Category Archives: Contemporary
Rav Yehuda Amital – A Tribute Five Years On
Today is five years since the passing of my teacher and rosh yeshiva Rav Yehuda Amital. Both his personality and his message are so sorely missed. He taught us that ethics and natural morality come before and underpin all other … Continue reading
Chag Amalek – The Festival That Wasn’t
To download a pdf of this article click here In Memory of Dan Uzan z”l Is it necessary to recall the similarities between Judaism and Islam (as distinct from Christianity!) in most of the crucial subjects of religion: the book, the … Continue reading
A Tu B’Shvat Midrash
A midrash for Tu B’Shvat that I have wanted to bring to public attention for a while – originally published on Times of Israel. A great source for thinking about how religious traditions provide some of the strongest conceptual underpinnings … Continue reading
Hanukah and the Jewish State Bill
My piece in this week’s JC on Hanukah and the Jewish state bill. Published a month after I wrote it when it is less news-worthy, with a weird picture, headline, and completely the wrong line made bold – but here it … Continue reading
Parshat Toldot – Yitzchak’s Uniqueness
In memory of Rabbis Moshe Twersky, Avraham Shmuel Goldberg, Aryeh Kupinsky, and Cary William Levine, and police officer Zidan Nahad Seif. May their loved ones be comforted and may their memory be a blessing. ♦ You are an individual. You have a … Continue reading
Gedalia to Rabin – A Shiur for the 19th Yahrzeit of Yitzchak Rabin
Rabin’s assassination, in November 1995, nineteen years ago, is probably the first event of international significance that I remember. At the time, as a 9 year old in London I understood that something terrible had happened and over the years … Continue reading
Migdal Bavel for the 21st Century
From a piece written in Hebrew, for Daf Kesher, a few years ago. (Hebrew version below). Can we really build cyber-communities that will replace real communities? I’m very dubious. That’s why I for one won’t be surprised if I wake … Continue reading
Israelis in India
As a 20 year old on break from university I spent the summer holidays traveling in India with friends. Almost on a par with the native interests of India were the Israelis we met there who made a profound impression on … Continue reading
Peoplehood at a time of suffering
Every day I pass by the spot where, last Friday, three teenagers hitchhiking home were kidnapped, and whose whereabouts are still unknown. The trempiada, as it’s called, is only 150 metres from my front door, and so this has been … Continue reading
Bamidbar and ‘A Serious Man’
What connects the Book of Bamidbar (Numbers) and the Coen brothers’ film A Serious Man? A piece from Cartoon Kippah from 2012…
