If being an Orthodox Jew shapes everything down to what you eat and what you wear, you better believe it defines life’s big Life Cycle events too.  In my opinion, Jewish life cycle events might be one of the richest parts of Jewish life.

Birth and Circumcision

Life is probably more highly valued in Judaism than anything else, so when a new life is born, it is cause for utter joy and celebration.  Unlike with non-Jews, a Jewish baby is not named immediately after it’s born.  Read more…

Bar and Bat Mitzvah

One of the better-known Jewish life cycle events, a Bar Mitzvah (for boys) or a Bat Mitzvah (for girls) is our coming-of-age event.  While it’s become known for extravagant parties, the event itself actually doesn’t matter.  You become “bar” or “bat mitzvah” when you turn 13 for boys or 12 for girls.  It’s the age at which you start being obligated to fulfill the commandments (“mitzvot”, hence bar mitzvah- It just means son or daughter of commandments).  Read more…

Wedding

I am absolutely obsessed with Jewish weddings.  They are just loaded with incredibly cool and beautiful traditions.  You could easily write a book on these, but clearly I’m not doing that.  Instead, I’ll give you a taste of what Jewish weddings are all about and what you might expect to see at one.  Prefer to learn by watching instead of reading?  I promised you a window into my world.  Here’s the 4-minute version of my wedding video, made by my incredibly talented friend Tom Miller.   Watch it with the disclaimer that some aspects are not typical of an Orthodox wedding (such as mixed dancing rather than dancing separated by gender), or read more…

Death and Sitting Shiva

When a Jewish person dies, their immediate family (parents, spouse, and children) “sit shiva” following the funeral.  It is customary to bury the person (cremation is not allowed) and hold a funeral as soon as possible after the death occurs.  Once the person is buried, shiva begins.  Read more…