Yigdal: A Case Study in Modern Customology
…on Friday night has a clear precedent.] We now must turn to see if there are other issues with the recitation of Yigdal which would label it as “modern.” Admittedly…
A World War II Liberator’s Letter to his Hometown Rabbi
…was a member of the heroic cohort which journalist Tom Brokaw reverently labeled as “The Greatest Generation”. On several occasions, I had the opportunity to hear him speak about some…
Jewish Communal Workers, Preacher’s Kid Syndrome, and Sefer Shmuel
…to accuse parents of failing to properly raise their children. If we agree not to automatically label friends and neighbors as bad parents based on how their child(ren) turned out,…
Birds’ Heads, Romaine Lettuce, and the Art of Reading a Haggadah
…much scholarship. Medieval Jewish and Christian artists often employed similar pictorial conventions; when similarities are observed, scholars have typically identified the Christian source, labeled the Jewish version as dependent, and…
Review of Reckless Rites
…this has been understood throughout history. Some hold there is no obligation of destroying Amalek today while others are willing to label any perceived enemy of Jews as deserving of…
“Improved” Making of a Godol
R. Nathan Kamenetsky has republished the first volume of his book, “Making of a Godol.” This new edition is labeled “Improved Edition.” The reasons for the improvements are well-known. The…
