Welcome!

This is the weekly politics and news thread. You may post links to and discuss any recent stories with a relationship to Jews/Judaism in the comments here.

If you want to consider talking about a news item right now, feel free to post it in the news-politics channel of our discord. Please note that this is still r/Judaism, and links with no relationship to Jews/Judaism will be removed.

Rule 1 still applies and rude behavior will get you banned.

Title says it all

What are the requirements for head coverings?

How to keep this simple? The question is definitely a book. The answer maybe a few volumes.

Background: I was raised reform, in a fairly secular context. Each passing year I feel more and more religiously Jewish, but I also am profoundly ignorant of the tradition. I have gone deeply into other things (i.e. academic + practice) - Buddhism, western philosophy. In the end, for reasons I don't particularly understand, my heart is just ontologically Jewish. I realised this when I discovered Maimonides - something opened in me that hasn't stopped opening.

The problem: I don't really know how to practice Judaism. Yom Kippur is my favourite day of the year, but once it ends I feel a bit lost. Like many, I feel a bit in between the various strands of Judaism. I have probably tended to be more of a universalist/mystical type, but Oct 7 really refocused me more deeply into the particularities of we, the community Israel.

I dont' want to make this too long. Maybe some of you can relate? Maybe some of you can probe a bit with the intent to help? My thanks in advance!

I was raised secular but have been reconnecting with Judaism in a spiritual and formal manner for about seven months now. A couple times I have been brought to tears listening to Rabbi YY Jacobson's podcast "All Classes" on Spotify, particularly his metaphors about turning darkness into light on his episodes released around Yom Kippur 2024/2023. I randomly listened to him on a plane and this was the start of my interest in reconnecting.

After detailing the inner turmoil and guilt one can experience, Rabbi YY says something along the lines of "what is true is that you were conceived in love, you are part of Hashem's love." I guess that sentiment has been difficult for me to accept. For one, I wonder if this is really true for someone who is not halakhakly (spelled that wrong) strict and has not studied Torah. I have looked into the meaning of the prayer "Ahavat Olam" and from what I gather, it expresses the idea that Hashem loves us so much because he created the Torah. So...what if, because I struggle with self-worth and OCD, I want so desperately for Hashem to be this entity that made my body and mind intentionally, who truly loves me, who truly forgives me for the mistakes I have been making, etc. that I take every opportunity I can to over-interpret prayers and Jewish thought in order to contort Hashem into whatever I emotionally 'need' instead of knowing the truth of who he really is? Maybe the Torah is this guidebook with rules to follow and if you don't, sorry, Hashem isn't invested in you. Maybe Hashem isn't as warm, fuzzy, and sappy as I want him to be. If genetically I come from half and half of my parents and this can be proven, how did Hashem had any hand in making me? If I am ethnically only half Jewish, do I have half of a Jewish soul?

I consider also, maybe I am using Judaism as a form of avoidance. Like, I disappoint myself in so many respects and so I just revert to thinking maybe deep down I am worth something since Hashem made me, and is this just being lazy and finding excuses to forgive myself when I should spend more time punishing myself?

Oh gosh I am sorry for all the thoughts and kudos to you if you read any of this.

I recently came heard a lot about the Jewish community of Poland and how it's been revived and is thriving. As an American jew all I had heard before was that the holocaust had essentially wiped it out and that communism drove the remainder away. So needless to say i had not assumed it was thriving in any way.

I tried looking up information about it but didn't find much. Has anyone been? Or do you personally know anything about it? I'd be curious to hear from a first hand Jewish perspective.

Thank you

What are some organizations you’re aware of that would do this?

Incensepunk is a new movement in science fiction and fantasy that seeks to incorporate gritty, realistic, and hopeful depictions of faith in literary settings.

I am a Roman Catholic and one of the "founding authors," but we also have Jewish authors (including our editor and my dear friend Yuval Kordov, author of Dark Legacies) ! If you or anyone you know has an interest in submitting stories for consideration, please consider doing so.

Incensepunk Magazine

Preface: I was always incredibly forgetful re:morning prayers, id usually either get halfway to work or be at work for two hours before remembering "oh I didnt do that" Anyway eight days ago my first baby was born, absolute delight of a child by the way, and I usually have to wake up along with the sunrise to change diapers or just generally check up, and the trop seems to soothe her, so I've managed to remember to say at least morning prayers next to her bassinet every day since. No question or anything just sharing simchas online because it seemed nice.

Hi I was wondering if anyone knows of where in the gemara they discuss what kind of payment these are, either from money (meaning repaying what you damaged/did) versus a fine (payment more than what you damaged/did).

As a laymen, I would assume nezek ripoi and sheves to be from money, as you are repaying what you caused the other person to lose, and tsar and boishes to be a knas, as they other person isn't losing monetary value, so you aren't paying what you caused him to lose.

Any resources, links, or information would be greatly appreciated!

Hi everyone,

I’m currently taking a course on cultural diversity and would love to hear from members of the Jewish community regarding some of the challenges and experiences you’ve faced. Specifically, I have a few questions I’d like to ask:

1. Microaggressions: Have you ever experienced microaggressions related to your Jewish identity or culture? If so, could you share examples of what those might have been and how they impacted you?
2. Mental Health: How have both overt and covert experiences of discrimination or prejudice affected your mental health? Do you feel that these experiences have shaped your personal well-being, coping mechanisms, or sense of belonging?

Thank you in advance for your insights!

Edit: Microaggressions are indirect, subtle, or unintentional forms of discrimination against members of marginalized groups.
Examples include: endorsing religious stereotypes, denying racism or gender inequality, expressing color blindness (e.g., statements like "I don't see color, we're all equal"), or assuming criminality (e.g., following a person of color in a store because of an assumption they might steal).

