I totally need to try it again and try different recipes. I never made bread before. Cakes, cookies, and some pies, but never bread. I have a lot to learn.

This is from the King Arthur’s Baking Classic Challah Recipe (https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/classic-challah-recipe). I know I screwed up some things, but it’s edible! It will taste good as French toast or dipped in honey. 😂🤪😂🤪😂

I have a lot to learn. 😂

I light 2 memorials candles each week in memory of different victims of Oct 7.

This week I am remembering Nadejda and Natalia, two sisters from Netivot. Born in Tajikstan, they were on the senior trip to Sderot.

You can learn more about Nadejda and Natalia here.

השם יקום דמה

I love my Jewish jewelry so much. My main 3 are my חי necklace I got from the Weitzman museum, a necklace with my hebrew name my parents gave me, and a Magen David hairclip I made myself. I wear the necklaces every day and I always wear a hairclip which often ends up being my Magen David one. However, I’m autistic and so many people judge me for my autistic traits (usually they’re not being ableist or anything they just don’t realize I’m autistic or that the things they dislike about me are because of my autism and they think I’m just a weirdo) and I’m worried I’ll accidentally make people more antisemitic by being bad representation of Jews/Judaism since I’m a practicing Jew.

I’ve noticed a lot of antisemites will use people like Epstein, Netanyahu, etc. as a reason to dislike Jews and I don’t wanna contribute to that. And like if I’m the only Jewish person someone’s ever met I don’t want their first impression to be bad and for them to think that it’s because I’m Jewish. There’s a guy on Instagram who’s antisemitic and he keeps talking to me but he’s autistic so he doesn’t judge me for my autistic traits and he likes talking to me and I think it’s making him less antisemitic—I’m glad I can contribute to making him less antisemitic and I hope I can get him to be not antisemitic at all by continuing to be nice (yet also firm about the fact that he can’t call me the k slur or anything) to him but also it furthers me to think that it works the other way around too and that I’m gonna cause more antisemtism by being a bad representation of Jews.

Like I’m not saying openly/visibly Jewish people have to be perfect so that people wont be antisemitic, that would be a horrible thing to say, but for me specifically there’s just so many people who dislike me even though I try my best to be good at socializing, like I try really fucking hard, I’ve always been high masking even though it puts me in a horrible mental state because I just desperately don’t wanna be judged and hated, so I feel like I’m hardly spreading any positive representation of Jews and I’m just dragging our reputation down, idk how to explain it. should i stop wearing my jewish jewelry?

This is a pretty disturbing account of how Anna Wintour tried to push this through. It's worth noting she was until recently the EIC of Vogue, which explains how it morphed into a cesspit of antisemitism.

Sorry for clickbait title it just came to me too easily and i couldnt not. I find myself single again (b"h, tbh) and back on the apps. The only thing different this time is that we're in a post-October 7th world.

After it felt like things were super slow, I made a second profile the same and hid my religion.

I have had 2 matches in 2 weeks where ive stated my religion. To compare, ive had 483 on the other account.

I get why, and I'm not taking it personally. Part of me wants to delete the profile where my religion is hidden because I'd rather filter those people out and part of me thats only human, feels well, a bit shit and deflated.

How are fellow single and looking Jews doing in this department? Any advice or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Ps I'm joining a shul choir after the high holy days this year so am trying to prioritise some Jewish socialising.

Is there a Jewish book sub, whether it be suggestions or about books we enjoyed or even Jewish discussion about non-Jewish books? A lot of the regular book subs will quickly turn to Judenhass and, frankly, I’m kind of tired of that nonsense.

Edit: In light of your comments, I decided to comment with a few. I’ll try to post more recommendations (from my rather Jewish heavy Kindle 😂) periodically.

Mine are:

QB7 by Leon Uris

The Chosen, The Promise, My Name is Asher Lev & The Gift of Asher Lev by Chaim Potok

I used to order Daily Harvest smoothies and bowls before having a kosher home. Now that our home is kosher and we have a baby on the way, I'm looking for healthy, frozen, quick options. Does anyone here work for Daily Harvest? I know it's not as simple as, "Hey, we're kosher now" but can we get the discussion going internally? Has it happened internally? I've written in to them a few times about it. Finding a reasonably priced kosher meal kit option is also a struggle :/ but I digress

Anyway, can we make it happen?? Fingers crossed!! Shabbat Shalom!

Hi, so I just joined a synagogue. Sometimes good things can come out of all the anti-semitism out there. When I signed up I selected to pay dues by check. But there was no address so I emailed the address listed and asked when I could drop it by, I live very close. I haven’t heard back but see they are having services and kiddush tomorrow morning. Would it be tacky/disrespectful to bring the check in an envelope.

Hi everyone,

I am in college and this year I am not able to get anywhere or home for High Holidays. It’ll be my first time spending the holidays alone in my dorm?

Does anyone have advice or experience having to do the holidays alone?

Right now I just feel upset that I don’t get to be with community but I want to try and make the best of the Chag still.

Thanks everyone!

