All Questions Answered by
Rabbi Joel Abraham (Emeritus)

Question: Many good initiatives - like phone-free driving or diets or teen celibacy - are based on the premise of making a pledge. What does Judaism say about these types of promises and pledges, and are there "religious" implications if you breach your pledge?
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Question: Can you give me some pointers for "Jewishly guiding" my kids through the morass of pop culture - reality TV, snarky videos - that seems to delight in embarassing people? I don't want to sound like "a mom"....but if I could sound like a spiritual leader, it might go over better....
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Question: Can you explain what is written in these new (Orthodox and other) marriage “prenups” that more and more young religious people seem to be signing? Is this in line with Jewish law? Is it appropriate to contemplate the end of the marriage before it even begins in Jewish thought?
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Question: Mark Zuckerberg, CEO and founder of Facebook, made a very public $100 million donation to the Newark, N.J., school system. What would the rabbis say about making such a notable gift? Can it be seen as a way to entice other philanthropists to follow in his footsteps? Should donations be made publicly, or is this counter to Jewish values?
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Question: I dislike my job & want to quit. I'd like to do it in a time frame that works for me, but I'd also like to do it in a way that's not offensive to my employers & allows them ample time to find a replacement. What's the best way - & the Jewish way - to address a touchy situation like this?
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Question: If a baby is buried before a bris milah (circumcision) or naming is he considered Jewish? Can he have a Jewish name?
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Question: At MD Anderson (hospital) our son had visitations by a rabbi, but also by a Catholic priest (chaplain) who prayed with him. What is the Jewish view of this when there is a rabbi available?
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Question: Are you bound to make amends to a wronged person, who does not know that you wronged them, directly to that individual or with G-d only?
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Question: What is the Jewish view on organ transplants?
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Question: What is the Jewish view on abortion? If abortion is not allowed, what if the baby was conceived out of wedlock?
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Posted on 12/31/2019 by Marcia Goldlist in Beliefs and Practices
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A Halachic View of ‘Freedom of Religion’

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Why You Should Know the Name of Beatie Deutsch

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I Haven’t Owned A TV Since 2001

Posted on 12/19/2019 by Rivkah Lambert Adler in Beliefs and Practices
When I go back to the US for a visit, I am overwhelmed by the ubiquitousness of television in public spaces. I hear it...

When Anti-Semitism Is Inconvenient

Posted on 12/15/2019 by Moshe Daniel Levine in Beliefs and Practices
So it turns out that non-white supremacist anti-Semitism could be deadly in America. Who would have thought? It...

Wright Brothers Day

Posted on 12/15/2019 by Marcia Goldlist in Beliefs and Practices
You may wonder what you can do in just twelve seconds. Could you make history? Could you even make dinner in that amount of...
 
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