It absolutely varies, I agree, and I know you are right about the handshaking because many believe that you don’t decline one because that would embarrass a person which is wrong. I’ve also known some who will for professional reasons; a Rabbi told me that it’s alright in a professional setting because they view her…

That’s such a wonderful story. I still remember when I was a little kid and heard about the Orthodox, including men never touching women and the weird rumors (like the...the sheet nonsense, I think a lot of us heard that) and my older cousin is Orthodox so when we visited him in NY I was loaded with questions. We were…

She was ecstatic and gave a sermon where she talked about how grateful she was and she said the lunch after was as supportive as she could imagine. Their synagogue Sisterhood threw an engagement party for them. So yes, despite the initial disappointment she knows how lucky she is.

I’m west coast conservative (which is ironic given it’s such a liberal group) and even that may work for you should you ever need a Plan B. I appreciate you saying that, I had a point where I studied different faiths to really figure what was right for me and (after my brief JewBu phase) I determined for me it was…

Not believing in G-d isn’t a dealbreaker. Judaism is all about asking questions, which is why it’s not surprising there are many Jews who question if G-d exists or who are atheists or more naturalist or humanist (we even formed a branch, Reconstructionist, which takes a different approach to G-d).

Exactly, we don’t have hell, so our our worst case scenario is not that bad. Despite it’s inclusion in a Santa song, being good for goodness sake is the most Jewish of principles. The afterlife isn’t the reason to be good, life itself is. It’s great that you do a seder with family many years, that is what’s important,…

I’m a non-atheist Jew (deist? theist?) and I see no contradiction in you seeing no contradiction. One of the things I love about Judaism is that while Judaism does teach that there is a G-d with the teachings and the rules and the prayers, that part isn’t really what makes you a good Jew. You don’t believe in G-d, but…

She’s so funny, she was a little let down there wasn’t more of a fight. She’s so used to it because she got her Hillel house in college to support LGBT issues and groups and was the first female whatever position she was (I think president but that may just be because in my mind she’s in charge of anything she’s a…

I am, actually I visited there a few years ago with family who’s in (near, not actually in) the area; the former Rabbi was still there. The place is nice; when I visit NY I like going to different shuls, though I generally favor older ones, but I think that’s the architecture fan in me more than anything.

I’ve generally seen the community call them out, and rightfully so. Ultra orthodox have a smaller and smaller reach, he’ll even one of the local orthodox Rabbis where I am supports gay marriage. Granted they are modern othodox, but still, a huge step in the right direction

Modern Orthodox men will shake hands with women and everything!

First, may your grandfather’s name be for a blessing, because second, that is great of him. The shul I grew up in had one of the first female presidents in conservative Judaism and I know that was divisive (though surprisingly it wasn’t when they joined PFLAG) and some old men grumbled, but now I look around and the…

My cousin had been at her conservative shul for about five years when she joined the board. When she was later nominated for president she was meeting with the Rabbi and then-President (very old, very old-fashioned) and asked them if they thought her being a lesbian would be a problem for any of older members,…

Well a lot of us don’t want to think about the ultra-Orthadox, our version of the great-uncle who still believes and says out of date, offensive things. Such a shanda.

Well well now, sounds like someone has family who made it to Park Slope

Except those aren’t the only two options. Judaism doesn’t believe it is all the word handed down; we believe in interpretation and parsing the language to find real meaning because these are books written by men. And it can mean different things to different people because there are multiple interpretations.

I am a mature, respectable adult, I have a retirement, heck I’m wearing a suit right now. Yet I will never not laugh at the Orson Wells’ Rosebud Frozen Peas line. “Full of country goodness and green pea-ness.” I just watched it trying to embed it, and then immediately reached it five times. Sometimes I’m still ten.

I made that joke to my wife when we were planning our wedding, and from behind us my mom chimed in with “it’s what we call a hussy white.”

I don’t think a week goes by where I don’t have cause to use the line, “well then, this would be more, wouldn’t it?”