for the past few years i've been working on a project to map stolpersteine across europe.

they're small brass memorial stones placed in sidewalks, usually outside the last freely chosen homes of people persecuted by the nazis.

we started with around 20,000 stones in our database back in 2023, and have since managed to grow that to over 108,000.

it's pretty incredible seeing just how widespread these stones are when you put them all together on a map.

you can explore the interactive version here: https://stolpersteine.app

still really cool to me that something i started working on in college has grown into this!

Please don't tell me "I told you so" or to get divorced. I just am looking for maybe other interfaith couples who have gone through this and what you have done.

I, a gay man (maybe relevant because we're not having children) in my 30s, married my husband, also in his 30s, about 7 years ago. We've been together about 15 years. My observance to Judaism has waxed and waned but I have always been open about being Jewish. My husband has been a great support - when I have found Jewish community, he has come along, met my Jewish friends, participated in Jewish life events. I'm ashkenazi and big on the culture, so he learned a bit of yiddish. When we got married, we had a rabbi officiate, which required a year of counseling, and he did everything. I really mean it. Sat through the entire Yom Kippur service, did Shabbat, learned some Jewish terms. He knows how important it is to me so he respects it.

I am looking for a new Jewish community that aligns closer to our ideals (mostly not catered to retirees and people with children) and I am realizing that while my husband will come with me, it doesn't mean anything to him. It has no substance. It's just ritual without the background.

It makes me really sad. It makes me almost regret marrying a non-Jew. I can ask him to go to Erev Shabbat but it would be doing me a favor and have no relevance to him. I don't want to interrupt his Friday night to do me a favor, you know? My hope was when we got married we could create a meaningful Jewish life of our own - that my husband would create his own meaning to ritual perhaps outside of the religious aspect - but it kind of fell apart when our prior Jewish community dissolved in 2020.

Has anyone in an interfaith relationship struggled with this? How did you bring your partner along in a way that was engaging for them? How did you manage to feel less lonely in your faith and observance in an interfaith relationship?

Wtf is the world coming to. I was out and about (wearing a kippah) with my fiancee after leaving a symphony and some guy in the street outside spit on me.

Disgusting, and it is repulsive that people feel comfortable enough to SPIT at someone in public

Shabbat Shalom!

I am Jewish but only post divorce as an adult began really doing “Jewish things.” I attend temple 1-2x a month. Rarely observe Sabbath. I take note of Jewish holidays but my job prevents me from formally observing many of them. I say a quick personal prayer each morning.

I have all the Shabbat stuff but felt it would be slightly silly to light candles without actually doing sabbath (and I work most Saturdays). Does anyone light them even without observing? Do you blow the candles out or let them burn down each Friday even if you keep your phone on and do productive things? Of course the temple services I attend are Friday nights so they always light the candles there.

I’ve sought out some Jewish food. But I’d like to find other ways to connect. I do read books and am finishing one up and will start another after. I’m looking into the online study thing. And I’ve met with the Jewish federation people. I’m in a smaller city so connecting with others is a challenge. I’d like some simple ways to connect here and there and I’m open to suggestions. Perhaps things that I can build into my life without too much friction.

It is also a library book 😭🤣

The book is The Torah For Dummies

Edit: hè actually bit my book and created a hole

We are in scary times, and this prayer has been coming to my mind often. Original twist on a more classic rendition

I’ve heard some Jews say that Gentiles aren’t supposed to study Torah. In the Talmud (Sanhedrin) it states this. Maimonides also held this stance. So are Christians transgressing Judaism by studying the “Old Testament”? I know the “Old Testament” is a bit different, but closely related.

So the moon became the lesser luminary because she wouldn’t share a crown so to speak with the sun. How does this all play into the shekhinah and is Elohim female or dual gender?

