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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:
- Dennis Prager v Cedars-Sinai Lawsuit
- Dennis Prager Through Randall Collins: Interaction Ritual Chains
- What is a ‘Received Idea’?
- Jordan Bardella: The Manufacture of Normality
- Everyone Became Television: Bourdieu’s Warning and the 2026 Iran War
- Marine Le Pen
- The Coalition-Proximity Rule
- Nigel Farage
- Bernard Haykel: A Life Between the Text and the Gun
- Walker Connor (1926-2017)
- Benedict Anderson and the Nation as Imagination
- Anthony D. Smith: The Student Who Kept the Question and Rejected the Answer
- Ernest Gellner
- Eric Kaufmann: The Man Who Made the Majority Visible
- Dominic Cummings: A Biography
- Steve Lopez: The Last City Columnist
- California Historian Kevin Starr
- Stephen Kotkin: A Life in Power
- William T. Vollmann: An American Life in Excess
- Rod Dreher: A Life in Exile
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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)
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* What It Would Mean for The New York Times to Put the Reader First? (6-1-26)
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* 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)
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* Social Cliques in New York, 2026 (5-25-26)
* Social Cliques in San Francisco, 2026 (5-25-26)
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Tag Archives: Aish HaTorah
Aish HaTorah’s One Year Anniversary In Tel Aviv
From The Jerusalem Post: "Everyone finds their way to Tel Aviv," enthused Rabbi David Ziering last week, as Aish HaTorah Tel Aviv celebrated its first anniversary, ironically enough, in Jerusalem. Although Aish HaTorah has long been known as one of … Continue reading
Posted in Aish HaTorah
Tagged Aish HaTorah, glaring omission, jerusalem post, mainstream judaism, observant jews, rabbi david
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Valley Village To Get A Happy Minyan
Many of us find that the only time we enjoy davening is when we’re rocking out at the Happy Minyan, which prays to Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach melodies. Now I hear that the San Fernando Valley is getting its own Happy … Continue reading
Posted in Happy Minyan, R. Shlomo Carlebach
Tagged Aish HaTorah, minyan, rabbi shlomo carlebach, San Fernando Valley, toras
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The Strange Charedi Judaism Of Aish HaTorah
In his second lecture on Rav Elazar Shach, Dr. Marc B. Shapiro says: "His antipathy to kiruv (outreach) has nothing to do with his feelings for Chabad. What does it mean to do kiruv? It means to leave the yeshiva. … Continue reading
Posted in Aish HaTorah, Haredi, Marc B. Shapiro
Tagged Aish HaTorah, beit midrash, elazar, Marc B. Shapiro, ohr somayach, state of israel
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A New Modern Orthodox Blog
About a year ago, I said to Rabbi Yosef Kanefsky, "When are you getting your own blog?" He seemed pretty overwhelmed at the time and I did not expect him to post one any time soon. I got an email … Continue reading
Posted in Modern Orthodox, Orthodoxy, Pico/Robertson, R. Yosef Kanefsky, Rabbis
Tagged Aish HaTorah, Beth Jacob, ketuba, rabbi yosef, shuls, YICC
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Founder Of Aish HaTorah Dies
Aish HaTorah is the most significant outreach organization for Orthodox Judaism (along with Chabad). They are a machine. They bring people in, they love them, and they help them rebuild their lives in the light of the Torah. And this … Continue reading
Posted in Aish HaTorah
Tagged Aish HaTorah, jewish travelers, orthodox judaism, rabbi noah weinberg, torah education, traditional judaism
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Fast Called For Sunday
Over the past few months, three men (in their fifties or younger) in Rav Gershon Bess‘s shul at 7211 Beverly Blvd have died suddenly and unexpectedly. A month ago, Dr. Joel Schwartz died at his daughter’s wedding. A few months … Continue reading
Posted in R. Gershon Bess, Rabbis
Tagged Aish HaTorah, dr joel, joel schwartz, maariv, shul
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Joel Schwartz Dies
He was a doctor. He collapsed and died at his daughter’s wedding Sunday. He was buried Monday. He was a regular at Aish HaTorah for many years. He opened his home to dozens of visitors including myself.. About a year … Continue reading
Posted in Los Angeles
Tagged Aish HaTorah, harlan, joel schwartz, la brea, traditional judaism
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What Can We Learn From Christians?
I’m not sure. Judaism is a very different religion. Orthodox Judaism in particular is a highly demanding way of life. Sure, groups such as the Happy Minyan and Aish HaTorah can make the medicine of fundamental Jewish life go down … Continue reading
Posted in Christianity, Jews
Tagged Aish HaTorah, gil student, orthodox jews, orthodox judaism, pagan religions, welcome newcomers
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