An Open Letter to the Ribbono Shel Olam
Please forgive the temerity of addressing You in this way. Actually, for mortal Man to address You altogether doesn’t really make sense. Why would You listen? Why should You care? But You do. You...
Category: General
BDE – Mara Kochba
I was devastated to learn a few days ago that Mara Kochba, a friend for decades, had passed away on Shabbos. Mara was an activist’s activist. Professionally, she was a PR guru, a fund-raiser,...
Shiva and Isolation In a World of Mourners (Part 1)
Until beating a hasty retreat while I could still find a flight back to Israel, I was sitting shiva[1] for my mother הכ”ם in Brooklyn. It was eerie. We have come to think of...
My Purim’s Highlight
My Purim’s highlight this year was an interaction I had with two little boys, no older than 8 or 9. The shul I attend is often visited by a number of “collectors” asking for...
WZO Election: Vote (No Longer) Early, Vote (Not) Often, and Still Appreciate the Moetzes
Cynics rejoice at the spectacle of rabbis sparring with each other. Supporters of the Moetzes Gedolei Torah groan in disbelief. Both reactions, however, are uncalled for. The internecine conflict regarding the WZO elections continues,...
Drinking in Moderation: On Purim and Beyond
by Rabbi Yaakov Hoffman The attempts of Jewish leaders to rein in alcohol abuse, on Purim and in general, have not been met with much success. The conclusion is inescapable: It is time to...
Pathologized Problems
It seems that a good part of my youth was spent in a mental asylum without walls. At least that’s how some mental health professionals might characterize it. Among the boys in my neighborhood...
Stop Otherizing Haredi Jews
An op-ed I wrote about the marginalization of Haredi Jews appears at the New York Times today. It can be read here.
“Orthodox” Gay Marriage and the Path to Destruction
Thankfully, I have not written about Open Orthodoxy for a very, very long time. It is not something I enjoy doing or have the time to focus on, and I only address this topic...
So Who (What) Are We?
Just what Jews are has been debated for ages. In recent times, the different options have become agendized and politicized. My friend Rabbi Shmuel Goldin recently contributed a delightful, upbeat essay to Torah Tidbits...
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