http://www.jewpi.com Jewish Press International Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:00:15 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://www.jewpi.com/rabbi-yosef-tendler-of-blessed-memory-1328838365/ http://www.jewpi.com/rabbi-yosef-tendler-of-blessed-memory-1328838365/#comments Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:46:05 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/rabbi-yosef-tendler-of-blessed-memory-1328838365/ Rarely does a day go by without the words of Rabbi Yosef Tendler echoing through my mind. This is how great an impact one man was able to make upon me. Read More »]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/an-atheist-who-loves-orthodox-jews-1328666054/ http://www.jewpi.com/an-atheist-who-loves-orthodox-jews-1328666054/#comments Wed, 08 Feb 2012 01:54:14 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/an-atheist-who-loves-orthodox-jews-1328666054/ I must share with you a beautiful article that brought tears to my eyes. Someone, I don’t remember who, linked to this article and it popped up in my Twitter feed. Luckily I clicked and eventually read the article. So whoever you are, thanks for sharing! The article is written by a Jewish atheist. Read [...]]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/wwjd-1328291329/ http://www.jewpi.com/wwjd-1328291329/#comments Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:48:49 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/wwjd-1328291329/ Politicians from the Right often cite God or Jesus as a basis for political positions. Some even make the claim that they are running for office upon the advise of God Himself. Now, it is impossible for God to have told more than one particular person that they are destined to be the next president. [...]]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/a-friend-remembers-rebbetzin-chana-weinberg-a-guest-post-1328056825/ http://www.jewpi.com/a-friend-remembers-rebbetzin-chana-weinberg-a-guest-post-1328056825/#comments Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:40:25 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/a-friend-remembers-rebbetzin-chana-weinberg-a-guest-post-1328056825/ What follows is a guest post written by my illustrious grandmother. Readers of this blog will remember her from here: This Blog Post is in Honor of (one of) My Incredibly Accomplished Grandmother(s) . Read More »]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/a-good-time-a-guest-post-1327707735/ http://www.jewpi.com/a-good-time-a-guest-post-1327707735/#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:42:15 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/a-good-time-a-guest-post-1327707735/ A guest post by Rabbi Aaron Fink (my father), Dean of Ateres Bais Yaakov on Monsey NY. Part of a weekly Dvar Torah (Torah “Thought”) series. Parshas Bo A Good Time Parshas Bo heralds the birth of Klal Yisrael as the Am Segulah . So profound are the events contained therein that they define our [...]]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/give-this-dad-a-medal-1327687587/ http://www.jewpi.com/give-this-dad-a-medal-1327687587/#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:06:27 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/give-this-dad-a-medal-1327687587/ Last Sunday, two NFL teams advanced to the Super Bowl. Two other teams lost and were sent home for the winter. One of the notable things about both games was the lack of heroes for the winning teams. Instead of the winning teams making a great play to win the game, both of the losing [...]]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/walking-the-tightrope-of-tough-love-1327623497/ http://www.jewpi.com/walking-the-tightrope-of-tough-love-1327623497/#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:18:17 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/walking-the-tightrope-of-tough-love-1327623497/ The Jewish Week has an exposé on the controversial Rosh Yeshiva of a certain yeshiva in Israel. For purposes of this blog post, it is irrelevant who this person is and what yeshiva he presides over. I have not met this rabbi nor have I ever been in his yeshiva. I have no personal experience [...]]