When a Heretic Speak Heresy Against Heretics
For deviating from the orthodox scientific position, Nagel has been abused, maligned, outcast, and insulted.
Women Wearing Tefillin Is Really Not Such a Big Deal
Some people are assuming the intentions of these women are less than perfect, but that’s complete conjecture.
Abuse in New Square
This kid gets a medal for coming forward.
A Song of Love, a Song of Life
There is no song that tells the story of freedom like Shir HaShirim.
What’s Wrong With the Star-K Kosher Phone?
A kashrus agency should be concerned with one thing and one thing only: the kosher status of our food.
Was Assimilation the True Enemy of the Maccabees?
If the Syrian-Greeks were not pushed out of the land, Judaism would have been lost.
The Insidiousness and Laziness of Guilt by Association
Adegbile was not making a moral statement by representing a man convicted of killing a cop.
My Favorite Nelson Mandela Quote
The world lost a great man last week.
Will the Real Haredi Feminists Please Stand Up?
Ruth Colian is running as a Haredi woman for political office.
What Do I Tell My Children (About the Boys)?
What do we do when we want to be mad at God but we also want God to make it all better? Indeed, what do we do?
Educating about Abuse without Stigmatizing Victims
Organic dating has its own set of problems that the shidduch system can help avoid.
Ruminations on Meditation
Many great Jewish thinkers have described Jewish prayer as a form of meditation.
The J-Blogs Are Like Politifact and They Make a Difference
Fact checking leadership means asking tough questions.
We Are Not Under Attack By the LGBT Community
Orthodox Jews are free to teach Leviticus and we are free to deny any religious rights and privileges to anyone we so choose.
The People Are Looking for Answers
A rabbi who writes controversial things becomes international news.
The Difference Between Superstition and Ritual
Much of what all religions teach is magical. If one does not believe in God, then we would rightly call it all superstition.
New Republic Article on Feminism from Zion Is All About the Stakes
The article argues that while naturally aligned with their fellow orthodox Jews, women from the modern orthodox community in Israel are finding themselves aligned with secular feminists.
Meeting the Challenge of Tisha B’Av: a Proposal
Can we hear the agony in his words? Can we step into his shoes and experience his torment?
Modern Racism
Categorizing all black people as one large group where the acts of one black person in Florida somehow tell us something about a different black person in Seattle is racist.
Can People Live Longer than 120 Years?
The Talmud is making a general statement for which there are more exceptions that situations where the rule applies.
We Are Going in the Wrong Direction
For some, guilt by association is actual guilt. For these people, who you know and with whom you associate determine your credibility.
Creative License When Interpreting the Bible
When we are dealing in non-legal matters, we are no longer concerned with precedent.
Answering the Most Difficult Question About the Agunah Crisis
Ethical and moral laws in the Torah depend on the context. Kindness and virtue largely depend on the subjective expectations of one’s friends and community.
How Far Will Gershonides Go to Avoid Mystical Interpretations?
In short, he says the whole thing was a prophetic vision, a dream. There was no physical battle.
My Appearance with Rabbi Shafran on ‘Talkline with Zev Brenner’
The gist of Rabbi Shafran’s argument was that Rabbi Sacks was criticizing a legitimate form of orthodox Judaism and was doing so from a place of ignorance.
Video Mocking Rabbinic Sermons Was in Bad Taste
Spontaneity and quirkiness have their place but a sermon is neither the time nor place for either of those.
Privacy and Government Snooping in Jewish Law
There is standing prohibition in Jewish law against sharing anything revealed in private conversation.
Modesty Messages from a Mormon
Mormons are expected to be chaste in every possible way and this can be particularly difficult for young men.
The State of the Jew According to Pew
Very few middle aged and older people consider themselves ultra-orthodox. It’s a youth movement.
Monsey Kosher Market ‘Integration’ Great Idea, Terrible Execution (Video)
It’s really not that different than the situation in Israel with the charedim. Both situations need insiders to make the change happen.