- 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: Judaism
‘I Want You To Come To My Funeral Naked’
Rabbi Michael Broyde, a dayan (rabbinic judge) in the Beth Din of America, was in Los Angeles recently and he gave a lecture presenting four cases he’d presided over. “One you’re going to hate me for,” he said at the … Continue reading
Modern Orthodoxy
Sitting in shul, I raced through Edward S. Shapiro’s (he is the father of Marc B. Shapiro) 2005 collection of essays — We Are Many: Reflections On American Jewish History And Identity. Here are excerpts of Shapiro’s essay in the … Continue reading
Four Orthodox Rabbis Respond To Dennis Prager’s O.U. Speech
Here’s the audio file of a Tuesday night panel discussion at Beth Jacob between rabbis Asher Brander, Yitzchok Adlerstein, and Shalom Tendler. It was moderated by Rabbi Daniel Korobkin. The discussion was standing room only (with about 150 people in … Continue reading
Interview With ‘The Jewish Century’ Author Yuri Slezkine
Here’s the audio (part two). Luke: “Are there are any ways you would refine your book [today]?” Yuri: “I would explain in greater detail Mercurianism and Apollonianism…where human beings end and metaphors begin.” “I would say more about Judaism the … Continue reading
Posted in Audio, Author Interviews, Judaism
Comments Off on Interview With ‘The Jewish Century’ Author Yuri Slezkine
Daily Bruin Columnist: Give Kicking Rabbi The Boot
David Lazar writes: …But Hillel has allowed Seidler-Feller to serve as director of UCLA‚Äôs branch, which is an embarrassment to the campus community. If not for the shocking and inexcusable nature of the attack itself, Seidler-Feller should be let go … Continue reading
L.A. Rabbi Accused Of Stealing Torah Scroll From Widow
The Los Angeles Daily News reports.
Davening Under The Influence – Drug And Alcohol Abuse Among Orthodox Youth
Jane emails about Sunday night’s program at Beth Jacob: It was not so well attended. More people came later. I don’t understand parents of this community. Why live in denial? They showed a film of some of the kids in … Continue reading
UCLA Hillel rabbi apologizes, settles 2003 case with woman journalist
Gaby Friedman writes in the Jewish Journal: Rabbi Chaim Seidler-Feller, UCLA Hillel director, was accused by Rachel Neuwirth of verbally and physically assaulting her outside Royce Hall, on the UCLA campus, during a speech by Alan Dershowitz more than four … Continue reading
Posted in Abuse, Journalism, Judaism
Comments Off on UCLA Hillel rabbi apologizes, settles 2003 case with woman journalist
The Fight for Jerusalem: Radical Islam, the West, and the Future of the Holy City By Dore Gold
The former U.N. ambassador for Israel spoke Thursday night about his new book The Fight for Jerusalem to a joint meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition and the David Horowitz Freedom Center. Melrose Larry Green was among the first to … Continue reading
Posted in Christianity, Judaism, Orthodoxy, Politics
Comments Off on The Fight for Jerusalem: Radical Islam, the West, and the Future of the Holy City By Dore Gold
Purim Drinking aka The Taming of Orthodox Judaism
Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, a psychologist and executive director of the Orthodox Union, emails: Dear Friends: We hope this letter finds you eagerly anticipating the wonderful holiday of Purim. Celebrating the miracle of Purim is a most enjoyable time for … Continue reading