Three Recent Articles
Here are three recent articles, which may be of interest: Rabbi Leiter: The Facts Speak for Themselves Unraveling the Mystery of the Ma’aravis Yorkers – But Are They Kosher? (The original print version is...
Where’s the Slide?
I pass the large lady twice each workday, and no longer pay her much mind, unlike the tourists on the Staten Island ferry sailing with me, who have journeyed hundreds or thousands of miles...
Moving to “the Right”
The recent Hamodia article about young people who grew up as Modern Orthodox (or, to be more precise, who grew up primarily as “MO Lite”) is very worthwhile reading. It should compel Modern Orthodox...
Look Up!
We regard the enclosures where we spend Sukkos as, well, sukkos. And they are, of course; the walls comprise a necessary part of a sukkah. But it’s their roofs – the bamboo poles or...
Sometimes, the Truth Isn’t Allowed on Quora
Apparently my answer was not “nice” or “respectful,” but especially considering the question, I admit having trouble figuring out why.
The Arvus Matrix
A mother and father are notified that their darling little boy broke a neighbor’s window. They feel, and of course are, responsible to right the wrong. They are, after all, where the buck stops...
Traffic Jams and the Yom Hadin
As a young teenager davening daily in the shul that my father, a”h, served as Rav, a congregation whose clientele ranged from totally non-observant Jews to fully observant ones, I considered myself something of...
Moving Commentary 9: Outposts and the Power of Mitzvos
Two years; two remote outposts. Their impact could not have been more different. Consider this a travelogue with a Rosh Hashanah message. We hadn’t planned to “ascend Hashem’s mountain,” when planning a vacation in...
Impartial is Impossible
Nearly a quarter of a century ago, back when Donald Trump was a mere businessman building casinos, not an embattled president haranguing the press, I was already dealing with what has since come to...
Second Thoughts on “Racism” at Barkan or Badatz
The accusation of racism may turn out to be a poorly-researched case of “shoot first, ask questions later,” inspired in not a small part by a traditional trope used by anti-Semites throughout history.