In his pre-Rosh Hashana Editor’s Note, Baltimore Jewish Times editor Neil Rubin reflected on what he learned in the wake of breaking the story about rampant sexual abuse in the Baltimore community. In particular, Rubin and his paper were criticized for printing the name of one alleged serial offender, the revered, deceased Rabbi Ephraim Shapiro,… Read more »
It’s politics slightly closer to home this week—politics of the Jewish community. Specifically, the return to chauvinism. You might think I’m taking about the now-(in)famous Maxim/Israel spread, but no—we’re on to the next insulting incident for women. It seems the JNF—yep, the people who plant trees in Israel and gave you those little blue tzedakah… Read more »
Last week, I got a call from my boyfriend’s mother as I was walking to my local co-op. “Yosh’s dad and I went to a shiur yesterday.” she told me. “It was about honey and how the honey referred to in “the land of milk and honey,” was actually made of dates, and not from… Read more »
What a week for confusing politics and conflicting ideas! Wednesday night, I had the extreme pleasure of seeing Ruth Wisse’s Jews and Power being released. I know I’ve written about it before, but now is the time to pick this book up and give it a read, because it falls into that small and precious… Read more »
These are some extremely exciting times for women who care about the Torah. First it was announced that “The Torah: A Women’s Commentary” — the first comprehensive commentary on the Torah written completely by women — will be published this December, a significant accomplishment fifteen years in the making. For most of us, that would… Read more »
Rosh Hashanah always sneaks up on me. Every year I tell myself that I’m going to engage in serious self-preparation for the holiday – take time granted me (the month of Elul) to reflect on my spiritual self, write lists of goals for the coming year, and engage in a sincere process of apology and… Read more »
Grace Paley, author, activist, extraordinary teacher, died of breast cancer August 22 at the age of 84. She was a remarkable woman, and we interrupt your regularly-scheduled post to bring you a place where you can share your memories of Grace Paley, z’”l, by leaving your thoughts below.
There’s been a lot going on in politics this last week, at least scandal-wise. There’s already been an almost obscene amount of airtime and column space devoted to the gentleman from Idaho’s exploits in cruisin’, and since I’ve had my lit-student hat on more recently, I want to talk about literature and politics and the… Read more »
The hot new bat mitzva spot is at a grave sight, the supposed grave sight of the Biblical matriarch Rachel, to be exact. Or so the builders of the new World Bat Mitzva Center, adjacent to Rachel’s Tomb, wish it to be: “Organizers hope the new center will help Rachel’s Tomb acquire the same allure… Read more »
This year, Farm Aid – that politically-charged, superstar-packed concert and festival that benefits rural farmers – is coming to…New York City. (Don’t laugh! Aside from the Queen County Farm Museum, we may not have many rural acres left in the five boroughs – but appreciation for homegrown food abounds through the city’s many farmers’ markets… Read more »