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/rebbetzin-chana-weinberg-of-blessed-memory-1327453590/ http://www.jewpi.com/rebbetzin-chana-weinberg-of-blessed-memory-1327453590/#comments Wed, 25 Jan 2012 01:06:30 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/rebbetzin-chana-weinberg-of-blessed-memory-1327453590/ Photo: Lloyd Wolf Yesterday, Rebbeztin Chana Weinberg passed away. She was a heroic woman and an important figure in the lives of many people including my father and grandmother. Her public claim to fame may have been her pedigree as a daughter of Rabbi Ruderman and the wife of Rabbi Yaakov Weinberg. Read More »]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/forced-assimilation-in-israel-1327349916/ http://www.jewpi.com/forced-assimilation-in-israel-1327349916/#comments Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:18:36 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/forced-assimilation-in-israel-1327349916/ Ethiopian Jews Arriving in Israel During Operation Solomon One of my favorite things about visiting Israel is the diversity of Jewish people, practices and customs. In particular, the Kotel is a special place for so many Jewish people and even non-Jewish people. Read More »]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/light-unto-the-nations-a-guest-post-1327100653/ http://www.jewpi.com/light-unto-the-nations-a-guest-post-1327100653/#comments Fri, 20 Jan 2012 23:04:13 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/light-unto-the-nations-a-guest-post-1327100653/ A guest post by Rabbi Aaron Fink (my father), Dean of Ateres Bais Yaakov on Monsey NY. Part of a weekly Dvar Torah (Torah “Thought”) series. Parshas Vaera Light Unto the Nations The devastation of Mitzrayim during the 10 plagues left the Egyptian landscape changed forever. Read More »]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/some-ammunition-for-moderates-in-the-battle-over-modesty-1327083501/ http://www.jewpi.com/some-ammunition-for-moderates-in-the-battle-over-modesty-1327083501/#comments Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:18:21 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/some-ammunition-for-moderates-in-the-battle-over-modesty-1327083501/ So much excellent writing has come forth due to the controversy over Beit Shemesh and Meah Shearim. This week two additions to the genre found themselves at the top of the heap. Both authors are rabbis. Neither are rabbis that are appreciated or recognized by anyone (or almost no-one) in the right wing orthodox Jewish [...]]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/i-kind-of-feel-bad-for-rabbi-shmuley-1326910571/ http://www.jewpi.com/i-kind-of-feel-bad-for-rabbi-shmuley-1326910571/#comments Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:16:11 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/i-kind-of-feel-bad-for-rabbi-shmuley-1326910571/ I’ll be honest. There is very little that I like about Rabbi Shmuley. I rarely agree with his perspectives on life, Jews and Judaism. But recently I find myself defending him in my mind against the latest round of accusations against him. Rabbi Shmuley has written a book called Kosher Jesus . Read More »]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/rabbi-j-h-hertz%e2%80%99s-epic-introduction-to-the-talmud-with-a-little-controversy-mixed-in-1326827056/ http://www.jewpi.com/rabbi-j-h-hertz%e2%80%99s-epic-introduction-to-the-talmud-with-a-little-controversy-mixed-in-1326827056/#comments Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:04:16 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/rabbi-j-h-hertz%e2%80%99s-epic-introduction-to-the-talmud-with-a-little-controversy-mixed-in-1326827056/ I am indebted to Alan Brill of the Kavvanah blog for sharing this gem. One of my favorite topics and themes in Judaism is understanding the structure and methodology of the Talmud. I am constantly looking for more sources and studying, adapting and adjusting my understanding of the issues. Read More »]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/something-about-those-weak-bladdered-marines-1326710775/ http://www.jewpi.com/something-about-those-weak-bladdered-marines-1326710775/#comments Mon, 16 Jan 2012 10:46:15 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/something-about-those-weak-bladdered-marines-1326710775/ Clearly, there is no denying that urinating on dead bodies is a despicible act. Whether or not the Marines who performed the stunt intended for it to be a hateful act or were just horsing around is not the issue. Either way, it was wrong. It also sheds light on how the Marines perceive their [...]]