There’s no Jews (except for my family) where I live. I want to introduce my friends to different Jewish foods (they want this too and want to learn more). I have an insanely good Hamentachen and Mandelbrot recipe I made for them and they loved it. Because we are the only Jews where I live my family never made much ‘Jewish’ food because either ingredients were hard to find or we would have been made fun of for our school lunches and stuff, so I don’t have many recipes. I want to introduce them to foods though and less baked goods. I was going to do Matzo ball soup, but it’s impossible to find schmaltz where I live so I’m holding off on that. If anyone has any ideas of good food (even better if you have a recipe) I should make for them. It doesn’t need to be Ashkenazi like it has been so far, and baked goods ideas are also very welcomed, the more food the better! Thank you

Edit: I’m also trying to find food that won’t scare them away too much, like gefilte fish and the meat jelly thing. I want them to have as ‘good’ of an experience as possible since outside of having me as a friend this is the only time they will really experience or see anything Jewish that’s not crazy antisemitic bs we see in our town and online

Please tell me what you think about. Heavy Shabbat drinking by changes rabbis and shul communities at Shuls at Shana’s brochas and luncheons

(Not super religious, I consider myself faithful to god though. I wear pants, I’m regular/ traditional) I don’t know why I have always been this way. I am from a sephardic Jewish community on east coast United States. Everyone my age, or even younger, are getting married, have been married, have one kid or two etc. I have this insane OCD when it comes to the idea of parenting/ pregnancy. It’s gotten worse as I got older. I really don’t see any possible way I’d ever change my mind when it comes to having a family. It’s not that I reject the idea of a family, but a rejection/ aversion of the idea of this kind of lifestyle (FOR MYSELF, GO PARENTS! We need you) I hated school, I never did well. I didn’t go on to college. I would say my parents had a difficult time with me, I have 3 siblings that are older than me, every kid has their issue, mine was making friends and scholastics. I have very loving parents, I am almost 26 and they let me live in their house. They are dying for me to date and get married. We have had our fights, for sure. But I have this sick twisted OCD aversion towards ^^ and I never ever spoke about it with them. They think I am a lesbian, more than once they’ve asked me. My plan is, of course I want to live on my own, even have a roommate. I want to be independent. Everything is a nightmare expense out there. I really just need to drop the ball and tell them I don’t want to have any kids. I don’t mind the idea of a compatible partner. B’H one day I get a husband that won’t expect me to have kids/ make me. I know, this might seem like a silly issue, people have larger problems than this, but it affects me every day. Ill say that my problem is more of a SPECIFIC problem. I really just want my own money and no fears of having to go through such pain in the body (I have past emergency room visit experiences) and raising children, bc, after all, as the saying goes, children don’t owe their parents anything and nothing should be transactional. I have no social life. I really hate all of my friends and I am avoiding them even if they text, bc I really have nothing in common w/ them anymore. One of them totally travels without me, never invites me. I am not a bad friend. I am very generous and I always drive and give gifts on the appropriate occasion. I feel so alone, I have no one to talk to about this. I’ve gotten a therapist in the past, she told me I just have to be honest with my parents. I have issues sticking up for myself bc I live in their home. Did I mention I work in the family business on top of this??! I want to get an evening job part time to make extra money and won’t have to go straight home to them after. I just feel like there is something wrong with me, why do I have this OCD as a member of my community? Why did god make me this way? Why is my taste different than my friends/ community? In more ways than I even mentioned. I wish I can date men, even not date men, just enjoy LIFE without this OCD. I am deeply depressed. I burst into tears every day.

Title basically explains it - what would be the kosher thing to do if you got bit by a zombie?

hi! I want to learn more about Judaism… and I hope I don’t get bashed for this but I have heard about a Noahide conference in November- as a Christian, will I be killed for my beliefs ?? I’ve had many sleepless nights and I’m very frightened. thank you!

Like I don’t get why saying we run the media or run the banks is supposed to dehumanise us, that literally makes us look cool. Jews might be the only people to have “positive” stereotypes that are supposed to be negative.

Are those little fringes running down the sides of my tallis necessary? Not the tzitzis on the corners, the dumb little knots. They keep getting caught on my buttons and it drives me crazy. I have an atarah so I know which way is top. Can I just chop them off?

I was reading about the concept of Tzimtzum, and apparently G-d contracted to create the universe. If anyone here has ever worked with a contractor, it's no surprise the world needs so many repairs! XD