The Torah’s Not a Tool
Justice Brett Kavanaugh is well into his service to the country as a member of its highest court, and the controversy that swirled around him as a nominee for the position is, at least...
Why Are Reform Jews Waging War on Orthodoxy?
A piece I wrote in Haaretz, in response to an earlier offering by two Reform leaders, appears in Haaretz, here. If you cannot access the article, you can email me at [email protected] and I’ll happily send...
Snatching a Smartphone From the Jaws of Defeat: In Tribute to Mishpacha and Others
If I hadn’t been standing in the Mir, I would have yelled out “Eureka!” even though I wasn’t even near a bathtub. It was one of those moments when you get it, because someone...
A Safer Space for Women
A piece I wrote for Tablet about the #MeToo movement and Judaism’s attitude toward interactions between the sexes can be read here.
Open Orthodoxy Update, Parshas Lech Lecha
Open Orthodoxy’s Orthodoxy is expressed by attacking our liturgy as sexist, praising Chilul Yom Tov, placing social justice before Halacha and even speaking at an idol installation’s “knowledge festival.”
What’s Not Necessarily in a Name
Unless you happen to live in California’s 50th Congressional district, which encompasses parts of San Diego County and Riverside County in the south of the state, you won’t have to choose between incumbent Republican...
Three Recent Articles
Here are three recent articles, which may be of interest: Rabbi Leiter: The Facts Speak for Themselves Unraveling the Mystery of the Ma’aravis Yorkers – But Are They Kosher? (The original print version is...
Where’s the Slide?
I pass the large lady twice each workday, and no longer pay her much mind, unlike the tourists on the Staten Island ferry sailing with me, who have journeyed hundreds or thousands of miles...
Moving to “the Right”
The recent Hamodia article about young people who grew up as Modern Orthodox (or, to be more precise, who grew up primarily as “MO Lite”) is very worthwhile reading. It should compel Modern Orthodox...
Look Up!
We regard the enclosures where we spend Sukkos as, well, sukkos. And they are, of course; the walls comprise a necessary part of a sukkah. But it’s their roofs – the bamboo poles or...