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/judy-clark-is-on-the-cover-of-the-ny-times-magazine-1326392569/ http://www.jewpi.com/judy-clark-is-on-the-cover-of-the-ny-times-magazine-1326392569/#comments Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:22:49 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/judy-clark-is-on-the-cover-of-the-ny-times-magazine-1326392569/ Photos – Right: Nan Goldin for The New York Times. Left: Associated Press. You may recall that I a little while ago I met and befriended an incarcerated woman named Judith Clark. See: My Visit With Judith Clark at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility . Read More »]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/apropos-of-nothing-well%e2%80%a6-maybe-something-rabbi-julie-schonfeld-edition-1326318377/ http://www.jewpi.com/apropos-of-nothing-well%e2%80%a6-maybe-something-rabbi-julie-schonfeld-edition-1326318377/#comments Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:46:17 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/apropos-of-nothing-well%e2%80%a6-maybe-something-rabbi-julie-schonfeld-edition-1326318377/ Rabbi Julie Schonfeld makes an outrageous claim and Ha’aretz runs with it. The claim? A version of a siddur published in the 15th century contains the blessing she’asani isha v’lo ish . The blessing thanks God for making the one reciting the benediction a woman and not a man. Read More »]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/pacific-jewish-center-and-pella-were-on-the-local-news-1326245769/ http://www.jewpi.com/pacific-jewish-center-and-pella-were-on-the-local-news-1326245769/#comments Wed, 11 Jan 2012 01:36:09 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/pacific-jewish-center-and-pella-were-on-the-local-news-1326245769/ The world famous Pella Singers performed at our Chanukah lighting on Santa Monica Promenade a c0uple of weeks ago. It was a great event. People from all over the world joined in for a few minutes of our Chanukah celebration. The news cameras were there. I was interviewed by KABC-TV for a segment that never [...]]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/1001-inventions-exhibit-at-the-california-science-center-1326139568/ http://www.jewpi.com/1001-inventions-exhibit-at-the-california-science-center-1326139568/#comments Mon, 09 Jan 2012 20:06:08 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/1001-inventions-exhibit-at-the-california-science-center-1326139568/ We did a family trip to the California Science Center at Exposition Park in Los Angeles yesterday. The museum is nice, albeit a bit outdated. Such is the fate of any museum that has exhibits of the latest and greatest in technology. Cell phones were a new obscure invention according to the exhibit on technology. [...]]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/smile-a-guest-post-1325878693/ http://www.jewpi.com/smile-a-guest-post-1325878693/#comments Fri, 06 Jan 2012 19:38:13 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/smile-a-guest-post-1325878693/ A guest post by Rabbi Aaron Fink (my father), Dean of Ateres Bais Yaakov on Monsey NY. Part of a weekly Dvar Torah (Torah “Thought”) series. Parshas Vayechi Smile! As Yaakov Avinu blesses his children he describes each of their traits and challenges. Read More »]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/playing-with-gender-roles-1325795169/ http://www.jewpi.com/playing-with-gender-roles-1325795169/#comments Thu, 05 Jan 2012 20:26:09 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/playing-with-gender-roles-1325795169/ It’s hard to revert to more traditional blogging after focusing on various angles of the situation in Israel. So to ease our way back into topics of lesser importance we begin with a post about gender roles albeit, in a much more innocuous context. LEGO was one of my favorite toys as a child. Read [...]]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/rabbi-yair-hoffman-responds-to-yossi-sarid-unconvincingly/ http://www.jewpi.com/rabbi-yair-hoffman-responds-to-yossi-sarid-unconvincingly/#comments Tue, 03 Jan 2012 18:28:26 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/rabbi-yair-hoffman-responds-to-yossi-sarid-unconvincingly/ Yesterday, I wrote about Yossi Sarid’s disgraceful article of vile hatred for halachic Judaism . I expressed my discomfort in writing a point by point response because when first started to write a point by point rebuttal, it came off as sounded apologetic and disingenuous. Read More »]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/yossi-sarid-show-us-the-ugly-side-of-secular-extremism-2/ http://www.jewpi.com/yossi-sarid-show-us-the-ugly-side-of-secular-extremism-2/#comments Mon, 02 Jan 2012 18:30:29 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/yossi-sarid-show-us-the-ugly-side-of-secular-extremism-2/ I have a confession to make. I read the recent op-ed written by Yossi Sarid and published in Haaretz. I found the article highly offensive, despicable and ugly. I thought I would “fisk ” the article and counter each and every one of Sarid’s twisted, angry points. I got through about half of Sarid’s ugly [...]]