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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:
- Scenes from a Documented Life: Mickey Kaus
- Scenes from a Documented Life: Eugene Volokh
- Scenes from the 155 IQ Life
- Scenes from the 105 IQ Life
- Scenes from the 75 IQ Life
- Scenes from the 85 IQ Life
- Scenes from the Passport Question
- Scenes from Human Resources
- Scenes from the Unsubscribe Economy
- Donny Pauling: The Producer Who Sold His Repentance
- Are There Any Serial Killers In 90035?
- Karl Taro Greenfeld: The Brother, the Correspondent, the Fire
- Bret Stephens
- My Stanley Fish Reading List
- Why So Much Elite Enthusiasm For The Odyssey?
- Are There Realistic Ways Of Unifying America?
- Scenes from the Chokepoint Economy
- 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
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)
Tag Archives: Marc B. Shapiro
Season’s Greetings
Just before every major Jewish holiday, you find in Jewish publications such as The Jewish Week and the Jewish Journal of Los Angeles various forms of "Season’s Greetings" aka "Rosh Hashanah Greetings" aka "Chanukkah Greetings" aka "Passover Greetings" from numerous … Continue reading
Posted in Marc B. Shapiro, Orthodoxy
Tagged jewish publications, Marc B. Shapiro, orthodox synagogue, prince of peace, seasons greetings, torah in motion
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Between the Yeshiva World and Modern Orthodoxy: The Life and Works of Rabbi Jehiel Jacob Weinberg, 1884-1966
I’m listening to Professor Marc B. Shapiro‘s lecture on the Srida Aish (Rabbi Jehiel Jacob Weinberg) for Torah in Motion (Movers and Shakers of Modern Orthodoxy 2). Marc says that if World War II ended in 1942, instead of talking … Continue reading
Posted in Marc B. Shapiro, Orthodoxy
Tagged jewish theological seminary, Marc B. Shapiro, montreux switzerland, movers and shakers, saul lieberman, torah in motion
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When Rabbis Over-Step
I love this story because I love seeing rabbis who fancy themselves authorities in matters they know little get humiliated when they try to squash others. Rabbi Hirsch fancied himself the leader of German Orthodoxy. He attacked Rabbi David Zvi … Continue reading
Posted in Marc B. Shapiro, Orthodoxy
Tagged england nissan, least five years, Marc B. Shapiro, rabbi hirsch, samson raphael hirsch, talmudic sage, torah in motion, torah scholar
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Most Rishonim, Early Achronim Permitted Concubines
The Rishonim were leading rabbis who lived from the 11th to the 15th Centuries, before the Shulchan Aruch. The Achronim are leading rabbis from the 16th Century to the present. I’m listening to a Torah in Motion lecture by Dr. … Continue reading
Posted in Marc B. Shapiro
Tagged german rabbi, Marc B. Shapiro, orthodox rabbi, rabbi david, rabbi hoffman, torah in motion
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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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‘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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