Eight years ago, I was privileged to become the marta d’atra (halakhic authority) of Kehilat Orach Eliezer (KOE) on the Upper West Side of New York City. The congregation refers to me as rosh kehillah—“head of the congregation.” In this role, I deliver drashot on Shabbat. Throughout the week, I am available to answer halakhic […]
On Being Marta d’Atra, the Spiritual Leader, of My Congregation Read More »
It’s not shtick. It’s an honest-to-Hashem all-girl Hasidic alt-rock band. And it works, because it’s real. The first time I saw Bulletproof Stockings in performance, they were playing in a crowded, small converted flower shop in Crown Heights, surrounded by a motley assortment of Lubavitch women and a few stragglers like myself. It was an
Bulletproof Stockings Rocks the Frum World Read More »
I have been dancing since I was a very young child. However, because I attended a Jewish day school, my dancing was an extracurricular pursuit at first. After graduating, I was accepted into the Joffrey Ballet Summer School. Following that summer, I went to a seminary in Israel. After a day of learning, I would
Dancing for Women: JeWTA Promotes Talent Within the Orthodox Community Read More »
Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov (1698–1760), the founder of the Chassidic movement, was once asked: “Why is it that Chassidim burst into song and dance at the slightest provocation? Is this the behavior of a healthy, sane individual?” The Baal Shem Tov responded with a story: Once, a musician came to town—a musician of great
Working on campus under the auspices of the Orthodox Union’s Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus was an awesome and empowering opportunity for me. I always felt very blessed that my husband, Eli, and I ended up at the University of Maryland, College Park, because it was exactly the kind of community in which I felt
On Being a JLIC Educator on Campus Read More »
Dear Editor, I read the article by Barbara Trainin Blank on “Women as Circumcisers” in the JOFA Journal Vol. XII, no. 2. I should like to point out that I discussed this issue in my Minhagei Yisrael, Vol. 4, Jerusalem, 1995, pp. 3–9, with additional evidence in ibid., Vol. 7, Jerusalem, 2003, p. 401, and,
Letter to the Editor Read More »
I was honored to be invited to spend a Shabbat as resident scholar at Kesher Israel in Washington, D.C., shortly after that community was catapulted into the Jewish media spotlight. Kesher’s rabbi, Barry Freundel, had been charged with serious allegations that besmirched his role as a spiritual leader and violated the trust of his congregants.
Rupture and Repair: Responding to Breaches of Trust in Rabbinic Authority Read More »
This year, for the first time in my life, I spent Passover in Israel. My eldest is there for her year between high school and college, and we thought it would be a meaningful experience for all of us to be in Jerusalem when we conclude our Seder with “l’shana haba’ah bi-Yerushalayim.” And so began
The Biggest Question: Whom to Ask? Read More »
What’s 93Queen? It’s the internal ambulance code that the Fire Department of the City of New York assigned to Ezras Nashim, the Big Apple’s first all-volunteer female ambulance service. It’s also the name of a documentary describing how that service came to be. 93Queen is the first feature film by director/cinematographer Paula Eiselt, who obtained
93Queen: Documenting Change within a Hasidic Community Read More »
It was one of those challenging situations that we religious Jewish professionals often face. During my aveilut, a client invited me to make a presentation in Lansing, Michigan. I was excited for the opportunity, but, as always during that year, made my acceptance conditional on having a place to say Kaddish. “Before I can agree
Bigger Isn’t Always Better Read More »
