Shaul Magid reviews Jeremy Stolow’s Orthodox by Design: Judaism, Print Politics, and the ArtScroll Revolution at Zeek. (hat tip) Orthodox by Design is not about the accuracy of Artscroll’s translations or even about its ideological program. It is not even about “Artscroll Orthodoxy” per se. Jeremy Stolow is a scholar of media studies. He is [...]
From Haaretz: For the past 17 years, journalist Shmuel Chaim Pappenheim has been racking his brain, trying to figure out how to finish his biography of Rabbi Amram Blau (1894-1974), the legendary leader of the extremist, ultra-Orthodox group Neturei Karta. “I have writer’s block; I simply do not know how to navigate through this narrative,” [...]
There has been a steady stream of soldier dance videos of late, including an Israeli one that stirred some controversy. Here is another Israeli one, this one from Lebanon in 1999, that is one of the best and one of the oldest. (hat tip) Warning: male nudity.
Israel Harel writes about the opposition of the Reform and Conservative movements to the Conversion Bill. The Reform and Conservative movements want to obtain official status in Israel, alongside Orthodoxy. I support this. It is this desire that is the true reason for their outcry. But even if the High Court grants their wish, their [...]
As those on the East Coast of the US are soon to see this year’s Tisha B’av exit, I thought that I would bring a text that accentuates the gap between the historical memory of ḥurban ha-bayit and what we know from the historical record. The text below is from Lee I.A. Levine, “Judaism from [...]
I have been watching the YU Tisha B’av channel with Rabbi Dr. Jacob J. Schacter on and off during the day. Dr. Schacter is continuing the tradition of Rav Soloveitchik who turned the kinot into a text whose recital was interspersed with historical, theological, and literary commentary. See here for a discussion about his approach [...]
This article (Hebrew) brings a few customs that were observed by some communities on Tisha b’Av. Among them are the following: 1. The Torah scroll would be put on the back of a person who would be sitting on their knees. (Birkhei Yosef 559:76) 2. In Yemen, ashes would be put on the Torah scroll. [...]
As a following up to my previous post about Rabbi Benny Lau, I see that Rabbi Haim Amsalam has published a companion volume to his book on conversion Zera Yisrael. The new book is apparently a collection of sources that were cited in Zera Yisrael and is called Mekor Yisrael. See here for Rabbi Amsalam’s [...]
At NRG there is an interview (Hebrew) with Rabbi Benny Lau. Rabbi Lau speaks about conversion,, social justice, you name it. This will give you some idea about his thoughts on conversion in Israel. Q: But according to the halakhah, a pilot cadet whose father is Jewish and mother is Christian is not Jewish. A: [...]
The first annual New York Sephardic Jewish Book Fair will take place on Sunday July 25, 2010 with book readings, author signings, book sales and tours at the Center for Jewish History. Hosted by the American Sephardi Federation (ASF), the book fair will bring together authors and book lovers that write about and enjoy books [...]
You are currently browsing the Menachem Mendel blog archives for July, 2010.