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"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
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- 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)
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Category Archives: Judaism
A Christian Challenge From My Dad
A Christian theologian who happens to be my father emails me: You would have become (or could be) a great lawyer. I am sure you have won many arguments over the years. You should be prepared for the following arguments: … Continue reading
Posted in Adventist, Christianity, Judaism, Personal
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The Glories Of Judaism
I grew up a Christian and nobody I knew mocked converts to Christianity. Rather, they were extolled. I converted to Orthodox Judaism and I feel most at home with a crowd that mocks me constantly for my conversion, says I’m … Continue reading
Posted in Judaism
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Obsession with sin is strictly Christian
No other religion has it. I’ve never heard nor even heard or nor read any Jewish sermon against sin. In Reform and Conservative Judaism, there’s virtually no talk of sin and everything Jewish you want to do is applauded. In … Continue reading
Posted in Christianity, Jews, Judaism, Orthodoxy
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Jewish Masochism
I did not knowingly meet an identifying Jew until I arrived at UCLA at age 22 but I read a lot about Jews and much of it mystified me. In particular, why were so many things identified as Jewish that … Continue reading
How Do You Get Through Shabbos Morning Services?
A typical Jewish Saturday morning service at synagogue will last nearly three hours. How do you survive that? It verges on the impossible for me to survive this unless I have friends with me. A holy book I can study … Continue reading
Posted in Judaism
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Losing My Illusions About Religion
I’m never surprised when Jews avoid the burdens of Orthodox Judaism. It is a difficult religion and only an elite are ever going to be able to shoulder it. Most people would rather do easier things, get easier spiritual highs … Continue reading
My Contempt For Spirituality
When people use certain words and phrases such as “I’m spiritual, not religious” and “inclusive”, I tend to dismiss them. I’m not into touchy feely talk. Healing the wounded inner child within gives me the willies. In my experience, most … Continue reading
Posted in Addiction, Judaism, Personal
Tagged better man, conceptual models, fellow seekers, inner child, institutional religion, noble intentions, shibboleth, touchy feely, willies
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My Conversion To Judaism Story
This guy in shul was told my story, and so he asked me for chizuk, for strengthening. He was Orthodox from birth but he struggled with some typical guy stuff. He knew I had chosen Torah. He wanted to know … Continue reading
Posted in Judaism, Personal
Tagged conversion to judaism, davening, orthodox jew, orthodox jews, reform jews, shuls
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How Do You Define Quality Of Life?
Rabbi Efrem Goldberg writes: He was a complete stranger when I sat down, but after a three-and-a-half hour delay, I had made a new friend. The elderly gentleman sitting next to me bemoaned our unexpected wait and we proceeded to … Continue reading
Posted in Judaism
Tagged difficult conversations, efrem, elderly gentleman, ipad, straight hours, traditional upbringing
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What Mourning Means
I remember learning in my initial studies into the Jewish calendar that as the summer gets hotter, Judaism gets sadder with fast days and other restrictions leading up to Tisha B’Av, the only 25-hour fast aside from Yom Kippur. Rabbi … Continue reading
Posted in Judaism
Tagged beit hamikdash, doing laundry, losing a parent, pleasurable activities, rosh chodesh av, wearing leather shoes
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