I think I need a new crock pot--this is the fourth time my cholent has been ruined. I put it on low and it burns. I put it on warm and the meat spoils. Any recommendations for the replacement?

A Jewish family in North London reportedly removed their nine-year-old son from a state primary school after a series of alleged antisemitic incidents. According to the father, when his son spoke to a teacher about Hamas's October 7 attack on the Nova music festival, she responded by suggesting the opposite had happened, leaving the boy believing she was blaming Jews for the massacre.

The child had also reportedly faced anti-Israel chants and harassment from classmates. Despite the father's complaints and requests for antisemitism awareness training for staff, he says the school failed to take meaningful action. The family eventually transferred their son to a Jewish school.

I light 2 memorial candles each week in memory of different victims of Oct 7.

This week I am remembering Amir and Amit.

Amir, 19, took shelter with other wounded soldiers in Sufa’s cafeteria. Hamas terrorists stormed the room and murdered 6 people, including Amit. His parents share that he created his funeral playlist 2 months before he died, full of songs about living. Amir shared music with friends and family; he played the guitar.

Amit, 20, was a paramedic treating the wounded. He volunteered with an organization for special needs children. He dreamed of living in London with his girlfriend Adar.

Amir and Amir were fighting alongside Tal Levy, Gali Shakotai, Ofir Melman, and Nahman Dekel, who were also killed.

You can learn more about Amir and Amit here.

.השם יקום דמם

so my mother got baptized last weekend without telling me before hand. she converted to judaism for her first marriage (not to my father). i did not get a religious upbringing as my father (not jewish) was anti religion they've gotten divorced i don't talk to him. i'm in a bat mitzvah class right now as i'm getting a late bat mitzvah likely when i'm 16, the ones i've been to so far always have parents doing things and i'm wondering if thats not possible now. sorry this is just a bit of a rant i've just been having some bad imposter syndrome this week because of all this.

Title sums it up pretty much. I'm not even Jewish but the antisemitism is starting to get annoying. Everything is blamed on the Jews: 9/11, Palestine, and anything else that's bad is blamed on the Jews. I don't even personally know any Jewish people in my life, but it truly annoys me to no end how mainstream antisemitism has become.

Some of my Christian friends are more accepting of Muslims than Jews because everything can be blamed on an Israeli false flag nowadays. 9/11? Clearly Mossad's work. Any terror attacks perpetrated by a certain religion? Clearly another Mossad false flag. I'm sick and tired of being surrounded by people who blame everything on the Jews. Trying to argue with these people is like trying to argue with a brick wall. I don't believe in cutting friends off but I don't think I want to interact with more people who spew such dishonesty so freely.

The disagreement centres on a passage describing October 7 in which Hadid and Matari argue that the attacks were legitimate as people under "colonial domination" have a "right to resist." Random House asked them to incorporate arguments that the attacks violated international law. Hadid and Matari refused and therefore withdrew their book.

The section on October 7 argued that international law authorized Palestinian resistance “by any means necessary”, saying the attacks came after “decades of ignored suffering and repression”.

When the authors received the revised version prior to publication, they noticed that Random House had added to the section: "These actions were a violation of international law."

The authors objected to a number of other changes including the removal of 'Jewish' as a descriptor in several places, as well as the removal of the term "Jewish gangs" for pre-state Zionist militias.

The authors became increasingly frustrated with Random House's proposals, at one point likening October 7 to a slave uprising. They then accused Random House of being too favourable to Jews over Palestinians.

So basically:
>>palestine protesters pay to go see a Jerry Seinfeld show just to yell at him
>>Jerry mocks the people disturbing his show and yelling at him by saying “I’m racist and support genocide” sarcastically
>>people on the internet think he’s being serious?

I hate this shit. It’s just so performative.

If you dislike Seinfeld, why are you paying probably over $150 dollars to go see him?

Also if they care about Palestine or Palestinians, why are they so obsessed with people who are utterly detached from the conflict? Seinfeld’s content isn’t political. He’s an open Zionist but he’s not a leading voice in the conflict. He’s just a guy who back in the 90s was in a very famous TV show.

It just seems like people are appropriating the conflict for their own stupid games and agendas.

My older one started at UCLA in 2023 and needless to say her freshman year was rough and she ultimately left. My younger one is at U Oregon. His first year was fine but this year is off to a rocky start for Jews on campus.

On their opening day, this is the decor they chose to put up for Halloween… I don’t even know what to say at this point. Part of me wants to believe it’s innocent but I know it’s not.

This a bit of a heavy topic, I am not sure if I should do Ancestry and identity tag or the religion one. I feel like I am struggling with my jewish identity.

I was born into a reform ashkenazi jewish family, I celebrated Hanukkah mostly. Vaguely Purim and Passover. Never really rosh hashana. I wasn't really taught the stories aside from those 3 holidays. We also didn't eat any ashkenazi dishes or do anything from our culture. Everytime I try to join my jewish peers in anything, I feel years upon years behind. I was never taught the things that come naturally to them, I can't sing the blessings, I speak very broken hebrew, and I barely understand the holidays. I feel their looks when I ask about something. I feel like I'm treated as a vistor or a guest in my own culture. I've tried joining a Hebrew School but it's too expensive, I don't have any money to give. I don't feel jewish at all next to my jewish peers.

