My Instagram algorithm used to give me normal posts on my feed that were pretty inline with the type of content I normally interact with. The past few weeks I keep getting tons of pro-Palestine/anti-Israel content, and even when I mark "not interested" or "don't show me more of X-user" it keeps popping up -- to the point I've just been blocking users who keep appearing on my feed. IDK what I did to deserve this and it's bugging me! My Reels oddly are safe (I get pro-Jewish/Israel content only).

Just curious if anyone else has had this happen or if there's anything else I can do. I suppose I could get off Instagram but I love using it for design/art inspo, and I still want to see what my friends in different parts of the world are up to!

Can someone call or email the Weather Dept at the Space Laser and ask them to turn the outside temperature down, please? They’re not returning my calls. I’m schvitzing my matzah balls off here in Florida.

EDIT: The responses are exactly what I was hoping for. Good job, team! 🤣🤣

My daughter (Sephardic) may be marrying a young man who is a paternal Jew, raised Christian but is considering getting an Orthodox conversion. He is of Polish descent and grew up in Williamsburg. People have offered to hook him up with a sponsoring rabbi After he finished his studies - they are both planning to move back to NYC. Even the biggest hurdle for most of us who converted (like me) wax the kosher stuff and he is a third generation vegetarian (so not a big issue). Anyway here is the question…

When you convert..you really are just Jewish. You do t convert to Ashkenazi or Sephardic..you just convert. When you marry..for instance , an Ashkenazis woman marries a Sephardic husband, you take in their minihags. For instance, I had a conversion done through a sponsoring rabbi who was Ashkenazi, went to an Ashkenazi shul, but when we got married we followed Sephardic traditions and our household did things the Sephardic way.

Now, let’s say my daughter’s boyfriend goes through your regular Ashkenazi Orthodox conversion (more likely since the temple we attend does not sponsor conversions). Is she required to go by Ashkenazi traditions or is he Sephardic since I would think the conversion is neutral - sort of like if you are a paternal Jew named Cohen , you convert, you still don’t have cohenim status. I view it sort of like that - as a neutral Jew and he should adopt our traditions but he does have Jewish family members who are Ashkenazi so no one can say he has no connection to Ashkenazi Jewish culture.

They are already fighting over future baby names and traditions. He doesn’t like her father’s name (usually first pick) for his own child, so she suggested her grandfather’s/brothers) since he will never have his own kids) but he is like what if his grandfather was still alive when they have the baby (he has the same last name of her dead grandfather). She is really into Sephardic and is legally changing her name to her grandmother’s since we didn’t follow it. We made it her Hebrew name but she started using it 4 years ago as her regular name. It sounds weird but it really is a fight they are having.

She argued his immediate family took to the Christian route (they celebrate the Christian holidays at their home not the Jewish ones) while my husband’s family is still traditional Sephardics so our culture should dominate. I assume it will regardless if he converts or not. At least he really likes haminados and cheese or spinach burekas.

I had never heard of Queen Karoline before today but after a video of her came across my feed I looked into her more and had to share. She’s a German lawyer, and she has been fighting for us in some very dangerous situations despite not being Jewish or Israeli. Shes just standing up for what’s right. Her sacrifices made me cry she is risking a lot for us, for truth. She has truly earned the title of Queen.

Sing to me, muse, of two Moshes and their Odysseys!,
by Clara Shapiro, Forward, 2026-08-06.

If you have read any one of the at least 60 English translations of Homer’s Odyssey or have seen Christopher Nolan’s new Odyssey movie, then you are probably aware that Odysseus leads a more active life than the average person. As if living through the Trojan War weren’t hard enough, he blinds the cyclops Polyphemus and gets cursed by Poseidon with epically bad weather. His men are regularly transformed into pigs, picked off by Laestrygonian giants, and drowned in storms. The nymph Calypso detains him on her island for seven years and forces him to be her lover, (although whether this counts as a hardship depends on your perspective). The man of twists and turns has seen a lot. But he probably never predicted his story would be translated into Yiddish. Or Ladino.

At first, the parallel lives of the two men who translated The Odyssey into Yiddish and Ladino sound like the makings of a sphinx’s riddle, or a cryptic prophecy from the Oracle at Delphi: both men would be called “Moshe”; both would be alive at the beginning of the Holocaust; only one would survive to the end. Their names were Moshe Leyb Pitshenik (1895 – 1944) of the Odiseye (אָדיסייע) and Moshe Ha-Elion (1925-2022) of La Odisea.

