Posts Tagged: Jeremy Rosen
Passover Defies Logic, But It Works
Pesach, like all of religion, defies logic. That does not make it any less significant, valid or effective. The whole of mysticism, you might say, all...
The Israeli Military and the Jewish Law of Self Defense
The case of an Israeli soldier shooting an injured, disarmed terrorist has divided Israel along the usual and predictable lines. Those who are sensitive to ethical...
What We Can Learn From Existentialism
Caught between alternative moral positions, how does a thinking person determine what to do? Of course, your average person cares more about drink, sex and sport...
Why I Don’t Criticize Israel More
Once again, I feel the need to defend my position on Israel. I do not identify with the political climate in Israel today nor with its...
Reflecting on Purim — Then and Now
There is a trend in certain quarters to look at the story of Purim as one of Jewish aggression -- the murder of innocent Persian non-Jews, and...
Why Religion Needs Risk
There is no word I know of in the Bible for “risk.” Modern Hebrew uses the word “sakanah,” which really means “danger.” “Risk” in modern...
The Modern Middle East: Founding Mistakes and Ways Forward
Nowadays, reasoned and calm political debate is as lost as Atlantis. In most societies, positions are polarized, and as a result, the views and opinions that circulate...
Judaism Tells Us to Appreciate the Positive, But Seek Out More
It has been a while since I tackled a theological subject. But a recent need for self-criticism and introspection drew me back to one of...
The Lines That Divide Us as Jews — and Human Beings
Fifty years ago, I had the privilege of studying in a great yeshiva in Israel. In those days, there were none of the more modern...
Avoid the Zealots Who Have Dibs on ‘Orthodoxy’
There has been a lot of debate recently about what defines Modern Orthodoxy. The latest “term” is “Open Orthodoxy” as opposed to “Modern,” “Rational," “Halachic,"...
The Disgrace of Associating Toni Morrison With Primo Levi
A side benefit of reviewing books is that I often get books I otherwise might not splurge on. A week ago, I received the handsome three-volume set...
Remembering Yossi Sarid, a True Embodiment of the Israeli Left
I was in Israel when Yossi Sarid died. Who was he? Most Jews in the Diaspora have no idea. On the face of it, he...
Reflecting on the Jewish Experience in America
Puddingstone is a novel by Mark Mirsky about a Jew growing up in the area near Franklin Park in Boston in the 1960s. It's a world...
Finding a Balance in the Meaning of Hanukkah
The Hanukkah story is a good example of how a religious culture can develop over time and why. It is, in fact, based on historically documented...