When I try to join my non jewish peers, I am too jewish to fit in. I do not celebrate Christmas at all and I have no emotional attatchment to it. I celebrate Hanukkah, I want to play driedel. They always look at me with this sad look in their eyes when I say I dont celebrate christmas. It's deeply uncomfortable.

My mother didn't let me do a bar mitzvah because she didn't really believe in me being celebrated by anyone. As an adult, I understand it happens automatically but I would've liked to have the ceremony and been celebrated. To feel welcomed in the community as a full jewish person.

I try and cope by celebrating Purim and Hanukkah with my cat. We make hamen's hats together and I give her presents on Hanukkah. Lately I've been feeling too depressed to even do that anymore. I just don't want to make hamen's hat even though its my favorite tradition. I live too far from a synagogue or chabad to take part in anything. It's over 2 hours away by bus. Ive tried explaining it to them, but they say I can join the online stream. It feels so lonely to see everyone together, it feels like I am watching everyone have fun and I am not permitted to join in. It feels as though I am being left behind and not wanted.

I really want community. When I was a kid and my mother was explaining what it meant to be jewish, my mother always would tell me that "Jews need community. Its a big part of being jewish". But I was never allowed to be apart of it. I never got to attend a synagogue. Each year gets more and more lonely. I keep trying and telling myself that this rosh hashana, this purim, this hannukah, this passover, that it will be the last one I spend alone with my cat. It never is the last one.

I do not know how to navigate being jewish like this. I don't feel that I belong. This feeling keeps worsening even with therapy.

At least two dozen current Jewish members of the Canadian Armed Forces and veterans have been told that they are ineligible for compensation under a landmark class-action settlement at the Federal Court involving the Department of National Defence addressing 40 years of racial discrimination and harassment.

The Federal Court-ordered settlement provides eligible claimants with a $5,000 common-experience payment, plus up to $30,000 more depending on the severity of the discrimination. Other measures include restorative engagement and a personal apology from the Chief of the Defence Staff.

Since the portal opened on Oct. 15, 2025, Deloitte LLP, which administers the fund, has denied dozens of claims from Jewish applicants, The CJN has learned. The application deadline is Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026.

Many of the Jewish members who were rejected subsequently appealed, but were rejected a second time.

“Whoever’s assessing these things has decided to exclude all Jews and so it’s another case of Jews being excluded from Canada once again,” said one Jewish military member, whose identity The CJN agreed to keep anonymous to avoid career repercussions.

Rejections spanned different ranks, service levels and gender, The CJN was told by people familiar with the claims process.

“If my case was denied, but other Jewish cases were accepted, fine,” said another rejected Canadian Armed Forces Jewish member, who also asked that their name be withheld. “The fact that as a group we are being denied is outrageous and that needs to be addressed at the highest level.”

The CJN reviewed at least three identical rejection letters, the applications that preceded them and viewed subsequent requests for reconsideration, with identical negative replies.

“The narrow application, in and of itself, is discriminatory. It’s just a very narrow application of ‘What does race mean?’ It’s wrong. And if I don’t stand up, it’s not just other Jewish people, it’s other people hurt,” a Jewish rejected member told The CJN. “The Canadian Forces can do better than this.”

The Jewish rejected claimants are considering taking legal action this week with the Federal Court to intervene in the class action case, sources told The CJN.

I found this interesting so I thought I'd share.

For historical context, this was just 15 years after the Vatican was forced to stop locking the Jews of Rome into a ghetto, which had been the practice for over 300 years.

11 Years after this article, they would begin demolishing the ghetto.

47 years after it, Mussolini took power.

How do we create a home where our children can feel safe, loved, and supported when the world around them feels uncertain?

In Parshat Noach, the story of Noah and his family offers an unexpected perspective on family life. The meanings associated with the names of Noah, Naamah, and their three sons point to five qualities that can help us build a home where people can grow and flourish.

What kind of atmosphere are we creating for our families? Watch now https://youtu.be/jkEGarbJXAo?si=Pcnj7N-HpPcs9FfL

Hi everyone!

So I figured this would be the best place to come to to ask this question because I have... no one else to ask!

My best friend is Jewish by birth/religion and is inviting me to celebrate Hanukkah with her and her husband! I'm extremely excited to do so but I sort of... have no clue what I'm going into. I was born and raised Roman Catholic and I've been learning things has she has taught me but I would really like to... do it right? I guess?

I'm just not sure if I should be cooking something like Latkes? Should I bring gifts? Are there things I should not do?

She would never judge me as I'm learning but I'd like to have some knowledge from people who know better then me!

Hey family :)

I have been a major fan of Zac Bryan and he just announced a new album and tour and I have found my heart isn't in it anymore. I don't especially feel like spending money to support this guy after he came out to support racist disgusting antizionist Macklemore. His music doesn't give me the same feeling. I am just so dissapointed.

