- https://PayPal.Me/lukeisback
"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:
- Robert Putnam: The Man Who Counted What America Lost
- W. Bradford Wilcox: The Sociologist Who Tells America to Get Married
- Peter Moskos: The Cop Who Talks to People
- Julius Krein
- Ryan Burge: The Numbers Man in the Empty Church
- Emily Oster: The Economist in the Delivery Room
- The Most Ridiculous Story Ever Told
- Tanner Greer
- Economist Tyler Cowen
- Richard Reeves: A Life in Institutions
- Jake Adelstein: The Reporter Who Became His Story
- Jim Goad (1961-2026)
- Moira Greyland
- Robert Oscar Lopez: The Inconvenient Witness
- Two Ledgers: Decoding the Gurus and the Price of Talk
- The Pervert’s Progress: Costin Vlad Alamariu and the Making of Bronze Age Pervert
- Curtis Yarvin: A Life Against Democracy
- Mark Helprin: Against the Current
- Mark Brandt: The Man Who Asked Who Else Is Prejudiced
- John T. Jost: The Psychologist of Acquiescence
BEST POSTS:
- * 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)
* Centering Marginalized Voices (6-1-26)
* 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)
* What It Would Mean for the Los Angeles Times to Put the Reader First? (6-1-26)
* 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)
* The City of Private Rooms (5-25-26)
Category Archives: Conversion
Orthodox Judaism’s Conversion Controversy
To quote Toby Katz, commenting on Cross-Currents: The RCA is upset because so many RCA rabbis have done conversions that they never should have done — converting women who had no intention of ever keeping mitzvos, just so they could … Continue reading
Posted in Conversion
Tagged contrary, conversion controversy, conversion to judaism, conversions, converts, converts to judaism, cross currents, fallout, friendship, halachic, i don t care, intention, jewish men, jewish women, Jews, judgments, katz, million things, nuts, orthodox judaism, personal tragedies, press release, quotes, Rabbis, RCA, religious life, shortcomings, streams, taking sides, Truth
Comments Off on Orthodox Judaism’s Conversion Controversy
Judaism’s Conversion Controversy
A lot of people ask me for my opinion — as a convert to Judaism — on this controversy. I don’t have one. I accept reality. I’m not trying to change it (in this instance). Some Orthodox shuls count me … Continue reading
Posted in Conversion
Tagged Conservative Judaism, conversions, converts, dins, jew, jewish history, jewish law, jewish values, loyal reader, meds, minyan, orthodox conversion, orthodox judaism, orthodox rabbis, outrage, RCC, religious extremists, revocation, rsquo, torah laws
Comments Off on Judaism’s Conversion Controversy
Conversion Controversy
Eytan Kobre writes: Below I share with you (with very minor changes) the e-mail letter I sent today to Dina Kraft, a JTA reporter, responding to her article on the JTA website regarding the controversy over the ruling of an … Continue reading
Posted in Conversion, Journalism
Tagged acknowledgement, conversion controversy, conversions, converts, diaspora, e mail, feuerstein, itim, JTA, Judaism, kobre, mail letter, minor changes, objectivity, public outrage, rabbi, rabbinical council of america, religious commitment, seth farber, tzohar
Comments Off on Conversion Controversy
Conversion Controversy
Hirhurim reports: Late last week, the Chief Rabbinical High Court in Israel ruled that all conversions over the past 20 years by R. Haim Druckman–the head of the Conversion Administration–are invalid. This led to an uproar and Chief (Sephardic) Rabbi … Continue reading
Posted in Conversion
Tagged appeals court, chief rabbi, conversion controversy, conversions, goren, Hirhurim, israeli court, leviticus 19, nrp, oppression, plural form, rabbi chaim, rabbi shlomo amar, rabbinical council of america, rabbinical court, rabbinical courts, respect due, screed, state conversion, uproar
Comments Off on Conversion Controversy
You Are Not Jewish II
From the May 5 Haaretz: Asher Maoz writes: These are painful statements, but they must be said loud and clear: Two peoples live in this land, both Jewish – they and we. They are the ultra-Orthodox, who see themselves as … Continue reading
Posted in Conversion, Orthodoxy
Tagged asher, conscience, emissaries, family trees, goodwill, haaretz, hush money, investigative committee, jewish state, Judaism, laws of moses, maoz, men and women, one people, status quo, two peoples, whims, willingness, yeshivas, young men
Comments Off on You Are Not Jewish II
You Are Not Jewish
Gadi Pickholz from the Israel Fathers Rights Advocacy Council writes: Luke: While you waste your time writing nonsense because of a lack of knowledge of what is really going on in Judaism, let me inform you of two major historic … Continue reading
Posted in Conversion
Tagged advocacy council, akiva, chief rabbi, conversions, cowards, english translations, fathers rights, Judaism, lack of knowledge, metropolitan tel aviv, Modern Orthodox, orthodox rabbis, pretense, pulpit, rabbinate, RCC, rishon lezion, rude awakening, scandelous, sermons
Comments Off on You Are Not Jewish
The Return Of Chavi The Convert
From my live cam chat: YourMoralLeader: what’s new in your jewish journey chavi? reading anything good? YourMoralLeader: saw your new blog posts Chavi: Thanks 🙂 Where is ElShaddai, anyhow? YourMoralLeader: wherever you invite him in Chavi: Ha ha … Chavi: … Continue reading
Posted in Chavi, Conversion
Tagged best friend, bookshelf, course emma, faith of a mustard seed, financial aid, friends family, health requirements, horse lover, horses, jewish journey, live cam chat, nbsp, one of my best friends, oy ve, sunburn, Torah, two shots, washington state, weather, yml
Comments Off on The Return Of Chavi The Convert
Jewish Convert Chick In Chicago
Chaviva writes: This is the short version of my path toward Judaism, up to the present. I could go on for hours about my 8th grade teacher and his unit on the Holocaust or the people at South Street Temple … Continue reading
Posted in Conversion
Tagged armstong, bedroom walls, bible belt, chick, delicious meal, devout christians, dinner table, fifth grade, golden rule, grade teacher, heart and mind, Holocaust, Judaism, rsquo, sleep, sleep at night, south street temple, southern missouri, ted, vacation bible school
Comments Off on Jewish Convert Chick In Chicago
What’s In A Name For A Jew?
Chavy Jo writes: My given name is plain. Absolutely generic. I’m okay saying it here in the blogosphere because it is that plain: Amanda Edwards. Even my middle name is plain. I didn’t get through my senior year of high … Continue reading
Posted in Conversion
Tagged 20 odd years, amandas, beauty and grace, blogosphere, chavy, cohens, curiosities, everlasting life, god so loved the world, hebrew name, jew, jewish community, jewish friends, library books, love quot, middle name, rabbi, senior year, wal mart, years of my life
Comments Off on What’s In A Name For A Jew?
Do Converts To Judaism Get It?
From my live cam chat: Frank: sometimes i think the community needs someone like u Frank: other times u pick on people that dont deserve picking onYourMoralLeader: i only pick on people who choose to be public figures Frank: i … Continue reading
Posted in Conversion, Personal
Tagged asshole, baal, consequences, converts to judaism, full disclosure, hierarchy, illigitimate, jewish journey, leadership position, legitimacy, live cam chat, lol, Marriage, nathan levy, rabbi, scrutiny
Comments Off on Do Converts To Judaism Get It?