Rabbi Dov Lipman and I have similar ideas when it comes to education. He and his party, Yesh Atid, are in my opinion, fighting God’s war to ensure that all children in Israel have the ability to get a proper education. As it stands many children from the Haredi sector…
Rabbinic Plagiarism and Scholarly Integrity?
There have been a number of serious scandals recently involving rabbis who have been less than honest when it comes to their scholarly work. First the Chief Rabbi for France, Rabbi Gilles Bernheim was forced to resign because he plagiarized work from multiple authors, including famous post-modern philosopher Jean-Franois Lyotard….
Autism and the Importance of Purpose
This month, April, has been Autism Awareness Month. The first time I encountered Autism was when I was about 18-years-old and I was visiting my brother in New York City. I saw a minivan pull up and drop off a child – the son of one of his neighbors. The…
Is Judaism a Cult?
Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief by Lawrence Wright is a truly troubling book. It details the ‘religion ‘ of Scientology from its founding in the 1950’s to the present day. What I found most disturbing, however, was the description of the Sea Organization, which is Scientology’s…
The Power of Jewish Prayer
As a child I used to loathe praying. It was all in Hebrew, a language I did not understand, it took a long time and it seemed meaningless. My antipathy for prayer extended to the synagogue. Going to the synagogue on Saturday mornings was a real chore. I made sure…
Celebrate a Seder of Freedom
As an immigrant to the United States — having moved here from the UK in 2005 — I have a deep appreciation for this country. Despite the fact that some in government want to place restrictions of everything we do down to the size of drinks we buy, what amazes…
Why I Care About Judaism – Love of Life
Most other religions have a central figure from the past who they venerate and often deify. It’s either the son of God, God’s last prophet on earth, The Buddha or some other central divine-like figure from the past. Curiously, in Judaism there is no such central figure. The closest we…
What Jewish Theology?
Jewish theology is a huge topic and I could not possibly do it justice in a short article. In this series I am trying to give a personal account of why I care about Judaism, so here I will explain Judaism’s approach to theology from the perspective of my own…
Why I Care About Judaism – Milestones & Goals
When I turned 20, I set a goal for myself to become a published author at age 30…At 30, I set a new goal for when I reach 40. Next week, according to the Jewish calendar, I turn 35-years-old. I have never been particularly enthusiastic about celebrating birthdays. Our society…
Why I Care About Judaism’s Do’s and Don’ts
‘Levi is not yet ready for elementary school because he has not yet learned to follow authority, ‘ the preschool director explained to my mother gravely. Ancient Biblical and Talmudic Judaism is heavy on ritual and light on theology. In fact if you look throughout history, the focus on ritualistic…