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/yossi-sarid-show-us-the-ugly-side-of-secular-extremism/ http://www.jewpi.com/yossi-sarid-show-us-the-ugly-side-of-secular-extremism/#comments Mon, 02 Jan 2012 09:08:15 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/yossi-sarid-show-us-the-ugly-side-of-secular-extremism/ I have a confession to make. I read the recent op-ed written by Yossi Sarid and published in Haaretz. I found the article highly offensive, despicable and ugly. I thought I would “fisk ” the article and counter each and every one of Sarid’s twisted, angry points. I got through about half of Sarid’s ugly [...]]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/peace-offerings-a-guest-post/ http://www.jewpi.com/peace-offerings-a-guest-post/#comments Fri, 30 Dec 2011 18:10:20 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/peace-offerings-a-guest-post/ A guest post by Rabbi Aaron Fink (my father), Dean of Ateres Bais Yaakov on Monsey NY. Part of a weekly Dvar Torah (Torah “Thought”) series. Parshas Vayigash Yaakov’s Shlomim Following the dramatic news of Yosef Hatzaddik’s survival in the flesh pots of Mitzrayim, Yaakov Avinu readies himself to visit his long lost son. Read [...]]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/how-to-issue-a-condemnation-of-violence/ http://www.jewpi.com/how-to-issue-a-condemnation-of-violence/#comments Wed, 28 Dec 2011 23:44:17 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/how-to-issue-a-condemnation-of-violence/ Thugs and hoodlums from extremist religious groups in Israel have been terrorizing fellow Jews for some time now. They have done so without fear of condemnation or retribution from the religiously adjacent charedi community. This recent wave of violence is not new nor is it shocking or surprising. Read More »]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/chanukah-party-2011-photos-and-wrap-up/ http://www.jewpi.com/chanukah-party-2011-photos-and-wrap-up/#comments Mon, 26 Dec 2011 10:14:06 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/chanukah-party-2011-photos-and-wrap-up/ Pacific Jewish Center enjoyed another excellent Chanukah party planned and executed by Jeff Liss and his wonderful helpers. The party featured delicious Chanukah foods and treats, dreidel contests, a moon bounce for the kids, entertainment for everyone courtesy of Derek the Mime a speech from the rabbi and most of all, lovely company. Read More [...]]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/chanukah-2011-address-what-doomed-the-hasmoneans/ http://www.jewpi.com/chanukah-2011-address-what-doomed-the-hasmoneans/#comments Mon, 26 Dec 2011 05:10:21 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/chanukah-2011-address-what-doomed-the-hasmoneans/ Hasmonean Coin In case you are wondering what I said at the Chanukah party, wonder no more. You can listen to my 20+ minute address right here on the blog. Just click the play button at the bottom of this post. I spoke about the fatal flaw that doomed the Hasmonean dynasty. I think the [...]]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/book-review-between-worlds-dybbuks-exorcists-and-early-modern-judaism/ http://www.jewpi.com/book-review-between-worlds-dybbuks-exorcists-and-early-modern-judaism/#comments Thu, 22 Dec 2011 05:48:09 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/book-review-between-worlds-dybbuks-exorcists-and-early-modern-judaism/ I don’t remember where or how I came across this book, but when I saw Between Worlds: Dybbuks, Exorcists, and Early Modern Judaism referenced somewhere, I knew I had to snatch it up. I saw it just after I wrote about the modern day exorcist here: Demons, Dybbuks, Devils and Exorcism . Buying this book [...]]