“Trump’s assault on the premises of democracy is not only unique in modern American history but unique in the annals of modern liberal democracy”
Trump’s assault on the premises of democracy is not only unique in modern American...
Author Archives: Drew Kaplan
“…the most important source for mapping Jewish settlement and…urban reality as a whole in Sasanian Babylonia is the Babylonian Talmud”
By far, the most important source for mapping Jewish settlement and, in a sense,...
“The archaeological remains in Babylonia reveal few clear markers of Jewish identity”
The archaeological remains in Babylonia reveal few clear markers of Jewish identity. In the...
“The disaffected customer seeking spiritual nourishment is increasingly taking matters into their own hands, becoming curators and creators in the religious spheres as well becoming religious and spiritual DJs”
It is estimated that an additional 7,000-10,000 houses of worship will close this year...
“Not affiliated or disaffiliated does not necessarily mean that Nones have no religious or spiritual needs and yearnings”
…according to Pew Research, the fastest growing religious demographic in America is “None.” …Not...
“With the erosion of ethnic boundaries in Israel, and the mixing of different traditions to form a more general ‘Israeliness’, traditionalism has become mainstream”
The roots of traditionalism lie in Mizrachi Judaism. In the Orient, instead of the...
“‘Community’ makes everything sound better”
“Community” is derived from the Anglo-Norman and Middle French communité, meaning, primarily, “joint ownership.”...
“You say you don’t want to connect to Israel for x, y, and z reasons, but – tell me something: do you care about a conversation about Jews in power?”
You say you don’t want to connect to Israel for x, y, and z...
“Like the ancients, we experience far more than we understand”
…we denizens of the third millennium ce make constant recourse to specialists whose art has no...
“At the core of the problem with synagogues is how the life of the synagogue is oriented”
I have witnessed firsthand the benefits and challenges that synagogues face today. I have...