Posts Tagged: judaism
Holy Secularism: A Visit to the Tavor Academy
One of the defining characteristics of life in Israel is the ongoing encounter and grappling with Judaism and Jewish identity. Largely unnoticed outside of the...
Calling for Religious Unity Only Leads to Division
In our day, the word “tolerance” has become very popular, as have words such as “pluralism,” “democracy” and “unity.” These terms are used so often...
First-Ever Deaf Director of Hillel Aims to Enable Hard-of-Hearing Students to Embrace Their Jewish Identity
The first ever Deaf director of the branch for the Deaf of the campus Jewish organization Hillel said he is aiming to solve the "huge problem"...
The Past, Present and Future of the Jews
Ki Ani Hashem Lo Shaniti (Malachi 3:6), "Because I am God, I do not change." A close reading of the very final words of the official...
The Abuse of Halacha, Part II
In my last essay, I questioned why so many highly unfortunate things have been done in the name of Jewish law – all in direct violation...
The Abuse of Halacha: Keeping Religious Law Under Control
Judaism is in trouble. More and more unacceptable things are being done and said in its name. Aside from causing infinite damage to Judaism’s great message, these...
The (Face)Book of Life
There is a story told about one of the rabbinical sages of the 19th century. Someone brought this rabbi a model of a telephone shortly after it...
Being Religious About Shabbat Means Connecting With God
Many people today sneer at keeping Shabbat. To them, Shabbat observance smacks of everything that's wrong with religion. As someone who started keeping the sabbath so my...
Jordanian Prince, Jewish Academic Call on Muslims, Jews to Unite Against ‘Savage’ ISIS Assault on Christians
A Jordanian prince and a Jewish academic are calling on Jews and Muslims to unite in religious tolerance to stop the spread of ISIS-perpetrated hatred against...
Why Are Jews Not ‘Radicalized?’
According to the most popular and largely dominant theory of why Muslims become radicalized, the more they feel discriminated against, the more likely they are...
Why People Hate God, and Why They’re Wrong
My late father insisted that religion was bad for the world, because it caused so many wars. I tried for years to convince him otherwise (unsuccessfully, of course),...
Can Different Jews Unite for the High Holidays?
JNS.org - In April 2015 – in the aftermath of the death of 25-year-old African-American man Freddie Gray inside a police van after being arrested by...
The Gift of Jewish Chaos
The Fractured Republic is a book by Yuval Levin, subtitled “Renewing America’s Social Contract in the Age of Individualism.” He regrets the tendency to think...
There Is No Faith Without Uncertainty
Faith means striving for faith. It is never an arrival. It can only burst forth at singular moments. It does not arise out of logical...