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/%e2%99%ab-the-driver-on-the-bus-says-%e2%80%9cmove-on-back%e2%80%9d-%e2%99%ab/ http://www.jewpi.com/%e2%99%ab-the-driver-on-the-bus-says-%e2%80%9cmove-on-back%e2%80%9d-%e2%99%ab/#comments Tue, 20 Dec 2011 22:50:19 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/%e2%99%ab-the-driver-on-the-bus-says-%e2%80%9cmove-on-back%e2%80%9d-%e2%99%ab/ In the United States of America the Supreme Court has held that “separate but equal” is inherently discriminatory. Back in the dark ages, I mean 60 years ago, white and black people in many states and cities were required to dine, shop, use the restroom and ride the bus separately. Read More »]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/suggestion-read-%e2%80%9cjudaism-as-a-first-language%e2%80%9d-right-now/ http://www.jewpi.com/suggestion-read-%e2%80%9cjudaism-as-a-first-language%e2%80%9d-right-now/#comments Mon, 19 Dec 2011 22:18:13 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/suggestion-read-%e2%80%9cjudaism-as-a-first-language%e2%80%9d-right-now/ On Cross-Currents, Rabbi Adlerstein recommends a recent article written by Dr. Moshe Koppel. Seeing as Rabbi Adlerstein rarely makes recommendations, I decided to see what the fuss was about. The article is a 36 page masterpiece. Honestly, I think it is the best article I have ever read and I read a lot of articles, [...]]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/chanukah-posts-of-note-so-far/ http://www.jewpi.com/chanukah-posts-of-note-so-far/#comments Mon, 19 Dec 2011 19:06:16 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/chanukah-posts-of-note-so-far/ Chanukah Words Yosef and the Light of (Economic) Wisdom and Kindness – Drasha Miketz A New Chanukah Message My Chanukah Message To You: Light Knows No Friend or Foe PJC Chanukah Party 2009 Address PJC Chanukah Party 2010 | Rabbi’s Speech When Read More »]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/the-evil-inclination-and-the-antidote-a-guest-post/ http://www.jewpi.com/the-evil-inclination-and-the-antidote-a-guest-post/#comments Fri, 16 Dec 2011 19:20:30 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/the-evil-inclination-and-the-antidote-a-guest-post/ A guest post by Rabbi Aaron Fink (my father), Dean of Ateres Bais Yaakov on Monsey NY. Part of a weekly Dvar Torah (Torah “Thought”) series. Parshas Vayeshev Barasy Yetzer Hara, Barasy Torah Tavlin One of the many interesting story lines of Yosef Hatzadik’s experience of Parshas Vayeshev deals with his life as the chief [...]]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/%e2%80%98tis-the-season-to-be-sparring/ http://www.jewpi.com/%e2%80%98tis-the-season-to-be-sparring/#comments Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:46:14 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/%e2%80%98tis-the-season-to-be-sparring/ It’s that time of year again. That time of year when everyone is supposed to be preparing for their respective holidays full of good cheer and spirits. What ends up happening is people tripping over themselves to be insulted or to make statements about their beliefs. First, a bit of history. Read More »]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/italmud-%e2%80%93-ipad-edition-app-review/ http://www.jewpi.com/italmud-%e2%80%93-ipad-edition-app-review/#comments Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:56:13 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/italmud-%e2%80%93-ipad-edition-app-review/ Way back in 2009, I did a review of iTalmud English for the iPhone. See: iTalmud English Edition: Review A few months ago we got an iPad and I could not wait to try iTalmud – iPad Edition . Torah learning is much easier on a bigger screen and the navigation through an iPad app [...]]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/the-shave-heard-%e2%80%98round-the-world/ http://www.jewpi.com/the-shave-heard-%e2%80%98round-the-world/#comments Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:26:20 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/the-shave-heard-%e2%80%98round-the-world/ This morning, Matisyahu shaved his beard. Matisyahu, the self-proclaimed chasidic reggae pop-star, has always identified as an orthodox, chasidic Jew since his rise to stardom almost a decade ago. His signature look was that of a chasidic man. He had an untrimmed beard, long side locks and wore the chasidic garb. Read More »]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/on-invented-people/ http://www.jewpi.com/on-invented-people/#comments Tue, 13 Dec 2011 03:06:22 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/on-invented-people/ GOP Candidate and Presidential hopeful, Newt Gingrich has made headlines with his recent claim that the Palestinians are an Invented People. The responses from across the idealogical and political spectrum have been as wild and varied as to be expected. On one extreme, representatives of the Palestinians fired back at Gingrich. Read More »]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/jews-in-the-news-yu%e2%80%99s-conundrum/ http://www.jewpi.com/jews-in-the-news-yu%e2%80%99s-conundrum/#comments Fri, 09 Dec 2011 07:52:19 