The social-convention tag has no wiki summary.
2
votes
1answer
117 views
Responding to “that's not a Jewish name”
My ancestry is not eastern-European, and sometimes when I meet people in a Jewish setting and we introduce ourselves, I'm met with "that's not a Jewish name" (referring to my last name, mostly). I ...
2
votes
0answers
156 views
What is the proper greeting for Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Day)?
Here in Israel, there are many customs surrounding Yom HaShoah; the morning siren, ceremonies, storytelling from survivors, etc. However, I'm not sure I've ever heard a way to greet someone that ...
3
votes
2answers
124 views
Correct response to tizku l'mitzvot
What is the correct response to someone saying, "tizku l'mitzvot" after you do a mitzvah, or something helpful? For example, after helping someone make an Eruv Chatzeirot they might say "tizku ...
5
votes
2answers
102 views
“גוט שבת, גוט שבת”
My father, passing someone on the street on שבת, says "גוט שבת, גוט שבת" (Yiddish, "good sabbath, good sabbath"): that is, he repeats himself. I thought it might be his own idio-custom — until I ...
5
votes
1answer
261 views
Is it appropriate for a Gentile to attend and/or participate in a Seder?
The context: last year, I saw this sign that announced the time and place that a Jewish Seder (probably Yom Kippur) would happen. I was definitely curious and considered going and at least observing ...
4
votes
2answers
152 views
Drinking on Rosh HaShanah
Rosh HaShanah has two opposite aspects, one of judgment, and one of Yom Tov. We spend the day(s) in prayer and literally plead for our lives. Yet we eat festive meals and drink wine for Kiddush.
Is ...
9
votes
1answer
110 views
Do we say “shabbat shalom” on Tisha b'Av that falls on Shabbat?
Yesterday I said "shabbat shalom" to someone and he said we don't do that on Tisha b'Av that falls on Shabbat. I thought that Shabbat trumps the day (and that's why we move the other observances). ...
7
votes
1answer
109 views
Wearing no head-covering?
Under what circumstances is it permissible for a man to wear no head-covering?
If one is in a place that is experiencing anti-semitism, for example, does one need to wear a hat if one feels ...
20
votes
4answers
378 views
Maintaining Tzniut in Uncomfortable Social Situations
How can a teenage girl, who recently started practicing the laws of tzniut as well as feasible, balance those laws with the prohibition against embarrassing her family members, who are embarrassed to ...
6
votes
2answers
162 views
Contemporary rabbinic views on social pressure to get people to do Mitzvoth
Background
While on vacation recently, I was walking down the street with a newly acquainted co-traveler, when we were approached by a young Lubavitch Yeshivah student encouraging Jewish men to lay ...
17
votes
5answers
567 views
How to respond to “but he does”
I mentioned to my coworker that I can't eat Domino's pizza, not even without meat, as it's not kosher. He pointed out in response that a fellow coworker of ours, whom I'll call Josh, and who is ...
8
votes
3answers
246 views
Referring to Non-Jews
What's the most diplomatic and politically correct way to refer to non-Jews. Both in conversation, and in terms of this site?
15
votes
4answers
366 views
How does an outsider know how to dress for a particular Orthodox community?
Standards of dress (at least for women) aren't nearly as consistent within Orthodoxy as we might wish. Wearing exactly the same halachically-correct clothing I have been under-dressed in some places ...
