The Role of Women in Judaism According to Halacha and Orthodox Belief
The three main streams of Judaism — Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform — differ in a number of ways…
Some Jewish Non-Believers Continue to Adhere to Jewish Customs and Rituals — Why?
The very notion of atheist Jews might seem like an oxymoron: It is not…
Women Teaching Talmud: An Archaic Jewish Religious Barrier Is Biting the Dust
Jewish girls and women no longer need to cross-dress to study Talmud. In fact, some are actually teaching the central text…
Shira Marili Mirvis: First Female Sole Spiritual Leader of an Israeli Orthodox Community
With the support of 83% of the congregation’s voting members, Rabbanit Shira Marili Mirvis…
Yael Braun: An Orthodox Woman Helping Other Women Obtain a Jewish Divorce
According to Jewish religious law, both parties in a marriage must agree to divorce…
Jaqueline Mates-Muchin: First Chinese American Rabbi and Congregation’s First Female Senior Rabbi
Jacqueline Mates-Muchin , a San Francisco native, is the world’s first Chinese-American rabbi. Her mother was second-generation Chinese American and her father was the son of Austrian Jewish immigrants. She was ordained by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York in 2002. After serving as an assistant rabbi in Buffalo, New York, she…
A Newish Jewish Custom: Why Are Oranges Appearing on More and More Seder Plates?
You may already know the foods that go on the traditional seder plate: shank bone (zeroa), egg (beitzah), bitter herbs (maror), vegetable (karpas) and a sweet paste called haroset. You may also be vaguely aware that an orange is increasingly being added to those symbolic foods. Do you know why and what the orange represents?…
Halacha vs. Minhag: What Are They and Which Carries More Weight in Judaism?
Halacha (transliterated from the Hebrew in a number of closely related variations) refers to Jewish religious laws derived from biblical commandments (mitzvot) and Talmudic and rabbinic law. On the other hand, minhag refers to an accepted tradition or group of traditions in Judaism. A related concept, nusach, refers to the traditional order and form of…
Giving Thanks: The Blessing (or Blessings) to Recite When You Get the COVID Vaccine
For halachically observant Jews, reciting b’rachot (Jewish blessings) for everything from mundane daily events to life-changing major developments is a religious obligation and joy. In the article linked below from The Jewish News of Northern California, Jewish Telegraphic Agency writer Laura E. Adkins interviewed five rabbis about what the proper blessing or blessings are to…
Praying Outdoors in Winter: The Pandemic ‘Frozen Chosen’?
One thing Jews have become quite good at over the years is coping with, adjusting to, and overcoming adverse conditions. That skill is going to come in handy this winder. Because of the pandemic, many observant Jews have moved their prayer services outdoors, where they can socially distance properly. That wasn’t a huge sacrifice during…
To learn about these and many more AmazingJews, watch a compilation put together by JewOfTheWeek.net in 2015 and posted on YouTube.