and last week our rabbi's adult son died.there has been talk of funerals … [Read more...]
Does Judaism Require “Submission” within Marriage?
May 19, 2011 by
"Submission" is a buzz word that I have heard around the net—not to God, but to one's husband. The idea is that to maintain a happy marriage, the wife should put her husband first and allow him to make all of the decisions. Most women who write about being submissive appear to be fundamentalist … [Read more...]
Goy in Jerusalem Runs Off with Hametz at Start of Passover
April 21, 2011 by
Update: Goy Returns Hametz This amazing story appeared in the Haredi website, Kikar Hashabbat. There is a long-standing custom to sell hametz, the leavened foods forbidden during the Passover holiday. According to the Torah, one can't own any hametz during the week of the holiday. But because … [Read more...]
Video: Kasher the Kitchen for Pesach in Two Hours
April 8, 2011 by
One of the things that I missed during shiva was our annual discussion here about Pesach preparations. At least we covered the Pesach babies, and I hope readers will update as they give birth. I wrote a draft on epidurals, and perhaps I will get it out in time for some of you. Kasher Your Kitchen … [Read more...]
Thoughts from the Shiva
April 7, 2011 by
Update: I added one tip at the end. When someone dies people are often unsure what to do and how to help. I just got up from shiva, the week-long mourning period for my father, and I thought it might be useful to record some of my experiences. I appreciated every call, message, visit and offer … [Read more...]
Breastfeeding in Synagogue Just Fine, Says Rabbi Aviner
January 16, 2011 by
I have written about breastfeeding in the synagogue many times, including a guest post on DovBear that earned over 200 comments. One of the main arguments against nursing in shul is that it is somehow improper—even though I've never seen a source prohibiting it. Eating is prohibited in shul … [Read more...]
Memories of RivkA bat Yishaya z”l
November 2, 2010 by
They say that some people are naturally cheerful, and this grants them emotional protection from their troubles throughout their lives. Whether she was born with it, or it was the result of growing up in a loving and responsive family, RivkA Matitya z"l had this quality. And her cheerfulness was … [Read more...]
Rabbi Eliyahu Against Breastfeeding in Bathrooms
October 19, 2010 by
The alon Olam Katan has a regular feature called shu”t cellulari, or responsa via SMS. Readers can text halachic questions and get answers fairly quickly, from either Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu or Rabbi Shlomo Aviner. My daughter alerted me to one of last week’s questions: Is there a problem of tumah … [Read more...]
Is Public Breastfeeding Immodest? An Orthodox Jewish Perspective
July 8, 2010 by
Welcome to the July 2010 Carnival of Nursing in Public This post was written for inclusion in the Carnival of Nursing in PublicNursingFreedom.org. All week, July 5-9, we will be featuring articles and posts about nursing in public ("NIP"). See the bottom of this post for more information. *** … [Read more...]
Book Review: Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean
December 31, 2009 by
Cover via Amazon I'm reading Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean: How a Generation of Swashbuckling Jews Carved Out an Empire in the New World in Their Quest for Treasure, Religious Freedom—and Revenge by Edward Kritzler. In the aftermath of the Spanish Inquisition, Jews, who were forced to emigrate … [Read more...]
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