As the rest of the world tries to figure out how they feel about Gay Marriage, Gay movies, and gay cowboys, many Orthodox Jewish communities are trying to figure out who exactly is gay in their community. It’s been known…
Tag: Jewish Community
The secrets of frum hospitality
By Chaya Miriam Fried I don’t know if you ever got a chance to stay at a Marriott Hotel, but they have their signature (l’havdil) Book of Mormon and copy of the Gideon Bible in every room (at least I…
I heard you found kosher cheese at…
I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw large bags of kosher and cholov yisroel cheese at Smart and Final last week, I myself am not a fan of shredded mozzarella or cheddar, but I knew plenty of people who…
Maybe I’m just a self embarrassed Jew!
I’m not sure why, but whenever I’m in New York or another large orthodox community I suddenly like to hide my Jewishness. Normally, I wear my yarmulke and tzitzis everywhere, but the second you put me in a place where…
Does your community have a breakaway shul?
San Francisco may be a black hole of Orthodox Judaism, but the lackluster numbers of shomer shabbos and shomer kashrus Jews have never stopped them from dissing one another for not being as frum as they can be. In fact,…
10 most famous frum streets
I am sure we could debate for hours as to what street is most famous in the frum world, but when it comes down to it there aren’t that many. I think my list will probably consist of less than…
Hi you don’t know me – can I come for shabbos?
I was chatting with a blog reader the other day over Gchat and I was telling him that I could hook up with folks to stay with for shabbos in the city he’s living near in upstate New York. I…
Dear Heshy: I was perturbed by your Far Rockaway articles
So I got a complaint via email today and I wish I received more of these. Most of the critics just make simple comments or write hateful things on my facebook wall, I am inclined to agree with most of…
The Man’s Cup – One of the strangest shul fundraisers
So I’m sitting in Oakland at some mighty cool folks for lunch this past shabbos and they start talking about this shul fund-raising event called the Man’s Cup and I simply don’t believe them. The Man’s Cup sounds mythical, imagine…
What’s the deal with Staten Island?
Staten Island is one of those places you just don’t go. My brother once took the ferry there and I do recall going with my father to check out a potential job in some projects with a lot of cockroaches…
The little Jewish community that could
I can’t believe everyone’s so young, it seems like the last time I was here everyone was much older, had that many members died since Rosh Hashanah? I’m wondering this and I approach the Rabbi to ask him where all…
Guide to Yeshivish Kiruv
Guest post by Kiruv Krises – this will be a 3 part series, not funny, but very informative. As someone who’s been reading Frum Satire for many years, I always find Heshy’s stuff interesting and provocative. Reading Heshy’s analysis of…
Bay Area Orthodox Jews are ahead of their time
One of the first things I was told when I moved to the Bay Area was that the Jewish community was way ahead of its time. The first interesting thing I noticed was that the Berkley Chabad and the left…
Detroit Memories
The pizza store in Detroit is like no other I’ve been to, they have the greatest cheese sticks in the world. Soft homemade bread, topped with garlic and filled with cheese. I used to drive out of my way when…
Shabbos with the Motorcycle Rabbi
I think it was the first time in my life that I heard the following from a Rabbi with a long white beard: “You can go to shul if you’d like, but I need to get some sleep before the…
Yeshiva Tuition Reform Bill Passes: Critics shout socialism
Black Hat groups are rejoicing over the Yeshiva Tuition Reform Bill that was passed by the United States Beis Din earlier today. The YTR Bill, passed by an overwhelming majority, seeks to combat the Yeshiva Tuition Crisis which has wreaked…
Yeshiva Memories: The Modern Orthodox In-Towners
The in towner kids were of a special variety in my yeshiva, many of them came from modern orthodox families that would have never even looked twice at a black hat reject yeshiva if it weren?t for the fact that…
Californian Jews are too peaceful at kiddush
I was armed with a fork, flimsy plastic plate and a strategy before the rest of the congregants even walked through the door. I had placed myself right between the two main bowls of food, one containing a basic green…
Every Jewish Community has Politics
This is an old rant I wrote a long while back that still rings true today You may think your city is the worst, everyone always does, but let me tell you something from my personal experience, every city is…
You are invited to a Check-Out Linden, NJ Shabbaton
Young Families: You’re Invited to a Check-Out-Linden Shabbaton! Shabbat, March 5-6, 2010 Spend Shabbos with the Linden community, the new destination for young, Orthodox families in New Jersey. We offer: Without question, the most affordable houses in an Orthodox community…
Boulder Colorado has my almost ideal Jewish community
The first time I came through it, I fell in love with Boulder, Colorado. My buddy Berel and I had been on a two week backpacking and mountain biking trip in Montana and on our way home he decided we…
Are labels necessary?
Everyone is judging everyone all of the time, whether it is based on the clothing they wear, the community or place they live, what kind of car they may drive or where they buy their groceries. Judaism is no different…
Shabbos in San Jose
The Rabbi was yeshivish, clearly so because he used words that most of the shul didn’t understand, caught himself, and then said the English translation afterwards. My host said he was a YU guy, but I couldn’t see it. Was…
Breakaway minyanim and yeshivas – are they a good thing?
My old hometown of Rochester, NY has gotten its first breakaway minyan, it was only time in such a politically charged Yeshiva Run town, but it’s a unique case. Someone wanted to start a yeshivish style minyan in the main…
Out of town restaurant politics
I have lived and stayed in enough Jewish communities to understand that many places don’t have a kosher restaurant simply because of community politics. Community politics can get in the way of many things, but restaurants are usually a huge…