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...
Category: General
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...
Sometimes, the Truth Isn’t Allowed on Quora
Apparently my answer was not “nice” or “respectful,” but especially considering the question, I admit having trouble figuring out why.
Moving Commentary 9: Outposts and the Power of Mitzvos
Two years; two remote outposts. Their impact could not have been more different. Consider this a travelogue with a Rosh Hashanah message. We hadn’t planned to “ascend Hashem’s mountain,” when planning a vacation in...
Impartial is Impossible
Nearly a quarter of a century ago, back when Donald Trump was a mere businessman building casinos, not an embattled president haranguing the press, I was already dealing with what has since come to...
Second Thoughts on “Racism” at Barkan or Badatz
The accusation of racism may turn out to be a poorly-researched case of “shoot first, ask questions later,” inspired in not a small part by a traditional trope used by anti-Semites throughout history.
Open Orthodoxy Update, Parshas Ki Savo
From wishing Mazal Tov to two men on the “birth” of a boy, to reiterating a claim considered by others to be a “violation of a fundamental of our faith,” Open Orthodoxy is going further off the path.
How America’s Jews of Tomorrow Learned That Being Liberal Did Not Replace the Messiah
Unlike others, Steven Weisman isn’t at all puzzled about why American Jews are so liberal. Writing in today’s New York Times (“How America’s Jews Learned to Be Liberal”), his analysis seems, at first glance,...
Is Barkan Wine Kosher?
by Rabbi Yaakov Hoffman The allegations of racism at Barkan winery have been put to rest, but one question remains: Was there actually a problem with the kashrut of Barkan products? The answer depends...
Moral Breakthrough At Stanford: PTSD In A Time Machine
Stanford student Hamzeh Daoud took the easy way out, after threatening Jews with physical violence. In going down, he added a new term to our lexicon, and an important tool in evading moral responsibility....
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