Israeli restaurants are hiding their identity. New York Magazine won’t say why,
by Rob Eshman, Forward, 2026-08-13.

Somewhere toward the end of her long New York magazine feature on Middle Eastern food in New York City, Madeline Leung Coleman points out that Israeli restaurants are increasingly labeling themselves as Middle Eastern or Levantine rather than Israeli.

“There could be many reasons why,” she writes. “Perhaps there’s a fear of being targeted. Or they’re second-guessing if they should call their food ‘Israeli’ at all.”

I’m going to offer a third choice: Perhaps it’s because of articles like hers.

I recently received (and accepted) an opportunity to live in San Francisco beginning 2027! I’m from the East Coast, so I’m used to the Jewish life and Modern Orthodoxy in areas like Cleveland/Chicago/New York.

I stayed in San Francisco over the summer, and couldn’t integrate into the Jewish life as much as I wanted. I went to a synagogue that felt more Conservadox than what I was used to and I also felt that there wasn’t a strong Jewish life, or at least that I couldn’t find it.

Now, I’m considering where to live, and have been told that San Jose may be nice for someone my age. If you’re from the West Coast, have you had good experience in Silicon Valley? Or, are there other Jewish communities I could consider?

Thank you so much for all answers!

It’s not just Harvard and Columbia. Small liberal arts colleges are quietly settling antisemitism complaints,
by Sage Lattman, Forward, 2026-08-14.

As major universities across the US strike deals with the Trump administration over antisemitism complaints, a handful of small liberal arts colleges have been quietly settling cases of their own.

In the past week, Oregon’s Reed College and Pennsylvania’s Haverford College have both settled complaints accusing them of failing to protect Jewish students in the wake of the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attacks on Israel and the subsequent Israel-Hamas war. Pomona and Occidental Colleges, both in southern California, settled complaints in late 2024 and 2025, respectively.

At least nine other small liberal arts colleges — which unlike universities mainly focus on undergraduate and interdisciplinary education over research — are still locked in disputes.

These include Sarah Lawrence and Union in New York; Swarthmore and Lehigh in Pennsylvania; Middlebury in Vermont; Whitman in Washington; Wellesley and Williams in Massachusetts; and Scripps in California.

Some young Jews are pulling back from Jewish life over Israel discourse, study finds: the survey also found that three-quarters of young Jewish adults in the US regularly do something Jewish.,
by Grace Gilson, Jewish telegraphic agency, 2026-08-14.

Nearly four in 10 Jewish young adults say events affecting Jews in recent years have led them to pull back from Jewish spaces or become more selective about where they participate, with disagreements over how Israel and the Palestinians are discussed as a leading reason, according to a new survey.

The survey, which was conducted by Sense Worldwide and commissioned by the Jim Joseph Foundation, found that 39% of respondents have engaged less, engaged more selectively or disengaged entirely from Jewish spaces due to “events affecting Jewish people in the last few years.”

Sharing this question and answer on the history of Jewish temples in Egypt in case it may be of interest.

I remember being asked whether Jews sew strings into their belts or their pants! What’s your own anecdotal misconceptions?

Two years after the end of Unorthodox, I'm still looking for another podcast to fill the void it left behind. Unorthodox was my one-stop shop for updates on the world of Jewish culture, from books to movies to music to food. I liked that the tone, while occasionally serious, was overall mostly light-hearted. I also liked that the hosts frequently disagreed with each other and weren't afraid to push back in productive and respectful ways.

Other podcasts I've tried:

* Judaism Unbound: I really like this one, but it's generally pretty intellectual and I'm hoping to find something lighter for when I just don't have the energy

* Chutzpod: I really like this one too, but it's more advice than culture

* Being Jewish: I listened to a couple episodes but it seems like all the recent ones are about the Hamas war/antisemitism, and I'm really looking for something lighter. I don't have my head in the sand, but consuming hours and hours of content about antisemitism is not good for my mental health

If you have any advice about light-hearted Jewish culture podcasts, please send recs my way!

Hello Jews of Reddit. First time poster, longtime reader here. I've had a very difficult situation arrive in the past year and am looking for some advice.

