My Jewish Learning

My Jewish Learning is the leading independent website and digital community for all things Jewish, from Jewish history to text to ritual to prayer to food and much more. We offer a robust website with thousands of articles answering nearly every possible question about Judaism and Jewish life, a daily newsletter guiding subscribers through interesting facts and must-read news about Jewish life and practice, a daily Talmud essay called "A Daily Dose of Talmud," a weekly Shabbat newsletter, dozens of special emails featuring insights into major Jewish topics, and a robust online community through our social media channels. Articles written with the My Jewish Learning byline are authored and edited by our staff. My Jewish Learning's staff includes leading Jewish scholars and journalists. Rachel Scheinerman, who holds a doctorate in Ancient Judaism from Yale University, is My Jewish Learning's Editor, and Ben Harris, a longtime, award-winning journalist covering Jewish topics, is Managing Editor.


Articles by My Jewish Learning

What Do Lifecycle Celebrations Do?

Jewish lifecycle ceremonies celebrate change, and sanctify the ordinary.

Jewish Continuity

Is the Jewish people disappearing?

Themes in Jewish Lifecycle Events

Overview of various themes in Jewish lifecycle.

Sukkot 101

Beginning five days after Yom Kippur, Sukkot is named after the booths or huts (sukkot in Hebrew) in which Jews are supposed to dwell during this week-long celebration.

The Yom Kippur Confession (Viddui)

A first step toward repairing a wrong.

Shemini Atzeret / Simchat Torah 101

The two holidays at the conclusion of Sukkot.

Jewish Food 101

Jewish cuisine is influenced by the foods in the many countries where Jews have lived.

Jews and Premarital Sex

The Torah doesn't explicitly outlaw sex before marriage, but it doesn't approve of it either.