How Would You Help Other BTs Transition?

A fellow BT has been blessed by Hashem with great insight and great financial resources. Looking back at what was missing when he became frum, he has allocated significant funds to provide learning opportunities specifically for BT’s — at this point specifically for BT women who he feels are really under-served! Yes, finally, someone understands [...]

As Rosh Hashana approaches…

As a sometime contributor to BeyondBT, I’ll let you in on a little secret. From time to time the administrators send out emails with suggestions for written submissions. Usually these suggestions are great springboards for someone with the patience and time to write to actually come up with something meaning, relative, and thought-provoking. And then, [...]

Recipes for a New Rosh on Rosh Hashanah

With all the new food recipes available for this Rosh Hashanah . . . it might also be good to have a Recipe for a New Rosh this Rosh Hashanah, so . . . For 5771 and going forward I will do my best to . . . 1) only think and say nice things [...]

Is Anti-Muslim Bias Acceptable when Considering the Ground Zero Mosque?

Dear Beyond BT I was having a discussion with a friend about the Ground Zero Mosque and he felt that the greater you associate 9/11 with Islam in general, the more likely you are against the Mosque. He also pointed out that even President Bush said that we are not at war with Muslims, but [...]

Finding a Seat When You’re a Guest in a Shul

On a Shabbos a few years ago, I was davening out of my neighborhood. As we walked into the Shul on Friday night, my host told me that we can sit anywhere, except in the aisle seats, because the more involved members of the Shul sat in those seats. In the shul where I daven, [...]

Embracing Bais Yaakov Dress Standards – Differences Between Mother and Daughter

Bais Yaakov school dress standards often include duty length skirts (to the calf and not to the floor), loose fitting, legs fully covered with knee socks or stocking, past the elbow, staying away from fashion trends, etc.. Some FFBs and BTs did not embrace all these standards in their own dress, so they are faced [...]

Being Before Hashem In Whatever We Do

All of the Torah is holy. Every bit of it. Every letter of every word. Lists of names and the Ten Commandments are equally holy. Yet, it is inevitable that certain portions of the Torah speak to us more than others. It may be the content. It may be the circumstances or timing when it [...]

Finding G-d In Gaza

Daniel Peer first found his Jewish spark on a battlefield in the heart of Gaza. Peer grew up in Nivot Alit in the north of Israel. Though he didn’t grow up observant, he knew how to pray and occasionally put on tefillin. Peer entered the IDF in November 2001. As a boy he had learned [...]

Questions for Elul?

Do you have any strategies to make your Teshuva more effective this year? Do you draw on your early Teshuva days for inspiration? Do you have actuals tools and techniques and processes or do you just try to be generally better? Any other Elul thoughts to share?

How to talk to Our Children about Personal Safety

Here are signs to protect our children from danger: In 95% of cases, the molester’s not a stranger. He’s someone you know and respect. He’s disarming. He is drawn to children. And he’s awfully charming. This is a handy little jingle for parents to keep in mind, but even though it’s short, my rhyme is [...]

Outline of Parsha Re’eh

Here’s Rabbi Rietti’s outline of Re’eh. You can purchase the entire outline of the Chumash here. Re’eh # 11 Blessing & Curses # 12 17 Mitzvot # 13 The False Prophet – Missionaries – Apostate City # 14 Forbidden Animals – Fish – Birds # 15 Laws of Shemitta # 16 Pesach – Shavuot – [...]

Should We Be More Tolerant?

Should we be more tolerant of non-observant Jews.

Chelsea, Marc and Gitel – Studies in Dark and Light

Like millions of others this morning I opened my browser to photographs of Chelsea Clinton clad in a rhinestone studded Vera Wang gown embracing her new husband investment banker Marc Mesvinsky clad in tuxedo, yarmulke and tallis. According to news sources, Mesvinsky who attended Hebrew school as a child, is a halachic Jew, from both [...]

Becoming Selfless

By Rabbi Micah Segelman Rav Dessler made a number of important contributions to Jewish thought. One of the ideas that he helped to popularize and develop is that there are two powerful and opposing forces which motivate human action – the impetus to give and the desire to take. He writes that, “These two forces [...]

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