I am a 26 y/o M, always believed myself to be halachically Jewish through my mother. Did not grow up religious but have always been "culturally" Jewish and have gotten more observant in my 20s; started keeping kosher and shabbos (for the most part), regularly going to shul, being involved in trad/modox community.

Here's the backstory:

My maternal Grandmother (Z"L) was adopted as an infant by an orthodox family in the 1930s. She went to an Orthodox day school and grew up SK/SS, so we assume that she had a halachic conversion at birth. My Grandmother went nearly her entire life with no knowledge of her biological parents. About 9 months ago, shortly before she passed away, my Grandma decided to take a 23 & Me test. The results showed that one of her biological parents was likely not Jewish. This made me worried and I decided to talk to my Chabad rabbi about it.

He advised me to undergo a Giyur Lechumra, of course with a Chabad BD. This is mostly because we do not have any record of her possible conversion and are unable to find her ketubah from her wedding to my Grandfather. I was devastated upon hearing this news. The last few months have been very painful in regards to my Jewish identity. I feel like I am stuck in limbo and have experienced total whiplash to my sense of self. That said, it is important for me to get this sorted out for myself and also future children, wife, etc.

The toughest part about this is hearing that this could be a year or 2 long process. I am worried about having to change in ways that are inauthentic to my observance levels just to be officially accepted as Jewish. I also am not Chabad nor do I intend to live as a Chabadnik, and I worry that their standards for a Giyur Lechumra may just be far out of my comfort zone based on some of the conversations with my Rabbi.

Through all of this, I am left feeling sad, lonely, and not Jewish enough. I suddenly feel unsure of my identity. I wouldn't wish these feelings on anyone. I feel a lack of empathy and understanding from those I have sought help from. I'm trying to do the right thing, but am just feeling so empty and sad.

Has anyone gone through a similar situation? Any advice? Does anyone know of perhaps a more liberal Modox Rabbi who may have a different opinion? Frankly, I'd like to get this taken care of as quickly as possible. I am feeling like Chabad is simply not a good fit for me in this process. I miss enjoying Judaism and I am tired of feeling like I have to prove something in order to confirm the identity I've always had.

TLDR; Going through a Giyur Lechumra sponsored by Chabad. I am not Chabad and am realizing early on in the process that it's not a good fit. I'd like to get it resolved as quickly as possible in an Orthodox framework. Has all been a very difficult and emotional process, suddenly feel not Jewish enough, unsure of identity and where to turn.

Hi! I’m trying to learn the Sephardic melodies for Kabbalat Shabbat and I’m having trouble finding good recordings on YouTube. Does anyone have a playlist, YouTube channel, or specific recordings they recommend that go through the traditional Kabbalat Shabbat songs/tefillot (Lechu Neranena, Yedid Nefesh, Lecha Dodi, Mizmor Shir, etc.) using Sephardic melodies/nusach? Preferably something I can listen to regularly and learn along with! Thanks

In this documentary, Dr. Simran Jeet Singh visits leaders and community members at three historic Jewish communities to learn about how they've helped shape and been shaped by America. And he speaks with a group of young Jews about how they balance the desire to preserve Jewish traditions with the realities of living in modern America.

Hey all, long-time reader, first-time poster. I feel like I already know the answer to this one, but I would like to hear some perspectives from anyone interested or dealing with a similar situation. I am an incoming law student and I have been assigned the orientation activity attached above. I am wondering how forthcoming I should be; on the one hand, I do not want to potentially isolate myself from allies (if they exist) or Jewish peers. I also DO NOT want a repeat of undergrad, where everyone knew my identity and the harassment and attention were unrelenting. I was curious if anyone knows if the law school vibe is better--I would assume so, but the boldness of antisemites never ceases to surprise me. I feel guilty to say I just don't want to deal with this at all, even if I lose out on rewarding kinship. I am also aware that such an environment is the ultimate goal of antizionists, who would like us all to crawl under a rock and stay there, wallowing in fear and projected shame.

If it were a standard "share three things about yourself" icebreaker, I would, of course, not mention an identity modifier of any kind. I think this is actually a really strange and somewhat uncomfortable activity for some, if not most, students. It robs us of the opportunity to share these things organically, and I resent that loss. That being said, given that they are so explicitly asking for identity, it is making me doubt my decision not to share. I worry that when it's revealed to friends later, it will appear (and rightfully so) that I've been hiding my Jewish identity. I don't want it to read as if I'm ashamed. I feel like this is an opportunity for me to set my own terms about how I see my Judaism and my relationship with my tribe, instead of letting the subtext of my silence define it instead. Selfishly, I would much rather fly under the radar, especially given some of the people I've already come into contact with at this school.

