Nothing nice to say about charedim?
Any attempt at candor about problems within the charedi community seems to open a can of worms. Few indeed — even among Orthodox Jews — are the people who can see how overwhelmingly the...
Charedi hooligans
R’ Rosenblum made a passing reference in his post, “The Choice is Ours,” to the juvenile delinquents who plague some of our beautiful charedi communities. Although I admire his soul-searching candor, I take issue...
Odds and Ends
1) When Mishpacha published last week’s post “On Making Money” they wisely decided to edit out most of the lawyer jokes. I considered doing the same, and unwisely decided that given that I am...
The choice is ours
Shortly after Shavuos, the Jerusalem Post published an op-ed “Two windows on hareidim.” The piece began promisingly enough, as the author described walking with his 11-year-old daughter to the Kotel for the first time...
‘G.I. Jew’ mourned in South Florida
NORTH LAUDERDALE, Fla. (JTA) – The Army had big plans for Daniel Agami when he returned from Iraq. “They were going to use his talents and center an advertising campaign around him as an...
The Reincarnation of Father Coughlin
Father Charles Coughlin may have been the father of radio demagoguery in the US, cozying up to Hitler in the ‘30’s, and arguing along with Charles Lindbergh for American isolationism. Almost thirty years after...
People,Population,Policy,Planning,Palaver
25 bTammuz The future of the Jewish people is in copper mirrors! That is what I would tell several dozen world Jewish leaders who are convening right now in Jerusalem in order to figure...
The Parking Lot Minyan
by Rabbi Ilan Feldman, Beth Jacob Congregation, Atlanta GA I have good news for those of you in despair about the shtiebelization of American Orthodoxy. I have inadvertently conducted a social science experiment in...
Sacred or Superficial?
Encouraged by a number of my congregants, my wife and I recently visited the impressive ‘Sacred’ exhibition at London’s British Library. Billed as ‘the rarest and most exquisite sacred books and manuscripts presented and...
Conversion Confusion
Israel’s Orthodox Rabbinate has been under siege of late, over the issue – once again – of conversion. And once again as well, the media abound with misinformation. This time, though, some of it...