100 Years of the Mishnah Berurah
Thanks to an alert reader for sending us this tip, courtesy of Beyond BT: tonight is the 100th Anniversary of the Mishnah Berurah, which was completed on 19 Cheshvan, 5667 (as the author notes...
A Tale of Two Responses
I’m grappling with how to reconcile two recent episodes, one from earlier this year and the other very much in this week’s news, that seem contradictory. Allow me to present the perceived conflict and...
Ted Haggard
When the spiritual emperor is found to have no clothes, must the empire come apart? Should Rev. Ted Haggard — and his message — become subjects of unmitigated derision? Do any of us care?...
Getting the Message
It’s official: the gay parade is off, replaced by a closed event at Hebrew University’s Givat Ram stadium. Yediot Acharonot reports that members of the charedi community played an active role in brokering this...
The Parade Root
17 bMarHeshvan 5767 Wed. night I just returned to Netanya from the three-hour Supreme Court session on the proposed Homosexual Parade scheduled for Friday (19 Heshvan). The three justices were inclined to insist that...
Playing Fair – A Bipartisan Critique
Yesterday, an article and comment here both contained what I consider unfair remarks. This leads me to suspect that they were delivered for partisan gain rather than enlightenment, and I think a further analysis...
Democrats Go European
Israelis would like to believe that American support for the Jewish state is strong, bipartisan, and will ever remain thus. Contrary to that happy scenario, Israel definitely has a dog in next week’s American...
Because I Like the Guy
by D. Katz “All politics is local; all politics is personal.” Such was the judgment of that famous Irish Democrat, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Thomas “Tip” O’Neill. And he was right. I...
Clean Air Act
Looking desperately for a small ray of light, a pocket of clean air, amidst the thick stench of what anyone following the political news would have to describe as a nationwide ethical meltdown ahead...
Classified Information
Part of my job as Agudath Israel of America’s media liaison is to help ensure that traditional Orthodox Jewish beliefs and life are accurately represented in the press, and that the larger Jewish and...