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Netanyahu, Obama, and Iran
Nasrallah and Khameni (2013) - Is Islamic rule the world's destiny?There is a lot of controversy about House Speaker John Boehner’s invitation to Israeli Prime Minster, Benjamin Netanyahu to address a...
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Starving to Get Married
Rabbi Shmuel Jablon (Jerusalem Post)‘I only want to date girls that are a size two’. This is a statement burned into my memory. It was made by a young Yeshiva student over 20 years ago about the type...
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When Your Spouse Loses Faith
One of many books reconciling science and TorahWhat if your spouse changes? What if you married one person and they turn out to be someone else? Should you stay married? The simple answer is no. Deceit...
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Kosher Sex
YCT Rosh HaYeshiva Rabbi Dov LinzerAbout 15 years ago, Orthodox Rabbi Shmuley Boteach wrote a book called Kosher Sex. It catapulted him to celebrity status. But he was also roundly criticized for it...
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Why Do They Leave?
Shulem Deen - before and after - (The Atlantic - 2012)I have no idea what the statistics are… or whether they are even available. But since there are so many stories of Jews that were once observant...
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When Will this Kind of Foolishness Stop?
The bus ad reads: Short clothing equals shortened lives (Ynet)Ads like this never fail to upset me. I find it inexplicable and inexcusable to say that righteous people were brutally slaughtered because...
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The Lonely Man of No Faith
Shulem Deen in happier timesSadness. That is what I felt throughout my reading of Shulem Deen’s soon to be released memoir, All Who Go Do Not Return. I was sad because I knew before I started reading...
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Charedi Feminists? Hardly
They are feeding their families. Does that make them feminists? (Forward)Many people that read this blog know of my admiration for Rabbi Avi Shafran. Although he is often harshly criticized for his...
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Do Poverty and Violence Glorify the Torah?
Ponevezh Yeshiva in 2009 (Times of Israel)The latest Adopt-a-Kollel ad speaks more eloquently about the poverty in the Charedi world than I ever could. The situation is so bad that there are families...
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The Right Move
Wall of Shame (JCW)A few weeks ago the suicide of a 24 year old convicted sex offender was reported in the news. What makes this significant to me is that he was an Orthodox Jew, and that I know his...
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Sir Martin Gilbert z”l - an appreciation
Guest Post by Paul ShavivSir Martin Gilbert (Seen here with a bust of Sir Winston Churchill)Sir Martin Gilbert, z”l, the historian, passed away on Tuesday after a long illness. He was 78, and a...
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Hero Worship in the Torah World
Spinka RebbeAs noted here before, I am a huge fan of Rabbi Emanuel Feldman. He has recently written a piece of Mussar in Cross Currents about football fans in the Torah world. Although I happen to...
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A Place for Expatriate Ultra-Orthodox Jews
Allison Josephs shooting a video for her 'Jew in the City' blog. (Forward)When one hears about an organization known as Footsteps, all kinds of images pop up depending upon what your perspective is. If...
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Changing Charedi Schools Would Destroy Israel?
R' Aharon Leib Shteinman (Kikar HaShabbat)A few days ago there was a story on the Hebrew language website Kikar HaShabbat that describes R’ Aharon Leib Shteinman’s latest comment about any formal...
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Message to the Prime Minister: Go for It!
House Speaker John Boehner and Prime Mister Benjamin NetanyahuThe criticism against Prime Mister Netanyahu has been constant and in some case fierce. J-Street has a petition with 20,000 signature so...
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The Terror from Within
Charedim protest in Mea She'arim ( 201o - Ha'aretz)Once again we have a group of extremists asserting their authority over everyone with threats of serious repercussion if there is no compliance....
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Who are the Real Orthodox Jews?
MO rabbinic leader, Rav Aharon LichtensteinOne of the words one will most frequently see here is ‘Orthodox’. It is a word that I frankly do not enjoy using, but use as of necessity. It helps to define...
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The Mindset of a Worried Charedi
Guest Post by Rabbi Chaim NachmanAre the animals of ISIS our new rabbeim?The following letter was sent to me by Rabbi Chaim Nachman. I do not know him or what he does. But after reading his letter I...
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Sherut Leumi? Yehoreg V’Al Ya’avor!
Sherut Leumi girls working with children in Bet Shemesh (OU Israel)I don’t get it. Really. I don’t. In his weekly column in Mishpacha Magazine, Jonathan Rosenblum has lauded the opposition to Sherut...
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The Wrong Message about Aliyah
Israeli Flag in the fence of a Copenhagen Shul where a Jew was killed (AP)Most people who read this blog know I am a fan of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. I have time and again supported his views,...
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