A Japanese man from a family of Samurai shares his journey of becoming an Orthodox Jew and draws surprising parallels between the two cultures.

The Rabbinical Council of America (RCA) has released a new edition of Hamadrikh, a handbook for the American rabbinate.

In this episode, the focus is on the teachings of Rabbi Elimelech, particularly his work Tzetil and Customs.

The author suggests that the traditional customs of Sefirah, the period between Pesach and Shavuot, are not about mourning Rabbi Akiva's 24,000 students who died in a pandemic but rather about reliving the quarantine-like effects of that mass illness.

The essay discusses the origins and controversies surrounding popular Purim customs such as drunkenness, Purimspiels (farcical plays), and wearing costumes.