Separate and Unequal at the Western Wall

The status of women at the Kotel (Western Wall) is in the news. You may have heard of The Women of the Wall, a group that meets monthly to pray together at the Kotel. Some members have been arrested for wearing prayer shawls. The controversy centers around whether these women are simply observing … [Read more...]

Jerusalem’s New Mother-Friendly US Consulate

Please welcome Chana Jenny Weisberg for today's guest post. Mazal tov on your new baby, Chana! Until recently, I found registering new babies at Jerusalem's US Consulate almost as harrowing as the births themselves. So when I went to register the birth of my baby at the brand new US consulate … [Read more...]

Hyper-Tzniut Fashions for Young Girls

Hyper-Tzniut at the Jerusalem Zoo While the face-covering phenomenon seems to have died down, shalim, capes or cloaks worn over the shoulders to disguise the contour of the  body, are still popular. I saw many women in shalim during our visit to the Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem, along with the two … [Read more...]

Exclusive Interview with a Former Kannai, Part II: The Community

This is Part II of an interview with Rabbi Moshe Yossef, a former kannai who lived in the anti-Zionist community in Jerusalem for many years. In Part I, he tells of his personal experiences. Below he responds to  questions about the kannai community. How do people survive economically without … [Read more...]

Exclusive: Interview with a Former Kannai, Part I

In my series on Pashkevilim, I gave highlights of a lecture about the community of anti-Zionist kannaim, or  zealots, in Jerusalem. @Jewnet invited me to interview her husband Moshe Yossef, a former kannai,  for an insider's view. I've divided the interview into two parts.  Part I is about Rabbi … [Read more...]

Pashkevilim: Anti-Establishment Jerusalem Wall Posters Part II

In honor of Jerusalem Day our synagogue hosted Tzuriel Rashi, professor of political science and communications and expert on pashkevilim, political and religious wall posters found on the streets of large haredi neighborhoods. This is Part II. See Part I and Part III. In the pre-State period, … [Read more...]

A Creative Solution for Unruly Teenagers

In the excellent book On Writing Well by William Zinsser, the author suggests improving your writing by imitating other writers you admire. My most recent post on cooking is modeled on Frugal Journey, Raanana Ramblings inspired my post on Efi, and the following is the kind of story that Rafi would … [Read more...]