As Jews (and a fair number of non-Jews) around the world are well aware, Yom Kippur began on Sunday evening, September 27, at sunset.

The Day of Atonement, as it is also known, lasts more than twenty-five hours and is traditionally marked by fasting, prayer, asking for forgiveness and repenting. It is the culmination of the Days of Awe, which begin with the two-day Rosh Hashanah or new year celebration (occurring in 2009 from September 18th to the 20th).

One of the world's oldest holidays and one of the most sacred days of the Jewish religion, the Day of Atonement has lessons … Read More

Religion has never played a large part in my life. I grew up celebrating "Christian" holidays like Easter and Christmas, but in America, these days are so mainstreamed and commercialized, they almost seem secular. I've never minded not having a religion, and I like the fact that because I'm a blank religious slate, I can approach new religions without prior assumption. I've learned Hindu traditions while in India, marveled at the Muslim mosques while in Indonesia, caroled in a Carmelite monastery, and recently visited a Zen Buddhist center for meditation. Having lived in the open-minded Bay Area for most of … Read More

Some may be upset to hear it, but a certain real estate heiress is off the market.

According to the New York Daily News (and her Twitter account), Ivanka Trump is now engaged to real estate heir Jared Kushner. Ivanka, now engaged three times, tweeted on Thursday, "I got engaged last night ... truly the happiest day of my life!!!" Jared's rep later confirmed the posting. Is Twating (Twitter Dating) The Next Big Thing?

Jared and Ivanka have been dating for two years, but split briefly in 2008 over Ivanka's conversion to Judaism. (The Kushners … Read More

It appears Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson are not only back together, but are ready to make their relationship permanent. The National Enquirer is reporting that, despite the frequent fights and almost monthly break-ups, Lindsay is planning to covert to Judaism to please her future wife. 

It's hard to say which family will be less pleased about this news.  Lindsay's father, Michael, has been vocal about his dislike for Sam, and Ronson's family tried to obtain a restraining order preventing Lohan from coming anywhere near them.

According to the National Enquirer (via PopCrunch) a source said, "Lindsay says Sam's promised … Read More

When my husband and I got married, our divergent religious backgrounds were the last thing on my mind. From the start, we were in full agreement that we would blend our Jewish and Christian traditions into an unstructured cornucopia of customs and holiday celebrations. This all-inclusive philosophy presented little conflict, and we were compatible in our religious laziness.

But, eventually, I became a restless wanderer with unresolved questions about my soul's purpose on this earth, and I longed for a deeper, more personal relationship with God. My husband remained content just where he was and this became a dividing … Read More

At the Metro Club in New Orleans, I was dancing with a law school student named Hendrik, who kept palming his way down the backside of my thighs. Without hesitation, he told me he had been waiting all night to dance with a Jewish girl, especially one as "full-bred" as myself. Oh God. Was it really that obvious? I wondered, reminding myself that if I would just stand 45 degrees to the left of guys, when speaking to them, that my nose would not seem nearly as obtrusive. "You know, it's so funny," Hendrik said, "My grandfather was a … Read More

Up until I was six years old, my family celebrated Christmas. Although both of my parents are Jewish, our family was not particularly religious. They just thought Christmas was a fun holiday for kids. I still fondly remember my Miss Piggy star ornament sparkling atop the tree. Ahh, memories. In 1984, we moved to a new town in a new state and joined a synagogue. As December rolled around, there was no tree, just a menorah in the kitchen and a pile of Hanukkah presents in the corner of the living room. Don't get me wrong: The latkes were tasty, … Read More

The "Christian" label carries with it a number of stereotypes these days, and a passion-filled, borderline-nymphomaniac sex life is not one of them. A blog dedicated to active, passionate sex between married Christian couples might begin to change that.

Christian Nymphos provides female-focused advice and tips to couples looking to spice up their sex lives while staying within the tenets of the Christian faith. For a population where racy, explicit language and topics are often taboo, posts about role-playing, oral or anal sex might come as a shock to some. User comments reflect relief in finding … Read More

If you're sick of meeting meshuganas[1] online and you're ready to find a real mensch[2], then JDate.com wants you to stop kvetshing[3] and join their international online dating community of over 650,000 Jewish (and many non-Jewish) singles. While JDate was created in 1997 to help Jews find their besherts[4], singles of every faith are finding JDate to be a real brocheh[5]. Whether non-Jews are impressed by JDate success stories or just freakishly preoccupied with dating Jews, they can join by indicating "Willing to convert" or "Unaffiliated" from 14 … Read More

When my friend Meredith decided to join JDate, the biggest online Jewish dating network, I encouraged her participation, but I didn't follow suit.

The idea of uploading flattering photos, filling out mile-long surveys, and presenting the well thought-out, wittier version of myself had no part in my lackadaisical lifestyle. The notion of engaging in cheeky e-banter and phone calls exhausted me; I had no idea how I would have any energy left to set up dates and subsequently go on them. Besides, I had a boyfriend.

Meredith was prepared for the bouts of typed exchanges. Unlucky in love, she … Read More