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/jews-in-the-news-yu%e2%80%99s-conundrum/ Several online news publications reported on the YU Beacon controversy from this past week. The Beacon is a student newspaper at Yeshiva University. It is a student voice for Yeshiva College and Stern College. The controversy arose from a particular article that was authored anonymously. Read More »]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/should-a-death-row-inmate-be-able-to-choose-to-die/ http://www.jewpi.com/should-a-death-row-inmate-be-able-to-choose-to-die/#comments Thu, 08 Dec 2011 01:54:29 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/should-a-death-row-inmate-be-able-to-choose-to-die/ This is something from a couple weeks ago. I know that there is a cardinal sin of blogging that prohibits one from writing about an article that is more than a few hours old, but timing is not a material issue to this article. I refer to an LA Times article about a man who [...]]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/rational-reading-and-gift-list/ http://www.jewpi.com/rational-reading-and-gift-list/#comments Wed, 07 Dec 2011 19:37:13 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/rational-reading-and-gift-list/ In anticipation of the upcoming gift giving season I have compiled a short list of books that I think would make a great gift for the orthodox Jewish Rationalist in your life. If that happens to be you, ask for an Amazon gift card and buy these books for yourself! Get an Amazon gift card [...]]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/should-jewish-people-study-the-new-testament/ http://www.jewpi.com/should-jewish-people-study-the-new-testament/#comments Mon, 28 Nov 2011 20:56:27 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/should-jewish-people-study-the-new-testament/ I have always wanted to study of the New Testament. Orthodox Jews are not encouraged (mostly discouraged) from even looking at those books. But the truth is that these texts have a lot to offer a Jewish audience. Read More »]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/the-day-after-thanksgiving-some-thoughts-on-yesterday%e2%80%99s-controversies/ http://www.jewpi.com/the-day-after-thanksgiving-some-thoughts-on-yesterday%e2%80%99s-controversies/#comments Fri, 25 Nov 2011 19:24:09 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/the-day-after-thanksgiving-some-thoughts-on-yesterday%e2%80%99s-controversies/ You might find it odd that the day after Thanksgiving I am writing about Thanksgiving. The truth is that I am not really writing about Thanksgiving rather some of the nutty things that happened this year on Thanksgiving. Read More »]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/a-total-education-a-guest-post/ http://www.jewpi.com/a-total-education-a-guest-post/#comments Fri, 25 Nov 2011 19:14:10 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/a-total-education-a-guest-post/ A guest post by Rabbi Aaron Fink (my father), Dean of Ateres Bais Yaakov on Monsey NY. Part of a weekly Dvar Torah (Torah “Thought”) series. Parshas Toldos A Total Education The beginning of Parshas Toldos reintroduces us to the birth of Yitzchak Avinu as it begins to detail his legacy as a second of [...]]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/tim-tebow%e2%80%99s-relationship-with-his-god/ http://www.jewpi.com/tim-tebow%e2%80%99s-relationship-with-his-god/#comments Wed, 23 Nov 2011 22:06:17 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/tim-tebow%e2%80%99s-relationship-with-his-god/ There is nothing quite like Tim Tebow. He is one of the most decorated NCAA Football players of all time. He worked for years as a Missionary spreading the Gospel in Southeast Asia. He is arguably the worst passing quarterback in the NFL. He is by far the most talked about sports personality. Quite a [...]]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/there-is-no-tent/ http://www.jewpi.com/there-is-no-tent/#comments Mon, 21 Nov 2011 22:14:18 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/there-is-no-tent/ Originally Posted on YUBeacon.com:  There is No Tent Lately it seems like everyone is trying to define Modern Orthodoxy. The purpose of these attempts revolves around one specific institution and its graduates, Yeshiva Chovevei Torah (YCT). Read More »]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/conservatives-should-support-the-nba-players-union/ http://www.jewpi.com/conservatives-should-support-the-nba-players-union/#comments Fri, 18 Nov 2011 18:44:12 