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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:
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- Emily Oster: The Economist in the Delivery Room
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- The Pervert’s Progress: Costin Vlad Alamariu and the Making of Bronze Age Pervert
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- John T. Jost: The Psychologist of Acquiescence
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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)
* 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)
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Category Archives: Judaism
Yisroel Pensack: Succot Message From Berkeley Mohel
Berkeley-based Orthodox rabbi and mohel Chanan Feld, who is unable to work or speak due to complications of oral cancer, has issued a message for the Succot holiday that starts tonight. Succot is often called the Harvest holiday. But what … Continue reading
Posted in Judaism, Mohel, Yisroel Pensack
Tagged Berkeley, R. Chanan Feld, Succot
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Dull Books For Yom Kippur
I afflicted my soul on Yom Kippur by reading a couple of very dull, poorly written academic books on Judaism. The first one had the exciting title: Between Redemption and Doom: The Strains of German-Jewish Modernism. I gave up on … Continue reading
Posted in Book Reviews, Germany, Judaism
Tagged academic books, conversion to judaism, dull books, gideon klein, hebrew prayers, jewish modernism, jewish neighbors, jim zorn, orthodox rabbi, public identity, rabbi robert, reform rabbi, washington redskins, yom kippur
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I Want To Keep On Loving You
I have a hard time staying patient with love. If a woman is dissing me, and I can’t recall a relationship where the woman has not constantly challenged me by not returning my calls and doing other things to cut … Continue reading
Posted in Dallas, Judaism
Tagged balls, dallas cowboys, hard time, patience, reciprocal relationship
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Seeking A Mate On Yom Kippur
From the Los Angeles Times: Yom Kippur, the holiest and most somber day of the Jewish calendar, is a time for repentance, traditionally reserved for fasting and intense prayer. But scores of Iranian American Jews in Los Angeles, many of … Continue reading
Posted in Dating, Judaism
Tagged american jews, azizi, day of atonement, intense prayer, romantic interests, soul mate
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Ask Forgiveness Face-To-Face
From the Detroit Free Press: The Jewish high holidays — which end today on Yom Kippur — are a time when many are called upon to repent and seek forgiveness from others. But in a world where the Internet has … Continue reading
Posted in Judaism
Tagged day of atonement, detroit free press, Facebook, impersonal nature, jewish holy days, tamarack camps
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Dallas Cowboys Announcer Honors Yom Kippur
From the Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Around here, football is a religion ? at times the only religion that matters. With its own codes and customs, its power to lift and to humble, football ? especially Cowboys football ? can be … Continue reading
Posted in Dallas, Judaism
Tagged brad sham, cowboys game, dallas cowboys, fort worth star telegram, jonah and the whale, worth star telegram
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Yisroel Pensack: Imagine The Difference — If They Had All Just First Taken The Time To Read This Book
I wonder if this book and these three articles will now become required reading for animal lab technicians and researchers at Yale University and graduate students at Columbia University.
Posted in Aish HaTorah, Animals, Books, Christianity, Crime, Education, Intermarriage, Judaism, Weddings, Yisroel Pensack
Tagged columbia university, yale university
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Conservative Movement Joins Fight Against Kapparot
From the Jerusalem Post: The Masorti (Conservative) Movement will join forces with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals – Tel Aviv to fight against the Jewish custom known as kapparot that involves slaughtering chickens as a way … Continue reading
Posted in Conservative Judaism, Judaism
Tagged gil student, jerusalem post, native english speaker, prevention of cruelty to animals, rabbi yosef karo, slaughtering chickens
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“The Most Fundamental Tenet Of Judaism”
In an aish.com article, Rabbi Noson Weisz writes that . . . contrary to popular belief, Rosh Hashanah is not about reward and punishment. The Talmud informs us that mitzvot cannot be rewarded in this world (Kiddushin 39b). The commentators explain … Continue reading
Posted in Aish HaTorah, Judaism, Yisroel Pensack
Tagged aish.com, Rabbi Dessler, Rabbi Noson Weisz, rosh hashanah
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Robert Novak’s Jewish Roots
Nachum Lamm posts: Wikipedia (I know, I know) tells us: "Novak’s parents had a Jewish background, but they avoided interaction with their local Jewish community and rarely attended religious services. Neighbors falsely considered Novak’s family to be Polish." And this … Continue reading
Posted in Judaism, Politics
Tagged converts to islam, hebrew schools, liberalism is a mental disorder, marvin olasky, robert novak, sting operation
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