Our Bodies

Clothing & Appearance

Can A Jew Get Body Piercings?

While most Jewish authorities believe ear piercing is fine, the matter grows somewhat more complex with other body parts.

Beliefs & Practices

Why Some Jewish Women Go to the Mikveh Each Month

What is niddah, or taharat ha mishpacha, and who observes it?

Illness & Healing

The Bible sees folk healing as idolatrous.

The Contemporary Jewish Healing Movement

Jewish "healing" is more about providing communal support than about curing the sick.

Jewish Clothing

Garments for synagogue and, for some, all-day wear.

Shomer Negiah, the Prohibition on Touching

The term refers to someone who refrains from physical contact with members of the opposite sex.

The Centrality of Kavod HaMet (Honoring the Dead)

Jewish mourning practices center more on the deceased than on concern for the living.

Does Judaism Believe in the Right to Die?

All denominations of Judaism prohibit assisted suicide and euthanasia, but there is some room for nuance.

Modesty (Tzniut)

Discretion in appearance and speech is designed to protect our souls from assault by a coarse world.

Judaism and the Human Body

The commandment to remove a corpse from the stake on which it is impaled teaches us the importance of respecting the holiness of the body.

Jewish Law and Body Piercing: A Conservative Perspective

A Conservative responsum explores the Jewish issues involved.

Kippot, Hats and Head Coverings: A Traditionalist View

How and when a Jew covers his or her head is a spiritual declaration and a nuanced social statement.

As an Orthodox Rabbi’s Wife, I was Grateful for Planned Parenthood

Infertility is defined as the failure or inability to become pregnant for a minimum of 12 months. What medical books ...

Our Bodies Quiz

How much do you know about Jewish attitudes toward the human body?