Category: General

I was recently asked to explain why in business settings many orthodox Jews do not shake hands with members of the opposite gender. Here is how I responded: “Traditional Judaism places a premium on...

With all the talk about freedom of religion in this country, we must recognize that not only minorities need that freedom. Sometimes it is the religious rights of others that are impaired — and...

There are so many ways to appreciate and cherish the work of Simon Wiesenthal, who passed away last week. Although one of my jobs is with the institution that bears his name, I don’t...

Network World was one of many newspapers and technology journals that carried a nice mention of the Contact Loved Ones project, which I wrote about earlier. I note, however, the entry below ours in...

As a general matter, national days of Holocaust Remembrance strike me as, at best, not worth the effort, and, at worst, harmful. In theory, I suppose, such days are meant to sensitize gentiles to...

19 b Ellul What was the most significant moment during the actual disengagement from Gush Katif? I suggest there was one key scene, seen by all, and commented on by none. Everyone who watched...

Recently, Aish HaTorah produced a video presentation, called Inspired, featuring a range of Baalei Teshuva, returnees to Judaism, describing “what motivated them to change their lives and embrace Torah.” The goal of the movie,...

Senseless in Gaza Rabbi Avi Shafran Those nefarious Jews did it again. They had the gall to not destroy their 19 synagogues in Gaza, leaving them to silently stoke the passions of uncontrollable Arabs....

The title of this piece will be echoed in other writing. Forty years ago to this day, on September 15, 1965, Rabbi Moshe Sherer of blessed memory and I went out to Staten Island...

Well, I suppose I’m going to have to address the whole Nazi thing after all. I had made a wide berth around the issue, content to observe from the sidelines as Rabbi Feldman ably...