Question
My family has a foundation for a son that died young. This foundation is in his name and helps Jewish children. If a friend's father died and they designated three places to donate in his honor BUT I choose to donate to my family foundation in the father's memory, is that okay? I have always thought it is okay to donate in memory of someone, no matter where you contribute. I thought it is okay to plant a tree in Israel, or give to your favorite charity or ....if you want, give to who the family designates. Whatever you do is a mitzvah. Am I wrong??

Question
I am currently taking a world religions class and have to interview people of different religions and then write a paper on it. No word count requirement so explain in as much or as little detail as you would like. The questions will be below. Thank you for your response!   What do you love about your faith? What is most often misunderstood about your faith? Do you think people of different faiths should marry? How has your faith changed over the years? How do you feel when people try to convert you away from your faith or when others criticize or attack your faith? Can you provide an email address or phone number? I have to have it for my assignment to verify that it is an actual person I interviewed.

Question
What are the laws about sitting next to someone of the opposite sex on the subway? I just moved to New York City this week to start a new job and I barely know anyone here yet. I don’t have a car and the subway and buses are the only practical way of getting around. I have rarely used public transportation before. The subway trains and stations are almost always crowded, and it’s impossible to avoid physical contact with women. I have always scrupulously observed negiah and been careful not to touch a woman even accidentally, but this is impossible. The other day, I sat down in a seat with a vacant adjacent seat when I got on. Not too long after, a young non-Jewish woman wearing a tight-fitting sleeveless short dress got on and took the seat next to me. She acted friendly in a flirtatious manner and engaged me in conversation. I responded to her friendliness and chatted with her for about half an hour until my stop because I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. I couldn’t get up because I was surrounded by standing riders, also mostly female, squeezed in like sardines. I see lots of Orthodox Jews ride the subway, although I don’t know any personally yet, and I don’t know what they do about this. I will have to use the crowded subway almost every day for the foreseeable future.