Elissa Strauss
We Took the #DadLatkeChallenge
Here’s what happen when my husband took over latke-making.
The Survey
Take our Who Sets the Hanukkah Table? survey and let us know how the latkes get made in your house.
Who Sets the Hanukkah Table?
is a multimedia project looking at who does what to make Jewish holidays happen in our homes. Over the course of the year we have been running a series of surveys, reader stories and commissioned essays exploring this dynamic. So far we have asked you about Passover, the Sabbath and the High Holidays, and we have learned that, in all cases, Mom does most of the work. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender homes tend to be more egalitarian than straight households, though nowhere close to 50-50.
Do Feminists Put Too Much Emphasis On Sex — at Religious Women's Expense?
When sex is the feminist lodestar, it becomes too easy to dismiss anyone who holds a different attitude toward it. Elissa Strauss says de-emphasizing pleasure would help build bridges among Jewish women.
How Being the 'Emotional' Jewish Woman Actually Makes You Smarter — and More Successful
The stereotype about Jewish women being too ‘emotional’ has been used to mock us in movies like ‘Clueless’ and as a real-life insult to Democratic lawmaker Debbie Wasserman Schultz. A new study shows that women’s higher ‘emotional quotient’ is actually valuable in life — and even in the workplace.
'Red Oaks' Proves That the Prurient Male Gaze Is Alive and Well
Amazon, the e-commerce behemoth that is coming ever closer to eliminating the time between desire and fulfilment, is not satisfied with being merely the world’s biggest bazaar. Over the years, it has become a content generator of its own, buying newspapers, publishing books and, apparently, producing Jewish-themed television shows.
Let's Keep Judaism Boring!
Clergy and directors of non-Orthodox synagogues across the country are trying to find ways to make synagogue less boring. But boredom is good, writes Elissa Strauss, and we should fight to keep our houses of worship bastions of boredom.
Why Jewish Women Are Extra Tired This Week
We’ve tallied up the results from our third installment of the ‘Who Sets the Table?’ survey series. Guess who made the holidays happen at home and got our tushes to synagogue?
When You're Way More Into Judaism Than Your Partner Is
What do you do when one partner in a marriage approaches Judaism with fondness and curiosity, and the other, well, less so? Elissa Strauss used to think it was a big deal — but not anymore.
'Difficult People' Proves It's Still the Golden Age of Jews Mocking Jews
Elissa Strauss feared the end of Jews mocking Jews in comedy. But in ‘Difficult People,’ Billy Eichner and Julie Klausner prove that it’s still the Golden age for Jews poking fun at each-other.