Tag Archives: ask a jew

How come sometimes, when Jews pray (like during Yom Kippur services), they pound their chests with their fists?

What relationship does the Balfour Declaration have with Hitler's hatred of Jews and the creation of the nation of Israel?

If this really is a genuine matzo-ball-soup emergency — and I sense from your tone that it is — I have some bad news for you. I’ve lived here more than seven years, and I’ve yet to find a local restaurant that makes matzo ball soup.

I can tell you that in my experience, most Jewish people who wear a chai, a Star of David, or both (some folks alternate between the two) see them as identifiers that tell the world: “I am Jewish” (and, presumably, “I am proud of being Jewish”).

It is possible to find sources from a Muslim perspective that claim the Torah makes reference to Muhammad. However, after an admittedly brief bit of online research, I found it difficult to locate a highly reputable source — e.g., an article by a recognized scholar published in a respected, peer-reviewed journal — asserting this idea.

Victims of trauma, or members of a people group that was traumatized, don’t owe the perpetrators anything in particular. What they must do, as individuals and/or as a community, is decide what the best way is to move forward to meet their own needs.