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"Luke Ford reports all of the 'juicy' quotes, and has been doing it for years." (Marc B. Shapiro)
"This guy knows all the gossip, the ins and outs, the lashon hara of the Orthodox world. He’s an [expert] in... all the inner workings of the Orthodox world." (Rabbi Aaron Rakeffet-Rothkoff) LATEST POSTS:
- Dennis Prager v Cedars-Sinai Lawsuit
- Dennis Prager Through Randall Collins: Interaction Ritual Chains
- What is a ‘Received Idea’?
- Jordan Bardella: The Manufacture of Normality
- Everyone Became Television: Bourdieu’s Warning and the 2026 Iran War
- Marine Le Pen
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- Nigel Farage
- Bernard Haykel: A Life Between the Text and the Gun
- Walker Connor (1926-2017)
- Benedict Anderson and the Nation as Imagination
- Anthony D. Smith: The Student Who Kept the Question and Rejected the Answer
- Ernest Gellner
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- Dominic Cummings: A Biography
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- Stephen Kotkin: A Life in Power
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- * The Enlightenment Wasn’t Enlightened (6-23-26)
* Mr. Burge Draws The Line (6-23-26)
* 'Improving on Democracy' (6-17-26)
* People Leak To People Who Are Fun (6-11-26)
* Why Does Australia Produce So Many Great Journalists? (6-11-26)
* Steve Wynn and the Press: Power, Litigation, and the Contest Over Las Vegas (6-3-26)
* Sheldon Adelson and the Journalists (6-3-26)
* The Vigilant Animal: Thinkers Who Reject the Myth of Human Gullibility (6-2-26)
* The Cost of Refusing the Misunderstanding Myth (6-2-26)
* Show Me How It Travels (6-2-26)
* The Norm Explainers (6-2-26)
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* What would it look like if the Washington Post put its reader first? (6-1-26)
* What would it look like if the Financial Times put its reader first? (6-1-26)
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* What It Would Mean for The New York Times to Put the Reader First? (6-1-26)
* Why Wembanyama Lives on the Perimeter (5-31-26)
* The Emotional Palettes Of San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco & Sacramento (5-27-26)
* The Administrative Capital: Sacramento Legal Culture (5-27-26)
* San Diego - The Quiet Republic (5-27-26)
* The Quiet Bar: San Diego Legal Culture (5-27-26)
* SF v LA Legal Culture (5-27-26)
* Why Talent Travels Poorly Between San Francisco and Los Angeles (5-27-26)
* San Francisco and Los Angeles as Rival Models of Urban Access (5-27-26)
* Social Cliques in New York, 2026 (5-25-26)
* Social Cliques in San Francisco, 2026 (5-25-26)
* The Rival Courts of Washington (5-25-26)
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Category Archives: Synagogue
No More Shul In San Bernadino
From The Los Angeles Times: Emanu El, once the only Jewish congregation in San Bernardino, moved east to Redlands last December, leaving one of the biggest cities in California with no center for organized Judaism. The controversial move, after more … Continue reading
Posted in Synagogue
Tagged cities in california, controversial move, freeway east, freeway west, jewish congregation, wagon train
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Shaarei Tefillah Ripped Apart Over Meir Kin Divorce Dispute?
Mark emails: Dear Luke: Regarding your article about Shaarei Tefila, Youve been mislead once again. There are about 5-6 disgruntled members of Sharrei Tefila who just come for the Shabbos Kiddush every week and dont even participate in the services. … Continue reading
Posted in Aaron Kin, Divorce, Meir Kin, R. Nochum Kosovsky, Rabbis, RCC, Shaarei Tefila, Synagogue
Tagged agunah, brother aaron, gabbai, orthodox shuls, rabbi yosef, shul, tefillah
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The Return
Over the past 18 months, I spent less time in synagogue than at any point since I started going to shul regularly in the fall of 1993. Until September 14, I was going through my Orthodox conversion to Judaism and … Continue reading
Posted in Personal, Synagogue
Tagged alexander technique teacher, conversion program, conversion to judaism, harmonious relationship, orthodox conversion, orthodox judaism
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Shul Shooting Update
The AP reports: Michael Bloom, 30, an Orthodox organizer with Hatzolah, a Jewish volunteer medical response team, grew up in the diverse neighborhood. He said there had been instances of Jews being insulted as they walked to the synagogue on … Continue reading
Posted in Synagogue
Tagged ap reports, dirty jew, gangs, medical response team, michael bloom, quot
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Staying Inside For Yizkor (Memorial Prayers)
Rav Yosef Kanefsky writes: Over the last couple of years, I have been urging everyone in shul to remain inside the sanctuary for Yizkor – even those who, thank God, have both parents alive. I have made this request in … Continue reading
Posted in Orthodoxy, R. Yosef Kanefsky, Synagogue
Tagged decorum, memorial prayers, missing the boat, sayers, shul, yom kippur
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Yisroel Pensack: San Francisco Orthodox Shul Plans $4.5 Million Building Renovation and Partial Redesign
Congregation Chevra Thilim, which describes itself as "San Francisco’s oldest Orthodox congregation," has launched a $4.5 million fundraising drive to renovate, partially redesign and upgrade its large sanctuary and social hall. The project also includes plans for new classrooms as … Continue reading
Posted in Brooklyn, Chabad, Conservative Judaism, Hasidim, Orthodoxy, San Francisco, Synagogue, Yisroel Pensack
Tagged Beth Sholom, Congegation Chevra Thilim, fundraising, redesign, renovation, upgrade
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Synagogue Self-Defense
From Huffington Post: The New York Post reports that a group of "badass rabbis" is teaching a synagogue self-defense course to terrorist-wary temple-goers. Lessons include "how to take down a terrorist by the neck, how to use a table as … Continue reading
Posted in Synagogue
Tagged new york post, nypd cop, Rabbis, self defense course, somersault, wes anderson
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Muslims Turn To Synagogues For Worship Space
One thing that most American synagogues have in spades is space. Jews don’t go to shul very often unless they’re Orthodox. Muslims, however, pour into their sacred spaces in increasing numbers in America (while fewer and fewer Jews go to … Continue reading
Posted in Islam, Synagogue
Tagged muslim population, orthodox muslims, prayer rugs, space jews, suburban synagogue, worship space
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Increased Security At Synagogues This Sabbath
One prominent shul on Pico Blvd emails its members: Dear Members, In light of the Jewish Institutions security situation in New York, we will be extra cautious this Shabbat. We request your cooperation and compliance with directives. There is no … Continue reading
Posted in Synagogue
Tagged armed guard, front doors, jewish institutions, pico blvd, shabbat shalom, shul
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