Sexagenarian

Israel celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. Yom Ha'atzmaut is the national Israel independence day, commemorating the declaration of independence of Israel on May 14, 1948. Nothing funny about that.

Screening Process

Tay-Sachs Disease (TSD) is a fatal genetic disorder that has shown increased prevalence in the Ashkenazi Jewish population. If two unaffected parents each carry the recessive TSD gene, they have a 1-in-4 chance of bearing an affected TSD child. Some couples will proactively get tested for the recessive TSD gene, to see if they are at risk of bearing a child with TSD.

Frumster.com is the leading online dating service for marriage-minded, mostly observant Jews. It's a bit different than JDate.

Looking For

JDate wants to know if you are looking for: A date, Friend, Marriage, A long-term relationship, Marriage & Children, or Activity Partner. That last one always irked me, until I figured out its secret meaning ...

Do Not Watch This

If you haven't seen the popular viral video "2 Girls, 1 Cup" spreading on the Internet like wildfire, consider yourself lucky. I won't include a link to the video, or even describe it.

However, if you are curious, rather than watch the video, you can watch people's reactions to watching the video instead.

Thanks for the tip, JB!

Sin City

From this week's parshah Vayeira, Genesis Chapter 19:

31. And the elder said to the younger, "Our father is old, and there is no man on earth to come upon us, as is the custom of all the earth. 32. Come, let us give our father wine to drink, and let us lie with him, and let us bring to life seed from our father." 33. And they gave their father wine to drink on that night, and the elder came and lay with her father, and he did not know of her lying down or of her rising up. 34. And it came to pass on the morrow, that the elder said to the younger, "Behold, last night I lay with my father. Let us give him wine to drink tonight too, and come, lie with him, and let us bring to life seed from our father." 35. So they gave their father to drink on that night also, and the younger arose and lay with him, and he did not know of her lying down or of her rising up. 36. And Lot's two daughters conceived from their father.

Congregation Segregation

This week leaders in the Jewish Conservative movement voted to approve the ordination of gays and lesbians and same-sex commitment ceremonies.

"The mekhitza is a divider between men and women in a synagogue. Sometimes it is simply a physical separation between the two sexes, such as a room divider or curtain. Sometimes the women's section is in a balcony."

"The reason for a mekhitza is to provide the men with a greater opportunity to focus on their prayers, rather than on the attractive women in the room."

Homosexual orientation is not a sin in Judaism, but homosexual acts are. Male-male sex is forbidden by the Torah. Lesbian sex is not prohibited by the Torah, but is generally considered prohibited as "licentiousness."

The World Congress of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Jews
Trembling Before G-d
Nu? Yenta
OrthoGays.com
Congregation Beit Simchat Torah

Fast Easy

"Have an easy fast" is a common Yom Kippur greeting.

"Gemar Chatima Tovah" means "May you be sealed [in the Book of Life] for a happy year"

Is it true what I've heard about Modox women in their 30's?

Taking Action

Israeli–Lebanese action continues with mounting military and civilian casualties on both sides. It also just happened to coincide with my first trip to Israel.

What's the Haredi?

Haredi (or Charedi) Judaism, sometimes called "ultra-Orthodox", is considered the most theologically conservative form of Orthodox Judaism.

Haredim only go on a date, or shidduch, to find a potential spouse.

Modern Orthodox Jews have been known to go on dates with extramarital goals in mind.

Water, water everywhere

There is a rumor going around that JDate.com is primarily used for hooking up. Go ahead, ask anyone.

Going to Wed Early

Premarital sex is prohibited by Jewish law. This, and a perfectly normal sex drive, is often incentive enough for young religious Jewish couples to get married ASAP.

You've been served! Divorce in the religious Jewish community requires a get, the Hebrew term for divorce papers. The man has more control over the decision than his wife. If a man refuses to grant his wife a divorce, she assumes the status of an agunah (literally, "chained" or "anchored" wife); she is unable to remarry religiously until the divorce is granted.

Boon-dox

There are many streams of Judaism, ranging from secular to ultra-Orthodox. Among the most familiar are Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox. Some Jews may find their level of observence falls between two labels, like "Conservadox", a blend of Conservative and Orthodox philosophies.

Jewish Laws prohibit sex outside the context of marriage.

Lot and Heavy

LOTs of good wholesome fun for the family in this week's parshah, Vayeira:

While taking shelter in a cave, Lot's two daughters (believing that they and their father are the only ones left alive in the world) get their father drunk, lie with him, and become pregnant. The two sons born from this incident father the nations of Moab and Amon. (Chabad.org)

Hey folks, I didn't write the Torah, G-d did. So if you have a problem with this type of content, speak to the Man above.

Hair Care

A sheitel is a wig worn by Orthodox Jewish women to cover their hair.

There are many good reasons why a Jewish woman should shave her head when she marries. One explanation is that, during mikvah, water must touch every part of the woman's body. If the hair is knotted, water might not touch everything, and would render the mikvah invalid. So, best to shave completely!

Another reason is that we want to keep our wives under control, so they should not be tempted by contemporary culture. Shaving her head makes our wives less attractive.

Also, if a Jewish wife commits adultery, she must be humiliated by exposing her hair. Completely shaving the head is good incentive not to cheat, because what woman wants to reveal her bald head?

Incidentally, Jewish women and their pubic regions may be a hairy subject, but the topic certainly has been discussed.

Sheitel, sheital, shaitel ...

Divided We Stand

"The mekhitza is a divider between men and women in a synagogue. Sometimes it is simply a physical separation between the two sexes, such as a room divider or curtain. Sometimes the women's section is in a balcony."

"The reason for a mekhitza is to provide the men with a greater opportunity to focus on their prayers, rather than on the attractive women in the room."

"The women's section is stereotypically a place where women talk without regard for the prayer service." (from JewishVirtualLibrary.org)

JDate vs. Frumster

JDate is the world's largest Jewish singles community.

Frumster is the most successful dating service for Torah observant and traditional Jewish singles.

Premarital sex is prohibited. It ranks up there with wearing shatnez (any mixture of wool and linen), cutting sideburns (payot), tattooing, and the use of the occult.

Felt Tsitsis

More shomer negiah, the rules of touching, or lack thereof. The rules apply no matter what age you are.

"A man is only as old as the woman he feels" — Groucho Marx

Reb Y'Ankles

According to halacha, a woman's legs must be covered until below her knees (or according to some opinions, until the ankles).

"Orthodox Women Push Limits of Modesty", by buddy Paul Berger

Holey Sheet, Part 2

See Holey Sheet, Part 1

Holey Sheet

Jewish couples do not have sex through a hole in a sheet. That is just a rumor.