Category Archives: Haredi

Haaretz: From Bar Refaeli’s Torah Lessons to Paparazzi Shots of Rabbis: The ultra-Orthodox Love Affair With Gossip

Posted on December 6, 2018 by Luke Ford

From Haaretz: It was in the Shleikes Jewish food restaurant in Bnei Brak that I got the definitive proof of how gossip has conquered the ultra-Orthodox public. I had arrived for a joint interview with journalist Itzik Ohana, whose specialty … Continue reading →

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NYT: Do Children Get a Subpar Education in Yeshivas? New York Says It Will Finally Find Out

Posted on December 3, 2018 by Luke Ford

I suspect the reactions of most yeshivos will be to try to cheat the system. Dennis Prager remembers that when he taught at Brooklyn College, teachers found that yeshiva kids were more likely to cheat than other kids. From the … Continue reading →

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Hasidim Don’t Tell You How To Change Your Jewish Practice

Posted on August 6, 2017 by Luke Ford

In his part one lecture on the Ben Ish Chai for Torah in Motion, Marc Shapiro says: “Anyone over 30 knows how different things are today than when we were growing up… We are accustomed to thinking that this sort … Continue reading →

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Who Is The Most Highly Regarded Haredi Torah Scholar?

Posted on December 22, 2016 by Luke Ford

Marc B. Shapiro, history professor, writes: …opponents of R. Steinman have been very harsh in their evaluation of him, and a steady stream of publications has appeared designed to show that his views are not in line with the haredi … Continue reading →

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Was Slavery So Wrong?

Posted on August 5, 2016 by Luke Ford

Was rape in war so wrong? I was thinking today that I wished the Confederacy had won the Civil War. It was not a deep sustained thought. It was just a form of disgust over what America has turned into … Continue reading →

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