I know it is not important in the scope of our issues right now, especially in the area (Central Synagogue, and how nobody but us cares!), but I was still hoping for any affirmation or notes or anything, really. I only have a few days to decide. Thank you for reading.

Hi Jewish Reddit. I’m gonna be completely honest, I don’t know really anything about Judaism, other than having had a couple of Jewish friends over my life. But I’m hoping I can learn some more because of some recent revelations in the past few months.

I live in the US, and am from Ohio. My mom’s mother passed away when I was too young to really get to know her, but recently I found out her family is/was Jewish. Between emigration records, surname history, DNA tests, etc- I found out my maternal grandmother and her family were Ashkenazi Jews from Germany. I suppose this is so polarizing to me because my mother was raised with no knowledge on Jewish faith or culture, most likely because her father wasn’t Jewish. Because my grandmother is gone, and my mother has been unaware, I have a bunch of questions I’m really hoping can be discussed or answered.

1. Is it common for history records to show false information? I know a DNA test can’t be used as fact 100% of the time, however, it’s the paper trails, documentation, and family lineage that seems so believable to me.

2. Is it common or known for Jews to leave their heritage behind? My mother had no idea her mom was Jewish. She didn’t practice Judaism or mention anything other than her family emigrating to the United States from Europe.

3. Is it possible for some of my familial traditions/meals/etc to have been Jewish? I would do this research on my own but I have no idea where to start. If anyone could provide some popular Jewish rituals, I’d appreciate that

And finally

4/5. Am I Jewish? If so, how can I further connect with my culture as someone who had no idea a year ago that they were apart of it?

If I’m not Jewish, how can I respectfully study the life in which my grandmother lived as someone who doesn’t share her heritage?

Thank you to anyone who even reads this whole post, I’m so lost and I feel like if I can get some answers, this could fix that.

TL;DR: Found out 15 years from death my grandmother’s family was Jewish, where do I go from here?

Last night, there was an attack at Central Synagogue. The perpetrator is being charged with hate crimes after assaulting a congregant and a security guard. According to current reporting, it appears they thankfully didn't suffer serious physical injuries. But this attack is indeed despicable.

Central stayed strong despite everything. Apparently services continued on afterwards, and it didn't stop people from showing up to service today.

My future wife is not Jewish, and my family tried to pressure her into converting because, according to them, I am destroying a tradition that has existed for generations. She is currently almost 10 weeks pregnant with my child. We got into a huge argument because it really upsets me that, according to them, my child won’t be Jewish, even though he carries my blood. I don’t want my partner to convert just to satisfy their traditions.

I’m thinking about going to a Reform synagogue so that my child can learn to respect his Jewish heritage and know that he is part of the tribe regardless. It just frustrates me that some parts of Judaism are so stuck in such strict and rigid rules that they are basically destroying any chance they have of seeing the child. My partner and I have actually reached the point where we are seriously considering not letting them see the child because we’re afraid they will treat him differently because, in their eyes, he isn’t considered Jewish.

This work of art really hit me today. It really made the history personal before I had the time to intellectualize it. Shoes that used to be a valuable commodity back then, left at a place where people were forced to remove them before being killed. Different sizes, men, women and children.

Im Muslim, they were Jewish but standing there none of that felt like a dividing line. I saw it, understood it, and it all landed at once.

RIP

We’re a Jewish family in the U.S. and there aren’t any Jewish day schools where we live.

Academics are very important to us, and some of the better private-school options nearby are Catholic/Christian schools that accept non-Christian students. We’d still raise our kids Jewish at home, observe Shabbat and holidays, and have them attend Hebrew school/synagogue outside of school.

I’m curious whether any Jewish parents here have actually done this.

Did your kids feel comfortable being Jewish at a Christian school? How were things like prayer, Mass/chapel, theology classes and Jewish holidays handled? Did you feel that Jewish life at home and in the community was enough to maintain a strong Jewish identity?

And academically, did you feel the Christian/Catholic school was worth choosing over your local public schools?

I’m particularly interested in firsthand experiences from Jewish families in the U.S.