Baal Teshuvah, The

Thanksgiving dinner has been a particularly sticky issue with my mother-in-law, who does not adhere to the kosher dietary laws...

When I walk by some people stare at me in my beautiful long skirt and modest long sleeved T-shirt. People can tell that I am different. People can tell that I am a Torah observant Jewish girl and I am proud of that...

I’m leaving Montreal today for the umpteenth time. I’ve made this trip many more times than I can count. But today is different. Today is the first time I’ve left knowing that I won’t be coming back . . .

When I hear the word "religion," I instinctively cringe. My stomach turns. My hands become clammy. My throat dry. On occasion, I have been known to break out in hives. This tends to confuse people who know me as a Torah observant Jewish woman...

The common theme contained in the High-Holidays and the festivals of Sukkot and Simchat Torah.

Question: When I started all this, I felt so excited about being Jewish and following all the laws, but now it is such a struggle and kind of feels like this heavy burden. Like a bunch of can't do this and that, and have to do this and this. But I also do...

As the beloved counselor of the oldest bunk of 14 teenagers, they quickly understood something was wrong with me. They probed hard and found out that, somewhat like E.T., I needed desperately to “phone home”—to connect with Shabbat...

No matter how much I talked the talk and walked the walk, my inner soul was crying. I married a non-Jewish man and had two sons. My soul cried out to me that they are Jewish!

Question: I'm not Jewish, but my best friend while growing up was. Our bond was unusual for teenagers and young adults. We had a real love and respect for each other. In his mid 20's, he was drawn to Israel and eventually moved there. He became orthodox a...

Jacques Berger looked me up and down, noting my long ponytail, plaid flannel shirt and threadbare, faded blue jeans. He must have also noticed my ethnically distinct nose...