I'm an Orthodox Jew. Ask me anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How did you meet your husband?
At our synagogue.
Do you have TV in your home?
We have 4 tvs. My sister doesn't have one.
What do you and your husband do?
We both have advanced degrees.
Do you, or would you ever use hormonal birth control (I understand that this is OK but barrier methods are not)?
Yes, Basically anything but condoms is ok
What are did you get married? [/quote

24

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What do you think of interracial marriage?

Do you have friends of different races and cultures?

no problems with.it. I dated a black Jewish guy and a Latino jewish guy.

Yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:do you consider a person with one jewish parent or grandparent a jew?

Only on the mother's side. i.e. if its your mother or your mother's mother. I dont believe people with only a Jewish father are Jewish.

Did you get your mitochondrial DNA checked to see if you indeed have a maternal Jewish line? If you did check it and it said that you maternal line was say Polish (non Jewish) as for many Jews from Europe (not assuming that you are of European lineage), would you then consider yourself to be less Jewish?

Only Nazis would think that there is "Jewish" and "non-Jewish" DNA. If you are a practicing Jew (convert) you are Jewish and so are your children. Doesn't matter if your DNA is closer to that of most Jews today or closer to that of most (fill in the blank) today.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What's with the dark purple clothes on little girls? I've seen large groups of orthodox jewish people visiting tourist attractions, and all the little girls seem to be wearing black plus some shade of dark purple.

I dont know of any association with dark purple. Maybe they are just looking for an alternative to black for little girls.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:do you consider a person with one jewish parent or grandparent a jew?

Only on the mother's side. i.e. if its your mother or your mother's mother. I dont believe people with only a Jewish father are Jewish.

Did you get your mitochondrial DNA checked to see if you indeed have a maternal Jewish line? If you did check it and it said that you maternal line was say Polish (non Jewish) as for many Jews from Europe (not assuming that you are of European lineage), would you then consider yourself to be less Jewish?

Only Nazis would think that there is "Jewish" and "non-Jewish" DNA. If you are a practicing Jew (convert) you are Jewish and so are your children. Doesn't matter if your DNA is closer to that of most Jews today or closer to that of most (fill in the blank) today.

OP here - the above wasnt me.

There is definitely an element of faith involved, however it goes through the mother bc it is much easier to trace who the mother is than who the father is. If my mother said she was jewish and her mother is jewish and we have no reason to doubt them, then we assume they are jewish. Like a benefit of the doubt situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:do you consider a person with one jewish parent or grandparent a jew?

Only on the mother's side. i.e. if its your mother or your mother's mother. I dont believe people with only a Jewish father are Jewish.

lots of jews marry outside of the religion/culture and i've heard many jews voice fears that this can potentially contribute to a loss of observant jews. does this factor at all in your belief in lineage from the mother?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:do you consider a person with one jewish parent or grandparent a jew?

Only on the mother's side. i.e. if its your mother or your mother's mother. I dont believe people with only a Jewish father are Jewish.

lots of jews marry outside of the religion/culture and i've heard many jews voice fears that this can potentially contribute to a loss of observant jews. does this factor at all in your belief in lineage from the mother?

Yes. Every time, a jewish male marries a non-jewish female and has children, those children are not jewish (unless the mom or the kids convert). This lessens the number of jews and the number of observant jews. Honestly though, even if a jewish woman were to marry a non-jewish man, while her kids would still be jewish, the chance of her kids intermarrying is probably much greater as well. Intermarriage contributes to a loss of jews, observant and non-observant.

[Anonymous]

Is it an urban legend, or do some Orthodox jews really have sex through a hole in a sheet?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it an urban legend, or do some Orthodox jews really have sex through a hole in a sheet?

Urban legend. A sheet would actually be prohibited as nothing is supposed to be between a husband and wife. However, based on some of the stories I have heard from those who marry young in the ultra-orthodox world, a sheet or other sort of "guide" might be helpful the first time around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Intermarriage contributes to a loss of jews, observant and non-observant.

