Religion
The Most Influential Jewish Philosopher You Never Heard OfMonday, November 12, 2012 by Diane Cole | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
Adapt or die: this principle now permeates discussions among not just biologists but anthropologists, sociologists, and even theologians seeking the origins of religion in an evolutionary need for group survival.
Can Reform Judaism Get Its Mojo Back?Friday, November 9, 2012 by Evan Moffic | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
The American Jewish community as a whole cannot survive if there is no non-Orthodox movement to which American Jews can belong; in other words, survival depends on a strong Reform movement. But in light of current trends, is that possible?
Reform of Tradition, Tradition of ReformWednesday, November 7, 2012 by Moshe Sokolow | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
Max Lilienthal’s life provides a lens through which we watch American Judaism, Reform Judaism in particular, struggle with the consequences of its own idiosyncratic condition.
Did Red Bull Stratos Break a Halakhic Barrier?Friday, November 2, 2012 by Shlomo M. Brody | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
Not long ago, much of the world watched as Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner jumped to earth in a record-setting free fall that broke the sound barrier.
A Jewish View of HurricanesThursday, November 1, 2012 by Moshe Sokolow | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
With school closed, transportation suspended, and the local park off limits, I cast about for something other than “work” to fill the day. My thoughts turned to the weather, and I asked myself whether Judaism has anything instructive to say about hurricanes.
Does Jacob Hate Esau?Monday, October 29, 2012 by Jerome A. Chanes | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
Jews have traditionally kept non-Jews at arm’s length. The rabbinic approach to anti-Semitism may be summarized as Halakhah hi b’yadu’a she-Eisav sonei et Yaakov, “It is an established normative principle that Esau hates Jacob.”
Whose Akedah Was It, Anyhow?Friday, October 26, 2012 by Moshe Sokolow | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
Today, October 26, 2012, the world’s Muslims will celebrate `Id al-Adha, commemorating Abraham’s willingness to demonstrate his love of God by sacrificing his son. While most Muslims assume that the son Abraham intended to sacrifice was Ishmael, this was not the unanimous opinion of early Muslims and Qur’anic scholars.
Biblical PoliticsTuesday, October 23, 2012 by Alan Mittleman | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
Michael Walzer is a pivotal figure in the recovery of the Jewish political tradition. From his early book, Exodus and Revolution, which traced the impact of the Exodus story on Western politics, through his editorship, with Israeli colleagues, of the projected four-volume Jewish Political Tradition, Walzer is almost unrivalled as a scholar of Jewish political thought.
Is Judaism a Proselytizing Religion?Friday, October 19, 2012 by Shlomo M. Brody | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
When Mitt Romney became the Republican Presidential candidate, some of the media attention focused on his experience as a Mormon missionary in France and asked, subtly or not so subtly, whether a member of a proselytizing religion could properly lead a pluralistic society.
Charles Murray and the RabbisWednesday, August 15, 2012 by Yaakov Y. Kermaier, N. Daniel Korobkin, Yosie Levine, Ari Perl, and Benjamin J. Samuels | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
Five Modern Orthodox rabbis bring the Jewish tradition to bear on questions posed by the eminent sociologist.
Editors' Picks
Kashrut in America Timothy D. Lytton, Jewish Review of Books. In 1986, a jar of herring in vinegar brought America's government-backed kosher regulation to its knees—and heralded the rise of the private kosher certification agency.
The Limits of Disbelief Tom Bartlett, Chronicle of Higher Education. Recent psychological research has found that few people are willing to dare God to do terrible things—even if they claim to be avowed atheists.
Children of Israel David Wolpe, Weekly Standard. A new book on Jacob asks why the Torah begins with the patriarchal narrative rather than with the Exodus—and why a deeply flawed man is chosen to be the father of the Jewish people.
"Are you the Messiah?" James Tabor, Taborblog. Scholars have long dismissed Jesus' self-identification as the Messiah, related in Mark, claiming that his followers called him the Messiah only after his death. But the sources suggest otherwise.
The Atheist Inquisition Leon Wieseltier, New Republic. "For the bargain-basement atheism of our day, it is not enough that there be no God: there must be only matter."
Orthodox Surging in America . . . David Brooks, New York Times. "The families stuffing their groceries into their Honda Odyssey minivans in the Pomegranate parking lot represent a challenging counterculture. Mostly, I notice how incredibly self-confident they are."
Dumbing Down The Talmud? Gil Student, Jewish Action. The ArtScroll Talmud App makes the Talmud with an English translation available for iPad. But certain features ensure that the text isn't too accessible.
Unifying Three Communities Jonathan Sacks, Algemeiner. "To preserve the diversity of a tsibbur with the unity of purpose of an edah–that is the challenge of kehillah-formation, community-building, itself the greatest task of a great leader."
Locust Cheeseburgers Natan Slifkin, Times of Israel. As Pesach approaches, Egypt is once again beset by a plague of locusts. But if they descend upon Israel, they might end up on at least one man's menu.
America's Rabbis Bounce Back Steven Windmueller, eJewish Philanthropy. Twenty years ago, America’s communal elites curtailed the rabbis’ influence. But with Orthodoxy’s new assertiveness, rabbis are shaping American Judaism again.