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Home   Ask The Expert  Your Questions Answered
  • MJL Hot Topic 1

    Taking Challah

    Why do we burn up a little piece of dough when we make bread?

  • MJL Hot Topic 2

    Honoring the Dead

    What are the acronyms for honoring the dead and the living?

  • MJL Hot Topic 3

    Yarmulkes and Men

    Why do men wear yarmulkes, and women don't?

  • MJL Hot Topic 4

    Early Candlelighting

    How early is too early?

  • MJL Hot Topic 5

    Tehilat Adonai

    What's with the optional paragraph in the birkat hamazon?

  • MJL Hot Topic 6

    Bitter Herbs

    Is purple horseradish required?

  • MJL Hot Topic 7

    Standing in shul

    How do I know when to stand and when to sit?

  • MJL Hot Topic 8

    Silence Before Bread

    Why can't we talk between washing hands and eating bread?

  • MJL Hot Topic 9

    Capital Punishment

    How should we respond to adultery?

  • MJL Hot Topic 10

    Shower on Shabbat

    Can I rinse off on the holy day?

  • MJL Hot Topic 11

    Slated Mezuzah

    Why does the mezuzah go on a diagonal?

  • MJL Hot Topic 12

    Medical Research

    Does giving money for research count as charity?

  • MJL Hot Topic 13

    Post Mortem Bris

    Do we circumcise a baby who died before he was eight days old?

  • MJL Hot Topic 14

    Gittin Timeframe

    How long should I expect to wait for my Jewish divorce to come through?

  • MJL Hot Topic 15

    Tzitzit Hanging Out

    Why do some people tuck them in, and others let them hang free?

  • MJL Hot Topic 16

    Kosher Pet Food

    Can I feed my dog treyfe meat?

  • MJL Hot Topic 17

    Public Transit on Shabbat

    If I prepay, is it okay?

  • MJL Hot Topic 18

    Buying Tefillin

    What should I be looking for?

  • MJL Hot Topic 19

    Military Funerals

    How does a Jewish military funeral work?

  • MJL Hot Topic 20

    Stones on Graves

    What do the stones symbolize? Where does the custom come from?

  • MJL Hot Topic 21

    Beyond Latkes

    Going Beyond Latkes

  • MJL Hot Topic 22

    Christmas Party

    How can I make it less Christian?

  • MJL Hot Topic 23

    Jewish Priests

    Without the Temple, what do they do?

  • MJL Hot Topic 24

    Adopted Mother

    According to Jewish law, am I Jewish if my adopted mother is Jewish?

  • MJL Hot Topic 25

    Getting an Aliyah

    Why can't a non-Jew be called up to the Torah?

  • MJL Hot Topic 26

    Kosher Certifications

    What's the difference between the different hashgachot?

  • MJL Hot Topic 27

    Welcoming Guests

    How can I welcome without alienating?

  • MJL Hot Topic 28

    Rain on Sukkot

    Rain, rain, go away!

  • MJL Hot Topic 29

    Wedding Shtick

    Why do we perform for the bride and groom?

  • MJL Hot Topic 30

    Why blow the shofar?

    What's the point of using an ancient instrument

  • MJL Hot Topic 31

    High Holiday Tickets

    Why are they so expensive, and what are some alternative?

  • MJL Hot Topic 32

    Visiting Colleges

    How do I know what questions to ask?

  • MJL Hot Topic 33

    Kabbalah at 40

    Why are there age limits on Torah learning?

  • MJL Hot Topic 34

    High Holidays Vacation Days

    What's the best way to approach my boss?

  • MJL Hot Topic 35

    Converting an Infant

    How do we convert our adopted child?

  • MJL Hot Topic 36

    Shabbat With No Sunset

    How can I tell when Shabbat starts if it never gets dark?

  • MJL Hot Topic 37

    Baby Showers

    Is it against the rules, or just a superstition?

  • MJL Hot Topic 38

    Organizations for All Jews

    Who are the major players in worldwide Jewish life?

  • MJL Hot Topic 39

    Ask the Expert: What's a Jewish Godparent?

    Is it an offer you can't refuse?

  • MJL Hot Topic 40

    Who's in the Kitchen

    What does a mashgiach do?

  • MJL Hot Topic 41

    Danger and Tzedakah

    How much of a risk can I take to give to the needy?

  • MJL Hot Topic 42

    Sunday Services

    Are there any Reform Temples that still have their main service on Sunday?

  • MJL Hot Topic 43

    Unaffiliated Young People

    Why aren't the three big denominations enough anymore?

  • MJL Hot Topic 44

    Jews in the Hospital

    What should nurses know?

  • MJL Hot Topic 45

    Using the Ocean as a Mikveh

    How do you dunk in the ocean?

  • MJL Hot Topic 46

    Shaving During the Omer

    Can I shave my bikini line?

  • MJL Hot Topic 47

    Graven Images

    Is it okay to paint or sculpt the human form?

  • MJL Hot Topic 48

    Yom Ha'atzmaut Activities

    What can I do if there aren't any other Jews around?

  • MJL Hot Topic 49

    Relating to the Holocaust

    How can I impress the importance of the Holocaust on a non-Jew?

  • MJL Hot Topic 50

    Eating Non-Kosher Food

    How does punishment work in contemporary Jewish communities?

