Judaism “A beautiful bit of hardware, it requires deed first and only then contemplation” Author Drew Kaplan Date 18 January 2016 You don’t have to be much of a theologian to see how different tefillin...
Judaism “This Qaraite breach of the Oral Law earned them the nickname ‘the eaters of meat with milk'” Author Drew Kaplan Date 10 January 2016 The Qaraites, from the start, understood the biblical verses of lo sevashal literally, in...
Prayer, Synagogues “Prayer must therefore occupy a delicate position that offers a supportive, mutual experience, while also protecting the individual’s sense of agency…” Author Drew Kaplan Date 16 December 2015 Prayer, whether seen as introspection or as a transcendent conversation with a divine God,...
Halakhic Books/Works/Writings, Hanukah “Many halachic authorities dating back to the Rishonim have suggested that the difficult winter weather played a role in the menorah’s being moved indoors” Author Drew Kaplan Date 10 December 2015 Many halachic authorities dating back to the Rishonim have suggested that the difficult winter...
Hanukah “…in truth, dreidel is not Jewish in origin. Rather, dreidel is really the rather old game of teetotum” Author Drew Kaplan Date 8 December 2015 According to at least one source, the custom of playing dreidel was actually started...
Marriage, Marriage, Modern Orthodoxy “Continuity is not an end in itself, but a culture’s purpose is not to be an ephemeral work of performance art” Author Drew Kaplan Date 16 November 2015 Marriage in the classical sense is a commitment to sustainability. Continuity is not an...
Shabbat “Scholars have noted that many minhagim began as a response to the Qaraite movement” Author Drew Kaplan Date 8 November 2015 Scholars have noted that many minhagim began as a response to the Qaraite movement....
Prayer, Synagogues “…there is a basic contradiction between sincere, personal prayer and the communal, synagogue setting” Author Drew Kaplan Date 5 November 2015 The synagogue’s primary function is what happens in its sanctuary, the space in which...
Holidays, Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur “Eschewing a sense of entitlement and control in favor of a sense of meaning and potential is the work of the High Holiday season” Author Drew Kaplan Date 9 September 2015 Eschewing a sense of entitlement and control in favor of a sense of meaning...
Gender, Judaism, Orthodoxy “Whether it’s from mere discomfort around women or buried chauvinism, the reality is that most men relate best to male leaders” Author Drew Kaplan Date 31 August 2015 For better or for worse, men like their boy’s clubs. They’re attracted to environments...