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/conservatives-should-support-the-nba-players-union/ Sports fans know that the NBA is currently undergoing a labor dispute between Ownership and the players represented by their Union. The dispute has led to two drastic measures. First, the owners “locked out” the players. Read More »]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/ever-thankful-a-guest-post/ http://www.jewpi.com/ever-thankful-a-guest-post/#comments Fri, 18 Nov 2011 16:52:15 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/ever-thankful-a-guest-post/ A guest post by Rabbi Aaron Fink (my father), Dean of Ateres Bais Yaakov on Monsey NY. Part of a weekly Dvar Torah (Torah “Thought”) series. Parshas Chayei Sara Ever Thankful One can help but be amazed by the amazing lessons for life taught to us by our avos and recorded for posterity as a [...]]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/it%e2%80%99s-not-as-easy-as-it-seems/ http://www.jewpi.com/it%e2%80%99s-not-as-easy-as-it-seems/#comments Thu, 17 Nov 2011 19:14:15 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/it%e2%80%99s-not-as-easy-as-it-seems/ The moral outrage over the Penn State scandal is reaching epic proportions. In the NY Times, David Brooks raises a salient point and it got me thinking. Brooks says that humans have a bad track record of speaking up when something needs to be said. Everyone is horrified by the heinous acts alleged to have [...]]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/innocent-or-guilty-jerry-sandusky-is-a-very-strange-man/ http://www.jewpi.com/innocent-or-guilty-jerry-sandusky-is-a-very-strange-man/#comments Wed, 16 Nov 2011 03:36:16 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/innocent-or-guilty-jerry-sandusky-is-a-very-strange-man/ In a mind boggling decision, Jerry Sandusky agreed offered to be interviewed by the great Bob Costas. This was curious.  But some of Sandusky’s responses were even more curious. Costas asked all the tough questions and I recommend reading the transcript and / or watching the video. Read More »]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/modern-orthodox-mormons/ http://www.jewpi.com/modern-orthodox-mormons/#comments Mon, 14 Nov 2011 09:20:18 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/modern-orthodox-mormons/ A couple of weeks ago the New York Times featured a Fashion and Style article that caught my attention. I never read that section. But the headline grabbed me because it was not really about fashion or style. It was about religion and Mormons in particular. Read More »]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/rabbi-nosson-tzvi-finkel-of-blessed-memory/ http://www.jewpi.com/rabbi-nosson-tzvi-finkel-of-blessed-memory/#comments Tue, 08 Nov 2011 09:26:11 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/rabbi-nosson-tzvi-finkel-of-blessed-memory/ The Rosh Yeshiva of the largest yeshiva in the world has passed away. Under the leadership of Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel, the Mir Yeshiva became the most prolific institution of Torah study in the world. R’ Nosson Tzvi died of a heart attack. It is a profound loss and it was too soon. R’ Nosson [...]]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/michigan-protects-bullies-and-turns-religion-into-a-weapon/ http://www.jewpi.com/michigan-protects-bullies-and-turns-religion-into-a-weapon/#comments Fri, 04 Nov 2011 18:18:18 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/michigan-protects-bullies-and-turns-religion-into-a-weapon/ Last week, forty seven states in the union had anti-bullying statutes. This makes it easier for schools to fight bullying. It also gives potential bullies reason for pause and hopefully can stave off some of the bullying that is going on in schools across America. Read More »]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/what-happened-to-lot-dvar-torah-lech-lecha/ http://www.jewpi.com/what-happened-to-lot-dvar-torah-lech-lecha/#comments Fri, 04 Nov 2011 17:48:23 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/what-happened-to-lot-dvar-torah-lech-lecha/ The Torah tells us (14: 12) that some time after Lot left Avram’s home Lot was captured by the warring kings. They took Lot all his possessions and then they left Sodom. Lot began this week’s Torah portion as a righteous person. He stayed with Avram even as Avram left his homeland. Read More »]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/it%e2%80%99s-all-a-gift-a-guest-post/ http://www.jewpi.com/it%e2%80%99s-all-a-gift-a-guest-post/#comments Fri, 04 Nov 2011 17:38:37 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/it%e2%80%99s-all-a-gift-a-guest-post/ A guest post by Rabbi Aaron Fink (my father), Dean of Ateres Bais Yaakov on Monsey NY. Part of a weekly Dvar Torah (Torah “Thought”) series. Parshas Lech Lecha It’s All a Gift In Parshas Lech Lecha we are told how Avraham Avinu is taken outside by the Ribbono Shel Olam and told to look [...]]