  • MJL Hot Topic 51

    Making Everyone Happy at the Seder

    How do I reduce conflict at my seder?

  • MJL Hot Topic 52

    Selling Hametz

    Can I do it myself?

  • MJL Hot Topic 53

    New Seder

    How can I prepare for a different seder?

  • MJL Hot Topic 54

    Mishloach Manot

    How do I give these gifts?

  • MJL Hot Topic 55

    Wedding Timing

    When can we get married?

  • MJL Hot Topic 56

    Secret Name

    Why keep baby names under wraps?

  • MJL Hot Topic 57

    Conversion Etiquette

    Do I have to share my journey to Judaism?

  • MJL Hot Topic 58

    Proselytism

    Why don't Jews seek converts?

  • MJL Hot Topic 59

    Interdating & In-Laws

    He doesn't like that I'm a non-Jew dating his Jewish daughter.

  • MJL Hot Topic 60

    Biblical Role Models

    How can I look up to characters in the Bible?

  • MJL Hot Topic 61

    Shabbat Alone

    How do I observe Shabbat without my family?

  • MJL Hot Topic 62

    Praying with Non-Jews

    What's an appropriate ecumenical prayer?

  • MJL Hot Topic 63

    Hanukkah Bush

    How should I explain to my kids why I don't want one?

  • MJL Hot Topic 64

    Besiyata Dishmaya

    What do those three letters stand for?

  • MJL Hot Topic 65

    Mevushal Wine

    What's so special about Mevushal wine?

  • MJL Hot Topic 66

    Red String Bracelet

    What's the big deal about this practice?

  • MJL Hot Topic 67

    Blessing Over Non-Kosher Food

    Can I say birkat hamazon on treyf food?

  • MJL Hot Topic 68

    Joint Aliyot

    Can two people be called up to the Torah at once?

  • MJL Hot Topic 69

    The Odd Couple

    Can I convert to Judaism even though my husband isn't interested in following suit?

  • MJL Hot Topic 70

    Expensive Meat

    Why so pricey?

  • MJL Hot Topic 71

    Etrogim

    Etrogim--what are they good for?

  • MJL Hot Topic 72

    Standing for Kaddish

    Remembering the Victims of the Holocaust

  • MJL Hot Topic 73

    Apologizing

    How should I say I'm sorry?

  • MJL Hot Topic 74

    Covered Eyes

    Are you afraid of the dark?

  • MJL Hot Topic 75

    Lost Tribes

    Who were they and where are they?

  • MJL Hot Topic 76

    Conversion Certificate

    How do I make aliyah without my conversion certificate?

  • MJL Hot Topic 77

    Burying the Genizah

    What should be done with old Torah scrolls and sacred texts?

  • MJL Hot Topic 78

    Pareve Chicken

    Why is chicken fleishig?

  • MJL Hot Topic 79

    Huppah

    What are the rules for building a Jewish wedding canopy?

  • MJL Hot Topic 80

    Which Kippah Should I Wear?

    What's the best head covering for a newly observant Jew?

  • MJL Hot Topic 81

    Matzah Balls Vs. Kreplach

    What's the difference?

  • MJL Hot Topic 82

    Caring for Jewish Bodies

    What's the appropriate post-mortem care for a Jewish person?

  • MJL Hot Topic 83

    Fins and Scales

    How can you be sure a fish is kosher?

  • MJL Hot Topic 84

    New Home

    How do I make move-in day Jewish?

  • MJL Hot Topic 85

    Shabbat activities

    How do I occupy myself on this day of rest?

  • MJL Hot Topic 86

    Who was Jesus?

    A man, a myth, or a God?

  • MJL Hot Topic 87

    Conversion Lineage

    Why are all converts called the children of Abraham and Sarah?

  • MJL Hot Topic 88

    Missing Persons

    How do we mourn without a body?

  • MJL Hot Topic 89

    Meat and Fish

    Why do some people avoid eating meat and fish together?

  • MJL Hot Topic 90

    Matrilineal Descent

    Why is Judaism passed down through the mother?

  • MJL Hot Topic 91

    Tattooed Convert

    How do past actions influence a conversion?

  • MJL Hot Topic 92

    Kashrut in Shtetls

    Were there two sets of dishes in the shtetls?

  • MJL Hot Topic 93

    Animal Experiments

    Can we cause an animal to suffer to save a human life?

  • MJL Hot Topic 94

    Egg Donors

    Who's Your Mommy?

  • MJL Hot Topic 95

    120 Knesset Members

    Why Not 100? Or 150?

  • MJL Hot Topic 96

    Shabbat in the Dark

    When we can't see the sunset through the clouds, how do we know when Shabbat starts?

  • MJL Hot Topic 97

    Dog Food for Passover

    Matzah for Fido?

  • MJL Hot Topic 98

    Gluten Free Matzah

    What should Celiac sufferers eat during Passover?

  • MJL Hot Topic 99

    Jews for Jesus

    What do you say to a friend who is interested in Jews for Jesus?

  • MJL Hot Topic 100

    Are Xenotransplants Kosher?

    Can A Jewish Person Receive A Transplanted Heart Valve From A Pig?

  • MJL Hot Topic 101

    Blotting out Amalek

    How do we know who's an Amalekite?

  • MJL Hot Topic 102

    Cornbread as Challah

    What counts as bread?

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