Out of the Mouths of Frum Babes
Quite often, I find myself in front of audiences of relgious non-Jews, explaining what committed Jewish life is all about. There is never time, of course, to convey more than a few vignettes and...
Best Israeli Comment on the Egyptian Situation
Reportedly sighted on an Israeli Facebook page, but not verified: “Dear Egyptian rioters, please don’t damage the pyramids. We will not rebuild. Thank you.”
Swearing off the “U” Word
Does affirmation of the Jewish religious heritage… make haredim “extremist”? Considering the other candidates for that word today?
Tunisia, Biblical Slavery, and the Contours of Rabbinic Fences
Napoleon reported on a conversation he had with Polish serfs about liberty. “Certainly we should like to have it very much; but who will feed, clothe, and house us?” We are no longer amazed...
Left-Wing Rabbis Condemn Right-Wing Pundit
Someone tell me why this is news? For the record, I don’t know what point Glenn Beck was intending to make about George Soros, and he may have exaggerated about the extent of Soros’...
All In a Day’s Work
Almost always, I shy away from mixing business with blogging pleasure. Too many people, I fear, would just not appreciate how I spend a good deal of my working day. Essentially, my job at...
Messages in the Mayhem
You’ll log many a mile to find someone more disapproving than I am of the anger and vilification that characterize so much of American political discourse. But to lay the tragic January 8 shooting...
The Forward Backs Off
… and should be commended for it. Readers may recall that several months ago, I lampooned The Forward for categorizing support for Sholom Rubashkin as having “exposed the vastly different worldviews that can exist...
Urgent Adoption Issue
From an Agudah press release: Agudath Israel of America has accused the Rensselaer Department of Social Services of violating state law by working to have two Jewish children (a brother and sister) adopted by...