For persons of the same gender, any customary greeting, including a handshake or a hug, is acceptable. However, when a man is introduced to a Jewish lady or vice versa, one should avoid physical contact. One can use any conventional phrase, such as “Nice to meet you” and a nod and smile but avoid offering to shake hands. Non-orthodox Jews may consider that the handshake is not an intimate gesture and do not find it objectionable to greet another person of the opposite sex with a handshake. Consequently, the best practice is to let the Jewish person himself or herself make the first move.
