ASK THE EXPERT
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Taking Challah
Why do we burn up a little piece of dough when we make bread?
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Honoring the Dead
What are the acronyms for honoring the dead and the living?
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Yarmulkes and Men
Why do men wear yarmulkes, and women don't?
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Early Candlelighting
How early is too early?
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Tehilat Adonai
What's with the optional paragraph in the birkat hamazon?
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Bitter Herbs
Is purple horseradish required?
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Standing in shul
How do I know when to stand and when to sit?
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Silence Before Bread
Why can't we talk between washing hands and eating bread?
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Capital Punishment
How should we respond to adultery?
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Shower on Shabbat
Can I rinse off on the holy day?
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Slated Mezuzah
Why does the mezuzah go on a diagonal?
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Medical Research
Does giving money for research count as charity?
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Post Mortem Bris
Do we circumcise a baby who died before he was eight days old?
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Gittin Timeframe
How long should I expect to wait for my Jewish divorce to come through?
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Tzitzit Hanging Out
Why do some people tuck them in, and others let them hang free?
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Kosher Pet Food
Can I feed my dog treyfe meat?
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Public Transit on Shabbat
If I prepay, is it okay?
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Buying Tefillin
What should I be looking for?
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Military Funerals
How does a Jewish military funeral work?
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Stones on Graves
What do the stones symbolize? Where does the custom come from?
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Beyond Latkes
Going Beyond Latkes
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Christmas Party
How can I make it less Christian?
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Jewish Priests
Without the Temple, what do they do?
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Adopted Mother
According to Jewish law, am I Jewish if my adopted mother is Jewish?
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Getting an Aliyah
Why can't a non-Jew be called up to the Torah?
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Kosher Certifications
What's the difference between the different hashgachot?
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Welcoming Guests
How can I welcome without alienating?
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Rain on Sukkot
Rain, rain, go away!
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Wedding Shtick
Why do we perform for the bride and groom?
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Why blow the shofar?
What's the point of using an ancient instrument
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High Holiday Tickets
Why are they so expensive, and what are some alternative?
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Visiting Colleges
How do I know what questions to ask?
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Kabbalah at 40
Why are there age limits on Torah learning?
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High Holidays Vacation Days
What's the best way to approach my boss?
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Converting an Infant
How do we convert our adopted child?
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Shabbat With No Sunset
How can I tell when Shabbat starts if it never gets dark?
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Baby Showers
Is it against the rules, or just a superstition?
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Organizations for All Jews
Who are the major players in worldwide Jewish life?
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Ask the Expert: What's a Jewish Godparent?
Is it an offer you can't refuse?
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Who's in the Kitchen
What does a mashgiach do?
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Danger and Tzedakah
How much of a risk can I take to give to the needy?
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Sunday Services
Are there any Reform Temples that still have their main service on Sunday?
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Unaffiliated Young People
Why aren't the three big denominations enough anymore?
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Jews in the Hospital
What should nurses know?
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Using the Ocean as a Mikveh
How do you dunk in the ocean?
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Shaving During the Omer
Can I shave my bikini line?
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Graven Images
Is it okay to paint or sculpt the human form?
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Yom Ha'atzmaut Activities
What can I do if there aren't any other Jews around?
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Relating to the Holocaust
How can I impress the importance of the Holocaust on a non-Jew?
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Eating Non-Kosher Food
How does punishment work in contemporary Jewish communities?
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Making Everyone Happy at the Seder
How do I reduce conflict at my seder?
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Selling Hametz
Can I do it myself?
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New Seder
How can I prepare for a different seder?
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Mishloach Manot
How do I give these gifts?
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Wedding Timing
When can we get married?
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Secret Name
Why keep baby names under wraps?
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Conversion Etiquette
Do I have to share my journey to Judaism?
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Proselytism
Why don't Jews seek converts?
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Interdating & In-Laws
He doesn't like that I'm a non-Jew dating his Jewish daughter.
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Biblical Role Models
How can I look up to characters in the Bible?
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Shabbat Alone
How do I observe Shabbat without my family?
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Praying with Non-Jews
What's an appropriate ecumenical prayer?
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Hanukkah Bush
How should I explain to my kids why I don't want one?
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Besiyata Dishmaya
What do those three letters stand for?
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Mevushal Wine
What's so special about Mevushal wine?
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Red String Bracelet
What's the big deal about this practice?
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Blessing Over Non-Kosher Food
Can I say birkat hamazon on treyf food?
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Joint Aliyot
Can two people be called up to the Torah at once?
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The Odd Couple
Can I convert to Judaism even though my husband isn't interested in following suit?
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Expensive Meat
Why so pricey?
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Etrogim
Etrogim--what are they good for?
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Standing for Kaddish
Remembering the Victims of the Holocaust
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Apologizing
How should I say I'm sorry?
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Covered Eyes
Are you afraid of the dark?
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Lost Tribes
Who were they and where are they?
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Conversion Certificate
How do I make aliyah without my conversion certificate?
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Burying the Genizah
What should be done with old Torah scrolls and sacred texts?
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Pareve Chicken
Why is chicken fleishig?
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Huppah
What are the rules for building a Jewish wedding canopy?
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Which Kippah Should I Wear?
What's the best head covering for a newly observant Jew?
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Matzah Balls Vs. Kreplach
What's the difference?
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Caring for Jewish Bodies
What's the appropriate post-mortem care for a Jewish person?
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Fins and Scales
How can you be sure a fish is kosher?
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New Home
How do I make move-in day Jewish?
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Shabbat activities
How do I occupy myself on this day of rest?
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Who was Jesus?
A man, a myth, or a God?
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Conversion Lineage
Why are all converts called the children of Abraham and Sarah?
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Missing Persons
How do we mourn without a body?
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Meat and Fish
Why do some people avoid eating meat and fish together?
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Matrilineal Descent
Why is Judaism passed down through the mother?
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Tattooed Convert
How do past actions influence a conversion?
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Kashrut in Shtetls
Were there two sets of dishes in the shtetls?
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Animal Experiments
Can we cause an animal to suffer to save a human life?
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Egg Donors
Who's Your Mommy?
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120 Knesset Members
Why Not 100? Or 150?
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Shabbat in the Dark
When we can't see the sunset through the clouds, how do we know when Shabbat starts?
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Dog Food for Passover
Matzah for Fido?
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Gluten Free Matzah
What should Celiac sufferers eat during Passover?
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Jews for Jesus
What do you say to a friend who is interested in Jews for Jesus?
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Are Xenotransplants Kosher?
Can A Jewish Person Receive A Transplanted Heart Valve From A Pig?
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Blotting out Amalek
How do we know who's an Amalekite?
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Cornbread as Challah
What counts as bread?
