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"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:
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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)
* 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: Marc B. Shapiro
Intellectuals Go Nuts Over Rav Soloveitchik
But the ordinary Jew has not been affected by the Rav. Those who get drunk on the Rav’s theories are intellectuals who love theories. Yes, the Rav ordained more rabbis than anybody in history. But the Rav did not make … Continue reading
Posted in Marc B. Shapiro, Orthodoxy
Tagged chatam sofer, Marc B. Shapiro, orthodox rabbi, shulchan aruch, soloveitchik, torah in motion
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What Is The Scientific Study Of Judaism?
Academic study of Judaism aka critical study aka scientific study all mean something simple — following the facts wherever they lead. The major Ashkenazi denominations of Judaism (Reform, Conservative and Orthodox) developed in Germany in the 19th Century. A founder … Continue reading
Posted in Judaism, Marc B. Shapiro, Modern Orthodox, Orthodoxy
Tagged critical notes, critical study, julius wellhausen, Marc B. Shapiro, samson raphael hirsch, semitic languages, steinsaltz, talmud study, torah in motion
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Providing Moral Leadership To A Kid At A Chareidi Yeshiva
yeshivaboy: hey luke, i have a quick question, did you find out about the documentary hypothesis before or after your conversion YourMoralLeader: as a child YourMoralLeader: my dad has a phd in bible yeshivaboy: and you converted anyway YourMoralLeader: yep … Continue reading
Posted in Haredi, James Kugel, Marc B. Shapiro, Modern Orthodox, Orthodoxy, Personal, Rabbis
Tagged Dennis Prager, documentary hypothesis, James kugel, marc shapiro, orthodox judaism, torah in motion
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‘Transforming Identity: The Ritual Transition From Gentile To Jew – Structure and Meaning’
From Hirhurim: In the latest issue of Tradition (link), hot off the presses and available online, R. Michael J. Broyde publishes a review of Avi Sagi and Zvi Zohar’s book about conversion, Transforming Identity: The Ritual Transition from Gentile to … Continue reading
Posted in Conversion, Hirhurim, Marc B. Shapiro, Orthodoxy, R. Michael J. Broyde
Tagged avi sagi, conversion controversy, Hirhurim, jewish legal system, mainstream approach, Marc B. Shapiro, michael j broyde, professor shapiro, rabbinic tradition, talmudic sources
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Rav Soloveitchik Predicted There Would Never Be Hasidic Judaism In America
During World War II, there were fewer than 100 Satmar families in the United States. Now the Satmar are the most numerous Hasidic group, about 125,000 presently. In a lecture on the Satmar Rav for Torah in Motion, historian Marc … Continue reading
Posted in Haredi, Hasidim, Marc B. Shapiro
Tagged chaim herzog, judaism in america, lubavitcher rebbe, Marc B. Shapiro, rav soloveitchik, reb moshe, torah in motion, torah scholar
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Rabbi Yaakov Emden Was Almost Seduced By His Cousin
I’m listening to a lecture by Dr. Marc B. Shapiro (for Torah in Motion) on the Nazir, Rabbi David Cohen (1887-1972). Dr. Shapiro talks about the diary of Rabbi Jacob Emden (a great Talmudist of the 18th Century): "We have … Continue reading
Posted in Marc B. Shapiro, Rabbis
Tagged closest thing, emden, evil inclination, Marc B. Shapiro, nazir, rabbi jacob, spiritual autobiography, spiritual diary, torah in motion, yetzer hara
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The Lives of the Gedolim
Dr. Marc B. Shapiro gave a lecture for Torah in Motion on writing history vs. writing hagiography. Near the end, he takes a question: "Why should we be tolerant of the hagiographical Artscroll approach? Just to take it to a … Continue reading
Posted in Marc B. Shapiro, Rabbis
Tagged history of the middle east, lubavitcher rebbe, Marc B. Shapiro, national myth, national myths, old wives tales, revisionist history, torah in motion, writing history
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Why Aren’t Yeshiva Bocherim (Students) Working With The Homeless And Davening With Black People?
"That’s not what yeshiva students do," says historian Dr. Marc Shapiro in his second lecture on Rav Zvi Yehuda Kook for Torah in Motion. "Rav Elazar Schach was opposed to kiruv (outreach). That was the standard charedi position. The Brisker … Continue reading
Posted in Haredi, Marc B. Shapiro, Modern Orthodox, Orthodoxy
Tagged davening, kiruv, marc shapiro, torah in motion, torah study, yeshiva students, yeshiva world
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What Did Meir Kahane Accomplish In Israel?
Nothing, says rabbi historian Dr. Marc Shapiro. In his first lecture on Rav Zvi Yehuda Kook for Torah in Motion, Dr. Shapiro says: "What were R. Meir Kahane‘s accomplishments? How did he influence the state of Israel? He got his … Continue reading
Posted in Marc B. Shapiro, R. Meir Kahane
Tagged enormous contributions, marc shapiro, meir kahane, soviet jewry, state of israel, torah in motion
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Israel’s Chief Rabbinate Is A Bad Joke
From Dr. Marc B. Shapiro‘s first lecture on Rav Isser Yehuda Unterman for Torah in Motion: "The chief rabbinate [of Israel] in the days of Rav [Abraham Isaac] Kook and Rav [Benzion Meir Hai] Uziel and Rav Unterman was the … Continue reading
Posted in Haredi, Israel, Marc B. Shapiro, Modern Orthodox, Orthodoxy
Tagged chief rabbinate, norman lamm, rav kook, supreme religious authority, torah in motion, torah scholar
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