Category: Other

Albo: Collected Writings, edited by Shira Weiss, is an important and welcome contribution to the study of medieval Jewish philosophy, making the thought of the Spaniard Joseph Albo (1380-1444) newly accessible to contemporary readers….

Think Like a Spook and the Answer is Obvious – Trump is a Genius

A couple of days ago Israeli warplanes bombed small part of Iran’s South Pars gas field, a gas field it shares with Qatar, causing significant damages to that part. Then,…

The period before Passover each year marks celebration of Purim, and of the Jewish people’s triumph over the genocidal designs of Haman in ancient Persia; and preparation for Pesach itself, including a review of the…

“My concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side…” – Abraham Lincoln (1809 -1865)

There are many questions about Bob Dylan, few definitive answers.

1- Is he the greatest songwriter ever?

The…

To my friends and family in Israel—

I write to you from afar, but not from a distance of the heart.

As a Reform rabbi and a proud Zionist living in the United States, I find myself part of a vast and deeply committed network of people and…

And if you are Secretary of Defense, stop calling yourself “Secretary of War.” Stop glorifying it. Don’t revel in killing thousands at the push of a button. Don’t make fun of your enemies, much less your allies, even less the people…

Just about 19 years ago, I was sitting in the cheder ochel of Michlalah as the 2006/7 seminary year came to a close. The end of the year banquet included (among other things) a celebratory meal and many speeches. Aside from the teachers who…

MAZEL TOV! A phrase that the world knows to be of celebration and wishing luck. What is luck? In Hebrew, MAZEL refers to nature, and the laws of nature including all of the magical systems that we see in front of our eyes, consistent day…

We had a quiet Monday night. No warnings or sirens after 9:30 PM.

To my amazement, as I was getting my morning cup of coffee from the restaurant’s coffee maker—an Americano in a cup half the size I’m used to—a live toy poodle scurried…