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How are We Inspiring Our Youth?
In one of the many discussions I have had about going OTD (‘Off The Derech’ - dropping observance of Halacha) I recall the late Rabbi Dovid Landesman making an interesting observation along the lines...
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Thank You, Ambassador Haley!
Haley and Netanyahu - No more strained relationship between the US and IsraelShe will be a hard act to follow. US ambassador to the UN, Nikky Haley, has just announced that she will be stepping down...
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A Torah Dedication that was a Disgrace
Scenes from a Boro Park Hachnosas Sefer Torah (more available at YWN)I have attended many Torah Scroll dedications (Hachnasas Sefer Torah) here in Chicago. Every single one of them were a Kiddush...
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When Humanitarian Values Conflict with Halacha
Image for illustration purposes only (Times of Israel)It is really simple if you think about it Halachicly. And at the same time it is quite complex if you think about it sociologically in our day. How...
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Refuting a Rebuttal
I’m always reluctant to discuss the intersection of science and Torah. It always brings out the atheists and doubters that have an unshakable faith in science. They trust ‘their eyes; more than their...
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Evil in the Name of God
Aisha Mohammad Aravi, was killed near a West Bank checkpoint south of Sh'chemI take second place to no one when it comes to understanding the hatred so many Palestinians have for the Jewish people. But...
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The Internet: From Rejection to an Embrace
Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt of the CER (Arutz Sheva)Back in May of 2012, there was an Asifa (gathering) organized by prominent rabbinic figures to deal with the rising problem of internet use. It was...
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The Dangers of Media and Academic Bias
Scene from the Islamist bombing of the Boston Marathon in April of 2013I recently watched a TV political drama whose writers clearly have a decidedly liberal/left political ideology. The plot involved...
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‘#MeToo’ is Not Enough
Aly Rasiman giving an impact statement at the Nassar trialFamed Olympic gold medalist and #MeToo advocate, Aly Raisman, recently posed in the nude for the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition. Ms....
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Do Orthodox Children Really Believe in God?
Do they really believe in God?Rabbi Dr. Jay Goldmintz has written a fascinating article on the OU website that asks the following question: Do Our Kids Really Believe inGod? One might think this is a...
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No, Modesty is Not Enough. But...
Laura E. Adkins, Deputy Opinion Editor of the ForwardForward columnist and deputy opinion editor, Laura E. Adkins identifies as an Orthodox Jew. Which makes her response to Rabbi Avi Shafran’s Tablet...
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Of Anti-Vaxxers and Conspiracy Theories
I am not a huge fan of conspiracy theories. In fact, I believe most such theories are ridiculous and held by people whose mental state borders on paranoia. Paranoia is a personality disorder...
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Date Rape in Orthodoxy
Photo for illustration purposes onlyI admire Asher Lovy. He is a fierce advocate of behalf of survivors of sexual abuse – and, I believe a survivor himself. But I do not always agree with him. At least...
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The Boro Park Factor and the Secular Education of Chasidim
Street dedication event on 13th Avenue in Boro ParkI spent the day yesterday in the Boro Park section of Brooklyn. The first time I visited that area, back when I was in high school it was populated by...
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Wisdom Has Left the Building
Former CIA director, John Brennan - an over the top critic of the President (NBC)There is little doubt in my mind that the President of the United States shares at least some responsibility for recent...
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The Steinzaltz Humash
By Paul ShavivAlthough I have done so in the past, I do not usually publish book reviews. But when I believe the occasion warrants it, I do. This is one of those occasions. The Koren Steinzaltz Humash...
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A Sad Day For Jews; A Sad Day for America
Vigil in front of the Squirrel Hill Synagogue in the aftermath of the massacre Eleven Jewish lives were snuffed out yesterday. Robert Bowers - a lone gunman whose hatred of Jews is so extreme that...
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Zero Tolerance Run Amuck
Judge Ruchie Freier and Megyn Kelly (screenshot)After what happened in Pittsburgh over Shabbos, I find it difficult to discuss a subject that by comparison seems trivial. The following was the subject...
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Politicizing a Tragedy
Member of the Knesset, Michael Oren (Times of Israel)I have always been a fan of Israel’s former Ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren. I generally agreed with his political perspective. But...
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The State of Orthodox Jewry in the UK
Rabbi Mordechai Rose (TOI)Is the handwriting on the wall in the UK? There are those who say it quite likely is. The issue that precipitates that question (and that response) is Britain’s educational...
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