Looking for some reccomendations for beautiful music (rock, country, pop - anything) that I can fall in love with and support, and who we know are a safe place?

Also I'm interested on how you are coping with these betrayals by the musicians and poets whose art has carried you through eras of your life? I want to be able to seraprate the art frrom the artist, but also its hard to do that naturally when I have lost respect for these ignorant, racist idiots. All I can think of, is to go deeper in support of Jewish and allied artists, and thus this post :)

Toda x

Just curious, personally I think id try to memorize some more advanced metalworking techniques from the medieval era, nothing so advanced it cant be replicated but enough that it can give Bar Kochba the fighting edge required

My spouse is an Israeli Jew. We've had kinship care of my nephew since he was born. He was raised with our kids as a patrilineal Jew in a Reform Synagogue. He had a bar mitzvah. He formally converted. He loves it all. We're considering adopting him as we have not heard from my sister in almost ten years. Our lawyer asked if there's any benefit in regard to Judaism. It's our understanding that it would have no impact, other than potentially conferring citizenship, which he doesn't need unless he chooses to move there, which he already can as a Jew. Thoughts?

I know this is a big and sometimes controversial subject, but it's something that's genuinely been bothering me lately. I was raised Jewish my entire life, and it's all I've ever known. My mom converted before I was born, so I understand that my situation is viewed differently under traditional Jewish law.

I'll admit that I'm not the most religious person, but I genuinely believe in our religion and have always had a strong connection to our culture. Being Jewish has always been part of my identity, and I've never really questioned whether I belonged until recently.

Honestly, I never thought about this much before going on my Birthright trip to Israel. While I was there, a drunk Israeli man was going around a shuk blessing people. He asked me which side of my family was Jewish, and when I told him my father, he responded, "So you're not Jewish." He then walked away without blessing either me or another girl in our group who also had a Jewish father, while he continued blessing our other friends.

It might sound like a small thing, but it genuinely hurt. I was in Israel, surrounded by other Jews, and suddenly I was being made to feel like I didn't belong. At the same time, I want to be clear that this wasn't my overall experience in Israel. I felt incredibly welcomed by the Israelis in our group and many other people I met. I'd tell them how beautiful their country was, and they would respond, "It's your country too." Those moments meant a lot to me and made me feel connected to Israel in a way that I have never felt in the US. That's part of why the other interaction stuck with me so much.

I even look pretty Israeli, probably thanks to the strong Romanian genes on my father's side, which made the interaction feel even more surreal. Since that trip, I've found myself thinking about this a lot more than I ever did before.

I hope to marry a Jewish woman someday and raise a Jewish family. Part of that hope comes from wanting my future kids to have a strong sense of belonging and not have to wrestle with the same feelings I do.

For those of you in a similar situation, have you experienced anything like this?

I know this is “old” news and I don’t mean to beat a dead horse but I had a thought yesterday and felt prompted to share. I’ve been a big fan for about 15 years and have attended three of his tours.

If you’re not an active fan of Ed’s you may not know that he is kind of famously not someone who spends a lot of time online. He’s a very private person and works very hard to keep his wife and family out of the spotlight. He’s doesn’t have a traditional cell phone (if one at all) and does all of his online things on his iPad. He even joked about how he learned of Taylor Swift’s engagement via his iPad while sitting on the beach. He does have posts on his social media but I imagine the vast majority of that is handled by an assistant or manager.

All of that said, I wonder if him not being online is a key factor in his more “neutral” stance. We know that the Pro-Palestine movement is trendy and misinformation spreads like wildfire through social media. He hasn’t had this particular agenda shoved down his throat in the way that so many others have. He could very well agree with it and until he says anything very clear, we don’t really know for sure but it definitely hasn’t been ignited in him the way it has for other celebrities.

I’m curious if anyone else has had similar thoughts.

I'm struggling to find appropriate dresses for my daughter to wear to the many Mitzvot events on her calendar this year.

We are Conservative but her Jewish Day School is MoDox and goes w the MoDox standard for things in and out of school if social events for the kids.

All the dresses in stores (and even ones that called themselves specialty formalwear stores carrying bat mitzvah dresses) is full of form-fitting strapless mini dresses. It's difficult to find anything with even a short sleeve. And certainly, I'm not seeing anything that goes to the knee.

On the other side of the spectrum, on the super modest dress specialty sites, I have only seen all grey, black or brown voluminous things that literally could be straight out of Little House on the Prairie and could have been perfectly fine in the 1800's just as they are sold today.

What am I missing here? I'd like to find dresses that go at least to the knees, and have sleeves for my 11.5 year old, but that also don't look like they were sewn from an old flour sack on the frontier.

Can anyone name some stores that sell modern eveningwear that is modest enough in sizes for teens, but not so far on the other side of the spectrum that it feels like I'm shrouding her in a burka or sending her out to settle the American West on a wagon?

We live about 45min-1hr outside NYC. And while there are plenty of store that "cater to Mitzvah dresses" they don't have anything that she can even try on that would be appropriate in any of those stores. Many thanks in advance.