Rabbi Cherlow’s Top Reasons for Divorce in the Religious Zionist Community

This is the third part in my report on the conference, "The Jewish Community Confronts Violence and Abuse." Part IV: Dr. James Cantor on Pedophilia and the Brain. Today I'm taking a break from discussing abuse to share Rabbi Cherlow's remarks about marriage and divorce. After the presentations by … [Read more...]

Reader: My Husband Has Doubts about Judaism

A reader writes: Hello, I am writing you to address an issue in my home. My husband and I were raised Jewish and have two young children. My husband has been seriously struggling lately with certain parts of our faith. Doubts such as these: Is there a personal G-d or not? Why pray to G-d if he has … [Read more...]

Does Judaism Require “Submission” within Marriage?

"Submission" is a buzz word that I have heard around the net—not to God, but to one's husband. The idea is that to maintain a happy marriage, the wife should put her husband first and allow him to make all of the decisions. Most women who write about being submissive appear to be fundamentalist … [Read more...]

Legal Age of Marriage: 18, 17, or . . . 15?

On Sunday I went to the Kolech conference on fertility and women's health. Whatever you think of Kolech, an Orthodox feminist organization, the topics were wide-ranging and thought-provoking. Gila Gamliel, a Knesset member from the Likud, raised issues that affect women in Israel. A special … [Read more...]

With a Mother-in-Law Like This, Who Needs Enemies?

The letter below appeared in yesterday's edition of the alon Giluy Daat in a column called gilui lev (confession or revelation).  My children tell me the letter isn’t typical for this column — most are thank-yous and the like. But if it’s at all typical of the way parents in the religious community … [Read more...]

Fearful Parents Promoting Young Marriage: Zionist Wedding Series #11

This is the 11th post in a series on Marriage in the religious Zionist community in Israel. I: Dating Readiness, II: Meeting the One, III: Genetic Testing, IV: Dating Venues,  V: Shidduch Crisis?, VI: Internet Dating, VIII: Wedding Costs, IX: Planning Tips, XI: Diabetes,Genetics and … [Read more...]

Diabetes, Genetics and Shidduchim

It's time for Part X in a series on dating and marriage in the religious Zionist community. Last week's edition of Torah Tidbits contained an article entitled "Diabetics and Shidduchim" by the Puah Institute for Fertility and Gynecology in Halacha. The article strongly discourages marriage to a … [Read more...]

How Much is Finding Your Beshert Worth? Paying the Shadchan

This is the seventh part of a series on dating and marriage in the religious Zionist community in Israel. I: Dating Readiness, II: Meeting the One, III: Genetic Testing, IV: Dating Venues,  V: Shidduch Crisis?, VI: Internet Dating, VIII: Wedding Costs, IX: Planning Tips, XI: Diabetes,Genetics … [Read more...]

Internet Dating in the Religious Zionist Community

This is the sixth part in a series on dating and marriage in the religious-Zionist world. I: Dating Readiness, II: Meeting the One, III: Genetic Testing,  IV: Dating Venues, and V: Shidduch Crisis?, VII: Paying the Shadchan, or Not, VIII: Wedding Costs, IX: Planning Tips I hear of more and … [Read more...]

Is There a Shidduch Crisis in the Religious Zionist World?

This is the fifth in a series on dating and marriage in the religious Zionist community in Israel. Previous posts in the series: Part I: Dating Readiness Part II: Meeting the One Part III: Genetic Testing Part IV: Dating Venues VI: Internet Dating VII: Paying the Shadchan, or … [Read more...]