Category Archives: Rabbis

When Did You Last Hear A Rabbi Berate His Congregation?

Posted on June 30, 2013 by Luke Ford

I’ve never heard a rabbi berate his congregation. I know it happened in the past but it is rare these days. Marc Shapiro replies to my question: “[It is] not very common today, but in traditional societies it certainly happened. … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Marc B. Shapiro, Rabbis | Comments Off on When Did You Last Hear A Rabbi Berate His Congregation?

What Significance Did R. David Hartman Have To Judaism?

Posted on February 12, 2013 by Luke Ford

Now that Rabbi Hartman is dead, his constituency, the news media, is publishing flattering obituaries. I’m wondering what was R. Hartman’s significance aside from headlines? He was undoubtedly a scholar, but to me he was an abstruse thinker like R. … Continue reading →

Posted in Rabbis | Comments Off on What Significance Did R. David Hartman Have To Judaism?

My Frightened Defiant Response To Authority

Posted on January 1, 2013 by Luke Ford

I’d react identically if my father or my rabbi or my God or my boss posted on my FB page. I’d be frightened that I’d been naughty. It’s weird to me that all my reactions to authority are identical. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Rabbis | Comments Off on My Frightened Defiant Response To Authority

Rabbis Talk Differently To Other Rabbis

Posted on December 26, 2012 by Luke Ford

In his fourth lecture on Rabbi Shlomo Yosef Zevin, history professor Marc B. Shapiro says: Wikipedia has everything you need. In the rabbinic world, you don’t have book reviews [like what Rav Zevin did in Sofrim U’Sefarim]. It’s not part … Continue reading →

Posted in Hasidim, Marc B. Shapiro, Rabbis | Comments Off on Rabbis Talk Differently To Other Rabbis

Is My Writing Toxic?

Posted on August 15, 2012 by Luke Ford

In the first 11 years of my Jewish journey, I never wanted to write anything bad about any rabbi. I revered rabbis. I knew there were bad ones, but I revered the profession as a whole. Then I got kicked … Continue reading →

Posted in Personal, Rabbis | Comments Off on Is My Writing Toxic?