What Is Going On at UCI?
By Dov Fischer I live in Irvine and have been a congregational rabbi and community activist here for more than five years. Because I grew up on the East Coast, have traveled all across...
The Cultural Jew Within
Are our observances truly religious, or do they sometimes devolve into rote?
Scandal Upon Scandal
invoking an “Agriprocessors scandal” to justify some need for an extra-governmental “ethical certification seal” is cynical opportunism, a scandal upon a scandal.
Pundits on Pluto
Mr. Kristof thinks that “the protesters have a point” about initial American “equivocation” over the rebellion in Egypt, though he allows that “maybe I’m too caught up in the giddiness of Tahrir Square.” Yes, maybe.
“Liberal Denominations Face Crisis”
That’s not me, it’s The Forward. Jews are finding less reason to be part of liberal synagogues, while liberal synagogues are finding less reason to be part of a denominational body. The shteibl model...
On Nitpicking, Pilpulistic Nonsense, and Hair-Splitting in the Law
by Dov Fischer Twenty years ago, a friend arranged for me to have lunch with a prominent Jewish name-partner at a major Los Angeles law firm. My friend explained to me that the partner...
A New Column You Can Do Without
But I do hope that you will pass it along to the appropriate people. You can do without it, because if you are a regular here, you are either frum or familiar with the...
Thank You, Dr. Murray
Writer and educator Dr. Erica Brown penned a thoughtful piece for the New York Jewish Week on January 25, in which she addressed the concept of Jewish peoplehood. “The niggling tension of Judaism as...
Support Boycott? Support War
I discovered this video as a link from one sent me by a friend. It clearly deserves to be seen by more people than it has reached so far. While pro-Palestinian activists claim that...
Sad, Not Stunning
The Baltimore Jewish Times calls them “stunning:” the results of the new demographic survey commissioned by the Associated: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore. They highlight both the tremendous growth of the observant community and...