Commentary
Parshat Bereishit: Taking Responsibility
If leadership is the solution, what is the problem? On this, the Torah could not be more specific. The problem is a failure of...
COVID-19, Haredi Jews and the Error of ‘Piety’
One of the most disturbing features of the pandemic has been the behavior of huge swathes of the Haredi community across the globe. There have, thank goodness, been exceptions -- rabbis of significant standing who have...
When Too Much Is Happening, Enter the Sukkah
JNS.org - We are approaching a psychic and emotional danger zone. Too much is happening. We’re on news overload. The multiple crises that have shaken us in 2020 seem to be converging and climaxing. The...
The Holidays Are a Time to Reflect
What is the festival of Shmini Atzeret really about? Why do we need an extra day of yomtov at the end of Sukkot? The Midrash offers a wonderful suggestion. God is reluctant to let us go,...
Jewish Groups Should Engage and Push Back on AOC
If anyone is truly perplexed at Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC)’s refusal to engage with mainstream Jewish...
How False Assumptions Prevent Israeli-Palestinian Peace
JNS.org - A 2016 clip of then-secretary of state John Kerry claiming there will be...
Henry Ford II: Not a Chip Off the Old Block
The notorious antisemitism of Henry Ford is as well-known as the philosemitism of his grandson,...
On COVID-19, True Leadership Is the Ability to Listen
Sitting outside in the square-shaped courtyard, we awaited his arrival. The patio was enclosed on...
Defining Antisemitism as a Jewish Problem Is a Lose-Lose Proposition
Antisemitism is an ancient problem. Throughout Jewish history in the Diaspora, Jews lacked the power...
Parshat Bereishit: Taking Responsibility
If leadership is the solution, what is the problem? On this, the Torah could not be more specific. The problem is a failure of responsibility. The...
COVID-19, Haredi Jews and the Error of ‘Piety’
One of the most disturbing features of the pandemic has been the behavior of huge swathes of the Haredi community across the globe. There have, thank...
When Too Much Is Happening, Enter the Sukkah
JNS.org - We are approaching a psychic and emotional danger zone. Too much is happening. We’re on news overload. The multiple crises that have shaken...
The Holidays Are a Time to Reflect
What is the festival of Shmini Atzeret really about? Why do we need an extra day of yomtov at the end of Sukkot? The Midrash offers...
Jewish Groups Should Engage and Push Back on AOC
If anyone is truly perplexed at Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC)’s refusal to engage with mainstream Jewish leaders, they either haven’t been paying attention or they’ve ignored...
How False Assumptions Prevent Israeli-Palestinian Peace
JNS.org - A 2016 clip of then-secretary of state John Kerry claiming there will be no separate peace between Israel and the Arab world before...
Henry Ford II: Not a Chip Off the Old Block
The notorious antisemitism of Henry Ford is as well-known as the philosemitism of his grandson, Henry Ford II, is little-known. Everything negative said about Henry Ford...
On COVID-19, True Leadership Is the Ability to Listen
Sitting outside in the square-shaped courtyard, we awaited his arrival. The patio was enclosed on three sides, and only a twisting, lurching angle would allow...
Defining Antisemitism as a Jewish Problem Is a Lose-Lose Proposition
Antisemitism is an ancient problem. Throughout Jewish history in the Diaspora, Jews lacked the power and resources to do much of anything to fight Jew-hatred...
Who First Said Anti-Zionism Isn’t Antisemitism?
The answer to the question posed in the title to this article is -- I’m not sure. I don’t know if anyone has the answer,...
An Unorthodox Approach to Filmmaking During Quarantine
To quote Mark Duplass, “the cavalry isn’t coming” -- and we can rest assured it’s definitely not going to come while we’re in quarantine. Duplass, the...
New York Times Flunks Again in Coverage of Jews and Coronavirus
Double standards. Factual errors. Disproportionate coverage and lack of context. Conflicting information. The problems that consistently afflict New York Times coverage of Jews and Judaism, particularly...
Peter Beinart, the New York Times and the Coming Campaign to Eliminate Israel
The recent news that Peter Beinart has been hired as a contributing opinion writer to The New York Times was not shocking, but it is...
Jerusalem’s History Revisited and Revised
Confined to my home library by the corona virus shutdown of our public library, I recently reread Jerusalem Besieged (2004) by George Washington University Professor...
