Ultra-Orthodox Ministers Are Some of Israel’s Best
That’s not my headline, it belongs to Ha’aretz. Yes, really! Ha’aretz columnist Gideon Levy is a member of the hard left — his most recent book is entitled The Punishment of Gaza. But in...
Annual Rosh Hashanah Shiur in Los Angeles
Part of the beauty of our community is the seriousness and earnestness with which people approach a Yom Tov. Committed Jews understand that each holiday season makes different oros available to those who ready...
Different Problems Require Different Solutions
What more could we be doing to retain Orthodox youth, given common exposure to the Internet and other challenging environments?
Free Market Judaism and Conversion Standards
Rabbi Michael Broyde and I have been friends for years, maintaining the relationship despite both of us being cognizant of how often and how much we disagree. I respect and admire how much time...
Exhibit A: Us
It’s not his name but I’ll call him Yochanan, after R. Yochanan ben Zakkai, who, the Gemara tells us (Berachos 17a), was first to greet anyone, Jew or not, he passed in the street....
An Equal and Opposite Reaction
The articles about the dearth of female pictures in publications targeting Orthodox readership by Rabbis Adlerstein, Gordimer and Menken, led to many strong, passionate posts and comments, some logical, some strident, some emotional, some mean-spirited and some downright silly.
Homosexuality and the Torah Community
It has been difficult for me to articulate a nuanced, “middle of the road” approach that does justice to the subject matter, proudly upholds Torah principles, and at the same time avoids writing that which will hurt the easily offended.
New Articles: Women’s Talmud Study, P’sak Halacha and Inreach Versus Outreach
Jewish Link of New Jersey asked me to write about the topic of women’s Talmud study, in light of the recent controversy. It was readily assumed and agreed that the article would not be polemical, but that...
First Thoughts on OrthoPew
We’ll likely be talking about the new analysis by Pew of the Orthodox community. I read it quickly, and one item caught my eye that has not been over-masticated yet. It lies in the...
Digesting the New Pew Data on the State of American Orthodoxy
Triumphalism? Pride? Encouragement? What exactly are the messages that we should glean from newly-released Pew Research Center data about Orthodox Jewry in the United States, which affirms the incredible growth and ongoing expansion of...