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/gilad-shalit-goes-to-the-beach-and-all-heck-breaks-loose/ http://www.jewpi.com/gilad-shalit-goes-to-the-beach-and-all-heck-breaks-loose/#comments Fri, 04 Nov 2011 01:02:08 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/gilad-shalit-goes-to-the-beach-and-all-heck-breaks-loose/ A few days after Gilad Shalit was released from captivity he and his father spent some quality catching up time at the beach. What could more sweet? It warmed the heart to see a young man enjoy our beautiful earth in a way he might have never dreamed he ever would. Read More »]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/beautiful-photos-of-hoshana-rabbah-at-pacific-jewish-center-the-shul-on-the-beach/ http://www.jewpi.com/beautiful-photos-of-hoshana-rabbah-at-pacific-jewish-center-the-shul-on-the-beach/#comments Wed, 02 Nov 2011 23:16:04 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/beautiful-photos-of-hoshana-rabbah-at-pacific-jewish-center-the-shul-on-the-beach/ The day before Hoshana Rabbah I received a phone call from an ambitious, young photographer named Jason Jackson who is working on a documentary about orthodox Jews. He asked if he could take pictures of us at The Shul on the Beach. Normally, there is not much to photograph on weekdays and we would not be [...]]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/chevrolet%e2%80%99s-new-ad-%e2%80%9cborrows%e2%80%9d-from-dear-photograph/ http://www.jewpi.com/chevrolet%e2%80%99s-new-ad-%e2%80%9cborrows%e2%80%9d-from-dear-photograph/#comments Wed, 02 Nov 2011 00:40:19 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/chevrolet%e2%80%99s-new-ad-%e2%80%9cborrows%e2%80%9d-from-dear-photograph/ A Typical “Dear Photograph” Submission A little while back I posted a link to a really amazing Tumblr blog called “Dear Photograph”. The idea is hard to explain but when you see it for yourself the whole thing makes perfect sense and is quite touching. Read More »]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/loveless-marriages-can-be-valuable/ http://www.jewpi.com/loveless-marriages-can-be-valuable/#comments Mon, 31 Oct 2011 09:24:08 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/loveless-marriages-can-be-valuable/ Last week an orthodox Jewish woman posted the following on Reddit.com: I am a lesbian marrying a gay man. We are out to each other and our closest friends. We both grew up in religious, traditional communities so we decided this was best for us. We both travel a lot so we are able to [...]]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/demons-dybbuks-devils-and-exorcism/ http://www.jewpi.com/demons-dybbuks-devils-and-exorcism/#comments Fri, 28 Oct 2011 09:06:26 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/demons-dybbuks-devils-and-exorcism/ A new docudrama about exorcism is making the news. A recent movie called The Rite was based on the real life tales of a priest named Father Gary Thomas. Now Father Thomas is telling the world his experiences through the docudrama. In Catholicism, exorcism is the process of removing the devil from one who has [...]]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/moral-equivalency-in-the-media-gilad-shalit-and-terrorists/ http://www.jewpi.com/moral-equivalency-in-the-media-gilad-shalit-and-terrorists/#comments Thu, 27 Oct 2011 17:04:13 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/moral-equivalency-in-the-media-gilad-shalit-and-terrorists/ One of the more dramatic events in my lifetime has been the recent release of Gilad Shalit. I think most Jews thought he would never go home. He was released, the price was very high and now a week later we can reflect on the deal and its ramifications. Read More »]]> 0 http://www.jewpi.com/book-review-strictly-kosher-reading-3/ http://www.jewpi.com/book-review-strictly-kosher-reading-3/#comments Wed, 26 Oct 2011 05:26:07 +0000 admin http://www.jewpi.com/book-review-strictly-kosher-reading-3/ Over Yom Tov I read some great books and articles. I hope to share some of them with you over the next couple of weeks. Perhaps the most compelling book I read was hot off the presses:  Strictly Kosher Reading  by Yoel Finkelman. Read More »]]> 0