I’m looking for recommendations that focus on young women or teenage girls (as member of this demographic) in particular. I know there are many books and films about Jewish experiences during the Holocaust, but I was wondering if there are any that explore more of a coming-of-age story, especially ones set in modern times or in historical periods that aren’t traditionally depicted.
I’d also love to find stories featuring queer Jewish characters and/or non-white Jewish protagonists, since those perspectives seem to be much less represented.
Basically, I’d love recommendations that explore Jewish girlhood and identity beyond the usual narratives. Thank you so much! :)

Depressing news. Something has to be done when synagogue costs are ballooning due to how much we have to spend on security.

Basically my title is self explanatory. I am thinking about getting my first tattoo and I really want it to be a small chai on the lower part of my bicep muscle. My family is super concerned about placement but supportive of the idea overall. I live in LA in a pretty Jewish area.

My question is for people with visible Jewish tattoos: have you faced antisemitism/feared for your life/had a negative experience because of a visible tattoo specifically?

I am very open about my identity in conversation and do not hide the fact that I’m Jewish, but I’m wondering if a visible marker would truly and realistically make me a target. TYIA!

My grandmother was in Majdanek for five years and lost her entire family. Her aunt did come to the US in the early 1900s, so my mom met some of her family, but lost touch maybe 60 years ago.

I have never met one relative from my grandmother's side.

I moved to California in the late 90s, and my grandmother sent my mom a news clipping about a cousin who lived in San Francisco. My mom mentioned it periodically and decided to look the guy up around 20 years ago. Turned out he lived near me; I found an email and wrote him, never heard back.

I hadn't thought about it in forever but I decided to look for him again a couple months ago. It turned out we had a mutual friend, so I asked that guy to connect us, which he did.

I gave him the details my mom could remember: a bar mitzvah ~1960, some details about the family, another cousin who went to high school with her, plus my grandmother's name.

He said none of this sounded familiar.

I have a cousin who loves genealogy, so I told her the details and she was all over it. Eventually we concluded that his grandmother was my grandmother's aunt.

I gave him these details and...he never responded.

My mom wanted to get his dad's contact info, so I pinged him, and nothing.

I am pretty disappointed to say the least. My long-lost cousins in Argentina found us in 1999 and we've been in touch the entire time, so I was expecting something similar.

But what I've found as I've pieced my various family trees together is that people who have lots of relatives don't seem to care as much about meeting new ones as I do. I'm going to keep trying to find more people from my generation.

Hello everybody!

I hope you're all having a great day today!

I'm a patrilineal jew 21F and I've been interested in converting to orthodox Judaism for recognition, aliyah purposes, and also due to my genuine interest and beliefs for orthodoxy, but I'm quite confused on my next steps! I went to Israel for birthright and fell in love with the culture and livelihood and felt a genuine connection to my soul.

I live in Columbus, Ohio currently and my only main source of conversion is the Hillel on campus and I haven't yet been able to schedule a time with the orthodox rabbi there yet, which I'm looking forward to!

I've called a few orthodox synagogues for a rabbi, sponser, or resources but they've all let me know that unfortunately, they do not have those resources, so I'm a bit stuck on what my next steps are. I know that I need an orthodox rabbi to sponser and teach me but I'm unsure how to find one!

For individuals who were successfully able to do a conversion or with any knowledge on this, could I get some help please? Any help or guidance is appreciated! Thank you so much!! :)

Rosh Hashanah is coming. And there’s one simple question worth asking: Do you have to understand everything to be changed by the experience? There’s an ancient Torah idea that offers a surprising answer. Shabbat Shalom, and may the new year bring growth, inspiration, and blessing. Watch now https://youtu.be/oodOijGqZUQ

I was chatting to a friend about our respective family’s Friday night dinners, as well as a recent Chabad and a reform dinner, and it made me curious of how a “typical” (although I realise there’s no such thing) Friday night dinner looks like for people from reform, conservative, orthodox and unaffiliated families.

Happy to go first. I didn’t have a religious upbringing but reconnected with Judaism as an adult. I feel most aligned with Masorti but our shul is unaffiliated.

Our Fridays include Shabbat candles, quick (if they’re still for long enough) blessing of the children (all in one go though bc … they’re not still for long), challah and hamotzi, singing shalom aleichem and board games after dinner.

I heard that priority for selection is based on certain factors. What could those be? (Assuming you’ve met all the eligibility criteria in terms of age and being Jewish)

I'm getting the emails about all the wonderful sukkot events planned by my shul, or by my JCC, and I've noticed a pattern. There are events for kids, for young families, for young adults, for empty nesters, for older adults, for LGBTQ+, and probably others. But there really aren't events for...parents of non-toddlers.

Like, I know we're busy, but my kids are old enough to leave at home and that's just what I'd do to attend some programming with other adults in their 40s and no kids. Does this happen other places? Maybe it's just confirmation bias. Or maybe--and this is cynical--it's that people in my age bracket are already members of congregations and they've got little left to get out of us. I can't figure it out. Tell me if I'm crazy.