Increasing Disdain for Religious Americans
A piece I wrote for Forward at its request about the Supreme Court Masterpiece Cakeshop decision can be read here.
Author: Avi Shafran
Human Uniqueness
In the course of a public roundtable discussion about immigration and crime, a few days before Shavuos, President Trump made a comment that provoked some outrage. “You wouldn’t believe how bad these people are,”...
Gentlemen, Sling Your Mud!
Winston Churchill famously cited the sentiment that “democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.” Indeed, while majority rule might in...
Checking Out… and Checking In
Dr. David Goodall is no longer with us. The 104-year-old scientist travelled to Switzerland from his home in Australia last week, weary of life and in a wheelchair, but not otherwise disabled or seriously...
Mutcheh-ing the Mullahs
My Hamodia column this week went to the printer when President Trump was scheduled to issue his Iran Deal decision on Shabbos. As you know, he changed his mind and announced it earlier. Below...
A Tale of Two Speeches
I had the honor of making two public presentations in recent days, one to second grade students at the impressive Yeshiva Beth Yehudah in Southfield, Michigan; and the other, to students and members of...
The Lonely Man of Politics
James Comey Jr., the former director of the FBI and author of the new book “A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership,” truly stands out from the crowd. Not only because the man is...
Plane Talk
The Israel Airports Authority has rejected a billboard urging female airline passengers at Ben-Gurion Airport not to give up their seats to Orthodox men who don’t want to sit next to women. The billboard,...
Chastened By a Midrash
I don’t find it terribly hard to be tolerant of others’ political points of view, even when they are far from my own. I try to be mindful of the fact that, as Chazal...
No “Enough” Here
Have you ever noticed the FedEx arrow? The next time you see one of the company’s trucks, look closely at the “Ex” part of it. In particular, at the white space between the two...
Recent Comments