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The 17th of Tammuz is the first day of “The Three Weeks”, the annual period of Jewish mourning. The 17th of Tammuz is a fast day, (pre-dawn until after dark, as opposed to Tisha B’Av which is a little more than 24 hours). As is always the case, drinking is prohibited as well. In the Read More

Q: Why can’t Israel show restraint, and not bomb Gaza? Especially when they have the Iron Dome to intercept most rockets? Imagine you were sitting in your home with your children, and someone would begin shooting bullets into your home, killing one of your children, wounding another one, and murdering an 85-year-old Holocaust survivor. Do Read More

Cremation has become very popular. The perception that cremation is “quick and clean,” ecofriendly, and less expensive than a burial has led to more cremations than ever. The perception is that the choice between cremation and burial is religiously neutral. These perceptions are largely inaccurate. The cremation process entails burning the body for two hours Read More

We would like to extend condolences to the Sacks family. We at Simply Jewish feel the loss of Rabbi Sacks on a personal level, greatly appreciating his gracious consent to post various articles and videos, He will be greatly missed . Video: Science vs Religion For more great articles and videos visit rabbisacks.org 

  Written by Rabbi Tzvi Sytner This past Sunday I had the honor of officiating at three unveilings in one day. At the first one I listened intently as several grandchildren described how loving their bubbie was at the second one, a son expressed wanting to always remember his father by his smiles and laughter Read More

The suggestions and guidelines have been coming more frequently and from a number of different sources. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and various governmental entities have made it very clear, this year, Thanksgiving should not be celebrated in the usual manner. Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Read More

Kaddish and Corona:  Personal Reflections on Mourning During the COVID-19 Pandemic Having lost close relatives in the past, I was pretty familiar with the Jewish mourning routine.  Saying goodbye. Tearing the clothing. Funeral. Burial. Shiva. Kaddish.  But when my father passed away at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, I found myself navigating Read More

By Rabbi Reuven J Epstein It didn’t seem possible. Our entire community heard about and were very saddened by the terrible events in Pittsburgh, Poway, Jersey City, and Brooklyn.  But we live here, upstate, in quiet Monsey, far away from the hustle and tensions of the big cities. It couldn’t happen here, we told ourselves. Read More