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By Rivy Poupko Kletenik , JTNews Columnist Dear Rivy, As our family sang Shalom Aleichem this past Friday evening, I began to think about the song. We seem to be greeting ministering angels, welcoming them and then asking them for a blessing. What does this mean? Do Jews believe inContinue Reading

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By Rivy Poupko Kletenik , JTNews Columnist Dear Rivy, While recently waiting for a flight out of the Dallas airport to Seattle pretty early in the morning, a fellow passenger, obviously Jewish, took out his tallit and tefillin and, right there at the gate, proceeded to put them on andContinue Reading

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By Rivy Poupko Kletenik , JTNews Columnist Dear Rivy, We have just finished 12 weeks in the Torah reading service of the book of Bereshit ‘ Genesis. I am left wondering about all the brutal sibling episodes found in the text. Are these stories that we should be telling ourContinue Reading

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By Rivy Poupko Kletenik , JTNews Columnist Dear Rivy, As this Hanukkah season approaches, the issue of gift giving rears its complicated head yet again. What do you think? Should we be exchanging presents at Hanukkah? Is gift giving an authentically Jewish tradition or are we adopting a Christmas practiceContinue Reading

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By Rivy Poupko Kletenik , JTNews Columnist Dear Rivy, As we approach the High Holidays this year, the words of the prayer ‘who by fire who by water’ keep going through my mind. What does it mean that we are being judged on Rosh Hashanah? Does this mean that lastContinue Reading

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By Rivy Poupko Kletenik , JTNews Columnist Dear Rivy, I read your previous column about the Jewish summer and the fast days that are observed. I guess I don’t quite understand the notion of mourning for the Temple. Why should I be sad about its destruction? I can’t imagine needingContinue Reading

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By Rivy Poupko Kletenik, JTNews Columnist Dear Rivy, Our first child is going to start school this fall for the very first time, and I think I’m having separation anxiety. It feels so sad to leave the summer for the classroom. Where did schools come from? Are schools a JewishContinue Reading

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By Rivy Poupko Kletenik, JTNews Columnist Dear Rivy, Is it my imagination, or are people far vainer and more obsessed with their bodies than they have ever been? In addition to wrinkle prevention creams, exercise-crazed programs, and extensive menus of elective surgeries, we now have “Extreme Makeover” television shows thatContinue Reading

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By Rivy Poupko Kletenik, JTNews Columnist Dear Rivy, I noticed that the popular, very cool new Hasidic reggae artist, Matisyahu, made a single appearance this spring, right here in Seattle. When I asked about his lone tour date, the answer I was given was that Matisyahu will only sing onContinue Reading

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By Rivy Poupko Kletenik, JTNews Columnist Dear Rivy, My spouse comes from a more observantly Jewish home than I, and now that we have kids he would like us to begin to celebrate Shabbat. I am not saying that I am opposed, but I don’t understand why we should allContinue Reading

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By Rivy Poupko Kletenik, JTNews Columnist Dear Rivy, When I would bottle-feed my newborn child during his first few weeks of life, he would curl his hands to his chest as if he were engaged in transcendental meditation. Now that he’s a few weeks older, and has begun to recognizeContinue Reading

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By Rivy Poupko Kletenik, JTNews Columnist Dear Rivy, Do you have any ideas about how to inject some substantial content into our Hanukkah celebration? Hanukkah is very fun, and at our home we light the menorah, we serve holiday foods, we sing songs and play driedl, but it feels likeContinue Reading

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By Rivy Poupko Kletenik, JTNews Columnist Dear Rivy The other night I was watching Jon Stewart’s "The Daily Show" on Comedy Central, a rabbi was being interviewed. During the course of the conversation the rabbi remarked that dying and coming back to life is no big deal. This was hisContinue Reading