I've been reading the sub for a short while and have learned a lot about mixed families, among which are sentiments towards Christmas. If it's ok, I'd like to ask a very vague question:

What are some do and don'ts in an interfaith or mixed relationship involving a Jewish woman and a no-faith man? My partner and I have been seeing each other for a while, getting closer all the time, but we are not living together. I'm not Christian or Muslim, belong to an ancient faith, but am not religious in any way.

I'm asking this question partly to see what others think and say, in a way seeking a conversation, but also to find out what else I can do to make her feel more at home. For instance, how significant is a mezuzah for a European Jew? Is it expected of a partner to offer it to the Jewish partner or would I step over some boundaries?

I hope my question makes sense!

Met a lovely woman who does a Saturday Service (her husband is a rabbi) and invited us, I told her I grew up reform but haven't been practicing since my mother passed. What should we wear? What shoes should I wear?

Edit: I'm a nurse so I'm used to throwing on some FIGS and walking out the door.

Hi all,

Wanted to ask folks here what they wear to the gym. I go to a gym run by an Orthodox guy and some of the clients wear their white buttoned-down shirts and trousers (and dress shoes in some instances) for the entire workout.

What are the rules for this garb? Does it have to be these colors? Cover up to the elbows and ankles? This fabric? Etc.

Thanks!

The BAC happened in the eastern Mediterranean. It greatly impacted where the Jews were from. How did it impact them?

And before you say "that's because Set Table is Shulchan Aruch translated to English," that's not what I mean. Halakhot Gedolot roughly translates to "Big [Religious] Law," which makes sense because it's a big book. "Mishneh Torah" means "Repetition of the Teaching" because it was Maimonides's understanding of the whole of halakha. "Arba'ah Turim" means "Four Columns," a reference to the structure of the code. "Beit Yosef" means "House of Yosef," which makes sense because a rabbi named Yosef Karo wrote it.

So, why "Shulchan Aruch" or "Set Table" for a work that has a much larger scope than dietary laws?

My husband got a very good deal on blue and white christmas pyjamas for us and the kids. They are filled with snowflakes and hearts amd small christmas trees. Would you wear them? Should we?

Hello everybody,

Is anyone here currently applying for Sephardic Citizenship through Portugal? If so, when did you apply and when did you start to see a response or updates in your application process? For example, I applied in September 2021 and it is still on Stage 1! I got my certificate through CIL in Lisboa. I have tried e-mailing the conservatoria and no response. I'm a bit worried. Is anyone else going through something similar?

Ty.

I've been debating whether to type this out. Maybe there are other people who have been through something similar, and maybe my post will foster an interesting discussion.

I'm from Eastern European Ashkenazi stock, with all the trauma that that entails. My identity as a Jew is very important to me, especially over the past year. I went to a very frum primary school (ironically, studying the Torah so intensely is what turned me into an atheist) and a slightly less frum secondary school.

I really want to rejoin the Jewish community. The only slight hitch is that I don't believe in G-d. I want to believe, and I've spent a huge amount of time examining this topic, but I simply don't believe. I don't think I will ever believe. I haven't been to shul in a long time. Shabbat dinner is very important to me, but I don't fast on Yom Kippur or observe anything else. It feels... dishonest, I guess, to daven without believing what I'm saying.

I try to talk to G-d during times of intense stress. The first time I had a panic attack, I thought I was dying, so I instinctively said Shema Yisrael. No atheists in foxholes, and all that. I am trying to make myself available to G-d. I am trying to reach out. I am not an angry atheist; I truly want to believe. But I don't.

Sorry for the rant, but has anybody else been through this?

Have any of you lived in Salzburg or Linz (both in Austria) und can share what life like as a Jew is there? Or if any of you heard something about it. Thanks in advance!

Hello r/Judaism,

I am a Reform Cantor and a researcher regarding the Chazentes (20th century orthodox female performance cantors that performed in religious drag) and women cantors who were active as synagogue cantors before the investiture of Barbara Ostfeld in 1975. I am posting here because I have noticed an interesting phenomenon that leads me to believe what we know about women cantors in the academic world is incomplete and inaccurate.

I wrote my thesis on women cantors and Chazentes while I was in cantorial school, and during my time digging through the archives, I found a female cantor working in a synagogue in New Jersey who had been lost to history both by her own congregation, and by the historical record. To my knowledge, she was the third ever woman cantor that worked in a synagogue, as she started her pulpit in 1964. In the years after my ordination, I have mentioned this discovery to Jewish professionals, and have heard responses that have floored me: "oh, my aunt was also a cantor in the 60s!" or something along those lines. This happened again last night, and I was given evidence of her investiture and cantorate that began in 1969, 6 years before women were formally invested by any school, and 2 years before the first woman cantor that went through an institution even entered cantorial school.

Ever since I began working on my thesis years ago, I have wanted to dig further into this deeply misunderstood history and flesh out the known understanding of the pre 1975 female Cantorate. Which is why I am reaching out to you fine folks. Do you have anyone you know that was a woman cantor, who was called a cantor or cantoress by her congregation, who worked in a synagogue setting before 1975? Is she still alive? Do you have any evidence--newspaper clippings, recordings, correspondence, synagogue bulletins?

I would sincerely appreciate any and all leads you would give me. I think the Jewish world has glossed over an incredibly important history, and I fear that we are on the verge of losing it entirely as people who knew these women, or the women themselves, die out.

Thank you all very much for your time.