When I told this month’s featured personality, Andrea Herzog, that she embodied so much of what UNORTHOBOXED is, she responded, “In other words, I’m weird”. So I stopped and asked myself - is that really what we are all about? Being weird? And while I’m sure there are...
It's a Wrap! An interview with Andrea Herzog By Penina Taylor Jewish women have been covering their heads with scarves, or some form of scarves, since the dawn of time. And in Africa and the Middle East, the custom has continued unabated until today. But for Jews in...
February is Black History Month in the United States and Canada, so what better time to take the opportunity for us to address what is definitely among the top five issues that Orthodox Judaism as a whole needs to address? Bigotry/prejudice. You would think that Jews,...
Each month Rabba Melissa Scholten-Gutierrez answers questions from our readers. If you have a question you can email us at questions@unorthoboxed.com. Two Questions for the Rabba: 1. If a ketubah is supposed to protect a woman (which is what everyone claims)...
Finding My Unique Path to God as a Jewish Woman of Color An interview with Billye Tziporah Roberts By Penina Taylor There are a lot of different reasons to feature someone on the front cover of a magazine. Some people merit the position because they are doing some...
Doing our Hishtadlut – An Interview with Hilla Benzaken An interview with Hilla Benzaken By Penina Taylor In honor of Veganuary, we decided to feature vegan advocate and sustainability expert Hilla Benzaken. Originally from New York, Hilla now lives in Israel. She...
Everyone agrees that diabetes is a huge problem in the Western world, especially Type 2. Type 2 diabetes, or what used to be called adult-onset diabetes, is no longer only an adult problem and is the seventh greatest killer of adults in the United States. Left...
It’s been a crazy couple of months. Covid is again on the rise and Israel has closed her borders to most travel. People are rioting over governments that can’t figure out how to bring the pandemic to an end. And if you are at all involved in the Jewish community, your...
It’s the new year and it’s time to review the goals we set last year and see how many of them we met, think about what we want to accomplish this coming year, and set new goals. Unfortunately, upon review, the vast majority of us find ourselves having fallen far too...
Some time ago I gave a talk on the difference between knowledge and belief. In the talk I explained how in English, the word “knowledge” is understood to be stronger than the word “belief.” If I say that I know it’s 3:00 p.m., that’s a much stronger statement than if...