So does the Beit Deen's / Conservative and Orthodox synagogues' approach to who is and isn't Jewish. Judaism would benefit greatly from a more inclusive approach. I am a child of Jewish father / convert mother who had a very traditional upbringing, but has drifted away from the religion because of the lack of inclusiveness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Intermarriage contributes to a loss of jews, observant and non-observant.

So does the Beit Deen's / Conservative and Orthodox synagogues' approach to who is and isn't Jewish. Judaism would benefit greatly from a more inclusive approach. I am a child of Jewish father / convert mother who had a very traditional upbringing, but has drifted away from the religion because of the lack of inclusiveness.

I agree that many aspects of orthodoxy are not very inclusive. How would you suggest that be fixed? Jewish law is nor going to change, but are there are other ways you suggest that orthodox jews reacbh out to children of intermarriage? Would you have been receptive to that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it true that some rabbis use their mouths to clean a baby boy after his bris? And I know that it is true, there was a case several years ago in NY where a rabbi spread herpes to several baby boys after performing this disgusting ritual. I read about it in the WaPo. I don't feel like linking the source now, but I'm sure you will know what I am talking about.

WHAT???!!!
I'm not op but I am Jewish. I have a dd but if I had a ds he would be circ. No way in hell would I allow this to happen. Why weren't the authorities alerted when a grown man put his mouth on a baby boys penis? And why wasn't cps called on the parents who stood by watching this happen?

Religious Circumcision Kills 2nd Infant in Brooklyn
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Submitted by Zach Lisabeth on Mar 5, 2012

A second infant in 7 years has died from complications caused by a religious circumcision performed in Brooklyn, New York. The infant, whose name has not been revealed to the press, contracted herpes from the ceremony and died shortly thereafter at Maimonides Hospital. In 2005 another infant died under the same circumstances, according to the Daily News.

The cause of death for both infants was listed as "disseminated herpes simplex virus Type 1, complicating ritual circumcision with oral suction."

At the center of the public outcry over the infant death is the Jewish ritual known as a bris. During a bris, an eight-day-old Jewish male is circumcised by a specially trained rabbi known as a mohel (pronounced: moy-al). Doctors suspect that both infants contracted herpes during this ceremony.

Brooklyn, New York's South Williamsburg neighborhood is home to one of the largest communities of orthodox Jews in the world. At this time, it is unclear who performed the procedure on this particular infant, but authorities are investigating Rabbi Yitzchok Fischer.

In 2004, three infants contracted herpes simplex 1 after bris ceremonies performed by Rabbi Fischer. Rabbi Fischer practices an orthodox version of the circumcision ceremony called metzizah b'peh during which the mohel removes excess blood from the baby's penis with his mouth.

City health officials have criticized the ritual for carrying inherent risks for the infants, one of the most severe being exposure to viruses like herpes.

http://www.opposingviews.com/i/health/parenting/new-moms/religious-circumcision-killing-infants-brooklyn

Yikes, just found the above article, did not realize this was still being practiced. SERIOUSLY?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Yikes, just found the above article, did not realize this was still being practiced. SERIOUSLY?

I went to a bris last year where the mohel did this. The mohel (and baby's parents) are Chabadniks (ultra ultra Orthodox). We belong to a modern Orthodox synagogue so obviously know quite a few observant people, but I had never seen this at a bris prior to this one. Needless to say I was pretty shocked.

[Anonymous]

If one of your children married a non-Jew would you cut off contact with him/her or be intentionally mean/dismissive to the non-Jewish spouse?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's with the dark purple clothes on little girls? I've seen large groups of orthodox jewish people visiting tourist attractions, and all the little girls seem to be wearing black plus some shade of dark purple.

I dont know of any association with dark purple. Maybe they are just looking for an alternative to black for little girls.

So are little girls supposed to wear black?