Category Archives: Marc B. Shapiro

Changing the Immutable: How Orthodox Judaism Rewrites Its History

Yoel Finkelman writes: 0094-0098 On rare occasions, academics manage to cross over and speak to those who live outside the ivory tower, and nobody in the contemporary Modern Orthodox intellectual scene does that better than Marc B. Shapiro. On even … Continue reading

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Rav Isaac Hutner & The TWA Hijacking

In his part two lecture on the Ben Ish Chai at Torah in Motion, Marc B. Shapiro relayed what he learned by interviewing a woman (Mrs. Berkowitz) on the plane next to Rav Hutner in the famous 1970 TWA hijacking: … Continue reading

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Sex Before Marriage In Orthodox Judaism

Marc B. Shapiro writes: Because the masses had no interest in what the rabbis had to say about this matter, R. Landsofer concludes that one need not even rebuke them, as they won’t listen anyway. Not long ago I heard … Continue reading

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Jewish Law & Ideology

Historian Marc B. Shapiro writes: Let me now return to the matter of halakhic decisions and ideology. As mentioned, Rabbi Gordimer is mistaken in stating that Modern Orthodox poskim evaluate matters the same way as haredi poskim. They don’t, and … Continue reading

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Marc Shapiro: ‘In older pictures you find rabbis walking down the aisle at weddings. Has anyone been to a wedding where this is still done?’

Marc posts another picture of R. Moshe, the Rav, and R. Shneur Kotler: “It was taken at the wedding of R. Moshe Dovid Tendler’s daughter, Rivka, to R. Shabtai Rappaport. The man on the left is R. Isaac Tendler, R. … Continue reading

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Critiquing Open Orthodoxy

Marc B. Shapiro writes: Those who follow Jewish debates on the internet have probably heard of Rabbi Avrohom Gordimer, who has assumed the mantle of defender of the faith. He sees his goal as exposing the non-Orthodox nature of Open … Continue reading

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R. Yosef Mizrachi’s Remarks On The Holocaust

Marc B. Shapiro writes: Yosef Mizrachi is in the news. It began with his unbelievably ignorant comments about the Holocaust and soon moved into other outrageous things he said, both about the Holocaust and in general.[20] Years ago I found … Continue reading

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Orthodox Judaism & Human Dignity

From Marc Shapiro: R. Ahron Soloveichik wrote: “Every human being, regardless of religion, race, origin, or creed, is endowed with divine dignity. Consequently all people are to be treated with equal respect and dignity. Anyone who fails to apply a … Continue reading

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Book Review: Changing the Immutable: How Orthodox Judaism Rewrites Its History

Adam Ferziger writes: As such, from the outset of his prolific academic career Shapiro directed his energies toward exposing the underbelly of the picture that Schwab and his like-minded Orthodox compatriots sought to paint. He is by no means the … Continue reading

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Marc B. Shapiro Interview

Alan Brill writes: 11) How was it working for Professor Twersky as an advisor? As to how Twersky was as an advisor, I know that there are difficult stories from the decades before I was there, of students having to … Continue reading

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