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When Will They Ever Learn?
Car of Givati commander attacked in Meah Shearim (Arutz 7)I wish I didn’t have to write yet another negative post about the Charedi world. But what choice do I have when I encounter a story like this...
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Judaism and Christianity – Blurring the Lines
Rabbi Shlomo RiskinOne of the most epochal developments of the 20thcentury is the evolution of Jewish Christian relations. The change in attitude by our Christian friends and neighbors towards the...
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Torah and Tolerance
Among gay conference panel members were Rabbis Helfgot and Goldin (JTA)Once again, I am confronted with a dilemma. A dilemma that is currently on the front burner of debate in America. Homosexuality is...
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Will Wining the Battle Mean Losing the War?
Charedi students getting a higher educationHave Charedim in Israel won? I’m sure they think they have. But in my view they very well may have lost more than they gained. At least as far as their future...
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Progress? Yes, but Not Nearly Enough
A typical Charedi family. Are their children safe? (Jerusalem Post)There is a long running TV drama called Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. It follows the stories of specialized police unit in New...
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Israel – A Source of Pride to the Jewish People
Among the IDF soldiers in Napal right now are these Kipa wearing JewsAmong the prouder moments I have had about my people - are the ones that occur during times of great tragedy. That is not as strange...
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The Inexplicable Rejection of a Gadol
Rav Aharon Lichtenstein, ZTLI care about what the Charedi world thinks. In fact I am accused of caring too much. But I vehemently deny that. There is no such thing as caring too much for fellow Jews,...
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A Predator in Our Midst
Guest Post by Rabbi Yair HoffmanI have been asked by Rabbi Yair Hoffman to post this warning to the Jewish community. In the interests of protecting the public, I am happy to accommodate him. His words...
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Racism and Police Brutality in Israel
Protesters clashing with riot police last week in Jerusalem (TOI)Racism is alive and well in this country. I can think of little else more repugnant than prejudice against someone because of the color...
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Pouring Gasoline on a Fire
Pamela Geller, Co-founder of AFDII don’t know whether Pamela Geller is a fool or just plain evil. But one thing she is for sure is wrong. And I am outraged by her tactics.Pamela Geller was one of the...
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Orthodoxy - Then and Now
Rav Aharon Kotler, ZTLAs I watch the current Kenesset taking form, I feel a bit nostalgic. The new governing coalition will perhaps be the most dysfunctional government in my memory. That’s because it...
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The Israeli Political System Must Change
New Justice Minister, Ayelet Shaked of Bayit HaYehudi (Jerusalem Post)I feel like I am promoting the obvious. Israel needs to change the way its democracy works.Their new government consists of a slim...
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Jobs and Education in the Charedi Mainstream
Charedim in the classroom (Mishpacha)It seems to me that the Charedi world in Israel is very much in tune with my views about what is needed to improve their financial lot. Much more so than I had...
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If Only...
R' Yoshe Ber Soloveitchik - A Gadol in Torah and MadaAs if to underscore the value of a secular education to Orthodox Jews, I received the following note from a non Jew who is apparently familiar with...
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Being Religious in the 21st Century
Organized religion is losing numbers. So says a Pew studyreleased today. There has been a nearly 8% drop in the number of people in America calling themselves Christian since 2007, the last year a poll...
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Freundel and Rubashkin
Barry FreundelWhat do Sholom Rubashkin and Barry Freundel have in common? Well… a lot it seems. Although the 2 of them could not be more different from each other in Hashkafa - they have both entered...
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The Birth of a New Jewish Denomination
Rabbi Jeffrey Fox,Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Maharat (JTA)I feel like I am going from the frying pan into the fire by discussing this topic after the last one. But once again, I feel I must speak out.It...
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Seeking Truth and Changing One's Beliefs
One of the most fascinating things to me is when a secular Jew becomes a Bal Teshuva. Even more fascinating is when a non Jew converts to Judaism. On the other hand it is just as fascinating to me when...
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Yom Yerushalyim, Satmar, and Neturei Karta
IDF Chief Rabbi Shlomo Goren blowing the Shofer at the Kotel in 1967On this day as we celebrate Yom Yerushalyim I think back to the heady days of 1967 when Israel won the 6 day war. Back then Israel...
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Orthodoxy and the Search for Truth
One of the more enlightening posts I have written of late was the one last week where I briefly speculated why people change their beliefs. Either to become observant or non observant. (As in the post...
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