“I just shot a show with Courtney Cox. She said to me, don’t you have to go? Don’t you have daf yomi in the morning? She didn’t call it daf yomi, she called it ‘your Jewish learning thing.’ But I like that Courtney Cox knows that I learn daf yomi.” Hear from Jeff Astrof, who […]

Jul 25, 2020 · Dear Jew in the City- Why do Orthodox Jewish women shave their heads? Thank you, Kylie Dear Kylie- Thanks for your question. To say that Orthodox Jewish women shave their heads is a huge generalization, and not a particularly accurate one. What the majority of Orthodox women do is cover their hair. The parameters of […]

I had always been way too mature and intelligent for my age. I was the kind of kid who would stump the teachers with the difficult questions, the one who effortlessly mastered all subjects and always had her nose in a book.

Jan 31, 2025 · “I chose the path of faith, and in the path of faith I returned.” Last week, hostage Agam Berger’s mother said she didn’t want to violate the Sabbath to collect her daughter. In a situation of grave danger there is room in Jewish law for leniency on Sabbath observance. But after Agam’s mother made this […]

November is National Adoption Month and we had the pleasure of speaking with Chavie Bruk, who courageously shares her story with grace, wisdom, and levity. Married in her early twenties in 2006, Chavie Bruk moved to Montana with her husband on shlichus (emissaries of Jewish outreach) to establish a Jewish presence in the vast, picturesque […]

Dear Jew In the City, This year Yom Kippur falls on Shabbat. What are the halachot concerning this? Thanks, Eliza _ Hi Eliza, Thanks for your question. When Yom Kippur falls on Shabbos, what’s different? Quite a bit when it comes to Shabbos, but surprisingly little when it comes to Yom Kippur. Shabbos is different […]

Dear Jew in the City-What's the difference between Hasidic vs. Orthodox Jews? What about the Jews on Shtisel vs. Hasidic Jews? Thanks, Michael / Dear Michael- Thanks for your question. As I’ve mentioned in the past, I haven’t seen (and have no plans to see) Shtisel, so I can’t address that. But I can address the difference between Hasidic and Orthodox Jews.

Editor’s Note: In 2023 and 2024, JITC Hollywood Bureau held the first ever official Sundance panels on Jewish representation (to standing room only crowds – watch them here).We very much enjoyed working with the team at Sundance and got tremendous feedback from the audiences. However, at last year’s festival, a large group of protesters gathered during our panel in an undesignated ...

Dear Jew in the City-I’ve heard people say that the Torah was lost in Jewish history and then found, either in the time of Ezra or Josiah. Is this true or are they trying to discredit the validity of the Torah by claiming it was made up? Thanks, Dov / Dear Dov-Thanks for your question. There are such theories about the origins of Judaism but we don’t put much stock in them.

Oct 21, 2020 · While Orthodox Jewish male headcoverings are pretty easy to spot, married Orthodox Jewish women’s head coverings range from more to less subtle, depending on the style choice and community the woman comes from. Well-done wigs, hats, and falls might not even be spottable, whereas snoods and turbans stand out from a mile away.The meaning behind the covering is significant, no matter how the ...