The Chassan’s Tallis
In pre-War Europe, going back for centuries, there were a number of Jewish wedding traditions that guided proper protocol between an engaged couple, some of which remain in one form or another to the present day, primarily among the Orthodox.
To this day, in charedi circles, there is a widespread custom at the vort (engagement...
Tallit Gadol Buyers Guide
A Tallit in Auschwitz
Rabbi Tzvi Meisels is widely known in Chicago for his efforts to reestablish the Orthodox community on the West Side, and later in Albany Park, based on the model of Eastern Europe’s pre-World War II communities.
Yet his extraordinary efforts to uphold Judaism began long before on the other side of the Atlantic – and...
The Wall is Wailing
by Rabbi Avi Shafran
Neither facts nor logic have impeded champions of Nofrat Frenkel, the woman briefly detained by police at the Western Wall in November 2009.
Needless to say, Ms. Frenkel's charge that she was unnecessarily manhandled by police should be responsibly investigated. Even a violator of the law has the right to be detained...
Tallit: Beyond the Here and Now
A tallit (also called "tallis" or "tallis gadol") is a prayer shawl traditionally made of wool. Its most significant feature is the tzitzit (knotted tassels) attached to each of the four corners (Numbers 15:38) to remind us that those things which exist beyond the ken of what is visible and present...
The Inside Story
A mezuzah is a public declaration of Jewish identity and faith – both inside and out.
In brief, a mezuzah consists of two brief passages from the Torah written by hand on a piece of parchment. The mezuzah parchment is then rolled into a scroll, wrapped in paper or plastic, inserted into a case and...