Theme Day
We receive quite a few letters asking Bubby short and quirky letters about Judaism. We're posting a bunch of her responses to those today.
Dear Bubby,
Someone gave my daughter a "Jewish treat" at college. She said it was made from sesame seed paste and covered with chocolate. She thought the name of it was "havalah". Do I have the name correct?
Bubby: It's called Halvah. The chocolate is just a dressing. Just like candy with an icing. But you can buy that without the dressing. It's a candy that's used at parties, just like any other confection.
Dear Bubby,
In the Jewish religion, is it customary to have a baby shower before or after the baby is born?
Bubby: A baby shower has nothing to do with religion. The very Orthodox would frown upon having it before the baby is born. Others would consider it a blessing. Just like a shower before a wedding. Some don't do it at all. But usually it's done by friends.
Dear Bubby,
I am doing a paper for school and I need to know what the benches that are like pews in the shul are called. I think they are not called pews, but something else. Do you know?
Bubby: No! Just a bench. I have no idea if it has another name. Benches, or seats, or pews if you're referring to a row.
Dear Bubby,
This may seem like an insensitive question, but I was always told that people of the Jewish faith bury their dead in an upright position. Fact or Fiction?
Bubby: Haha! That's fiction! I don't think that anyone is ever buried that way. I think it's just a joke. Even in ancient Egypt people are buried lying down, entombed in shrouds. In Israel, Jews or Muslims, and in America too, people are buries in shrouds. In America, after the body is cleansed and dressed in shrouds the body is buried in a coffin. In Israel they don't use coffins.
Dear Bubby,
Help settle a life long question. Why is Passover 8 days? I need to answer this question. Please help.
Bubby: Well, it's really 7 days. But because of variations in timetelling, in Israel it's observed 7 days. But in America it's celebrated 8 days to ensure it's the full allotted time. Just as we observe 2 seders, in Israel since their calendar is different than ours, they have 1 seder.
I hope I'm right on all of these! ♥, BUBBY
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including print publications. Your letter will only include an anonymous signature that you provide or that we use to
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letters received, there is no guarantee that a letter will be responded to. Any information or advice given at
Help Me, Bubby! is not intended to provide an alternative to professional medical treatment or to replace the advice
or services of a physician or psychiatrist. Neither Bubby nor her granddaughters are professional therapists or medical
experts. If you have any serious medical or mental problem, please consult a professional. Although all this advice is
offered lovingly from the heart and in good spirit, we are not responsible in any way for your decision to accept or
reject the advice or the results thereafter.
Whether Bubby is reminding us that boyfriends do not substitute for warm jackets in the winter, or that it's
better to receive a compliment than a brick, she always has 
Hopefully this will be as much fun for new readers as it will surely be for her.
And if not, well, as Bubby says, it will all come out in the wash.
♥
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