The Evolving Jew

United Torah Judaism's Rabbi Yaakov Litzman ( protector of child abusers ) said, regarding Lapid: “I have never seen such a campaign of hatred against the ultra-Orthodox. If you, Mr. President, saw a campaign ad on the street of one of the candidates saying he was boycotting Ethiopians or Druze, you would be enraged: We do not know why we and the citizens of this state are punished like this.” Disingenuous, to say the least. Charedim aren't an ethnic group. They are people who have chosen a certain lifestyle. A million people (including myself) share some elements of that lifestyle, such as halachic observance. But the draft avoidance? The lack of educating children for jobs? The erasure of women? The dependence on welfare without giving anything in return? Those are choices, and choices, whether by individuals or groups are valid targets for criticism. Shame on Litzman for comparing Charedim to ethnic groups who have encountered deep discrimination just because of what et

18 years ago The towers came down Thousands died The sky rained paper in Brooklyn. https://evolvingjew.blogspot.com/2016/09/my-9-11-story.html

I attended the Modern Orthodox Dad Yomi siuym event in 2012, which was held as an alternative to the massive Charedi-run event, for those who preferred a more MO style. Here's my write-up of the last one: http://evolvingjew.blogspot.com/2012/08/modern-orthodox-siyum-hashas.html I haven't heard anything yet about a similar event this year, though tickets are already being sold to the big, Charedi-style Siyum in Giants Stadium. Does anyone know if they're holding a MO version this time around? I would love to go again.

From 2010 (slightly edited): There are voices that assert that we should no longer fast on Tisha B'Av, that if we wanted to rebuild the temple, we could simply do so, and that with a rebuilt Israel and a rebuilt Jerusalem, Tisha B'Av should be obsolete. These people certainly have a point. It’s ironic to see people who live in fancy houses in Flatbush, travel to Israel on El Al several times a year, and have full religious freedoms in America begging Hashem to “end the terrible golus!” But there’s another way of looking at it, and it’s the way I choose to look at many of our traditions. What we commemorate on Tisha B’Av isn’t just the loss of the Temple. It isn’t just a yearning for the Beit HaMikdash to be rebuilt and for sacrifices and a monarchy to be reinstituted. To tell the truth, how likely, practical, or even desirable does that really seem? Instead, it's about something much bigger. We fast because we’ve fasted for 2,000 years. We mourn for the very real peop

Originally posted in March 2014 ---------------------------------------- And now for a different take on Achachveirosh. Achashveirosh is most often seen as a bit of a bumbling fool. He is easily manipulated by his advisors, as is seen in his impetuous decision to banish Vashti, and in Haman's easily won decree to kill all the Jews. He seems entirely oblivious when Haman comes to the royal chambers late at night. He already KNOWS that Haman plans to kill the Jews. He KNOWS Mordechai is a Jew. and yet, before Haman has a chance to speak, he cluelessly tells Haman to lead Mordechai around on a horse in honor! Is it any wonder that we see him as buffoonish character? And yet, there's another possible way to view Achashveirosh - that of a shrewd politician. The best (read: most successful in maintaining power) kings in history are often the ones that can play to the masses, and though they have absolute power, still maintain a popular base with the people. But, being kings, t

Originally posted in June 2014 A historical "what if" question. Constantine adopted Christianity as the religion of the Roman Empire in the 4th century. But in prior centuries, Judaism was a massively proselytizing religion, in Rome and beyond. And though the historicity of this is doubtful, according to the Talmud the emperor "Antoninus" (identification uncertain) actually did embrace Judaism. So here's the question. What if, instead of converting to Christianity, the Roman Empire had become Jewish? What would the world look like today? Would Judaism and Islam have been the great historical rivals, instead of Christianity and Islam? Would Islam even have existed? What would Judaism look like? Would a Jewish Rome have rebuilt the temple in Jerusalem? Or would they have shifted the centrality of the religion to Rome itself? Would Judaism still be a religion of shuls and Torah learning? Or would it look very much like the Catholic Church, with gr