The Rabbi’s Daughter
I cried watching this film. Not just because it is about three daughters who choose to break with the chinuch they received from their parents, from the ways of the Torah. Not just because...
Author: Yitzchok Adlerstein
Sandy’s Aftermath: How Others See Jewish Chesed
A tragedy of epic proportions perhaps lends itself to stories of heroism, courage and altruism. All the more so when Sandy’s after-effects mock the ability of time to begin the process of healing. The...
A Message From R. Yaakov Bender, RY Darchei Torah, Far Rockaway
We have just gone through a difficult few days and I would like to go over two important points: 1. Many people , young and old, are hurting now. They need help in cleaning...
“And They Shall Become One Flesh”
What if women no longer took it for granted that marriage was a good thing? What if they had the freedom to choose whether they wanted a relationship, and for how long? What if...
Bibi, Haazinu, and Kiddush Hashem
It was a memorable speech, a moment of truth and clarity after the degredation of the human spirit through the unvarnished evil of Ahmadinejad. The Prime Minister’s presentation before the General Assembly touched on...
Killing Two Idols With One Stone
Looking For Merkulis? Those who follow the Daf just might be. The ancient deity appears on :נז. The halacha about the proper bracha to make when coming across this idol is cited in Shulchan...
Shiur on Shemonah Esrei of Yomim Nora’im
I called it “The Longest Day’s Longest Beracha,” which isn’t quite accurate, but I explain right up front why I used that title for a shiur I delivered Thursday evening in Los Angeles. It...
The Price We Pay For Contempt
A monastery in Israel is desecrated, almost certainly by nationalist extremists. The Catholic Church turns the heat on whom? Haredim! Sadly, however, I can’t be as critical of the finger-pointers as I would like...
Rosh Hashanah Thoughts From the West Coast
For the inspired, the curious, or the just-plain-bored, my Rosh Hashanah machshavah shiur entitled Plan A and Plan B is available for free download. In the old days, I was able to give many...
G-d Makes a Comeback at the Democratic Convention
It was a moment that was, shall we say, biblical. G-d had made it back into the Democratic platform, in a way that would have pleased the ancient prophets. The day before, the platform...
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