It is natural that in times of war the voices of moderation are stifled. A threat to the health of the community awakens a deep internal defensive stance while the scrutiny of one’s peers only reinforces this attitude. For over…
Disney’s Bears: a children’s film deserving of criticism
As much as I hate to admit it, I am an urbanite. I enjoy spending time away from the city, but going on a hike is somewhat of a hassle. So when my friend told me about a nature film…
Game: Lingua Frankel
Many Yiddish words have crept their way into the English vernacular, which poses many potential problems: If you consider Yiddish a galus language, you may see its survival as undesirable. If you consider Yiddish an extremely sacred language, then you…
Dayeinu — never enough
“Dayeinu” is one of the more perplexing passages in the Passover Haggadah. It comes as a respite after a long stretch of Talmudic exegesis, and is therefore typically chanted in an exuberant manner. This fosters its interpretation as a song…
Remembering the Unforgettable
An Encounter with the Past: After high school, I spent a year studying at a yeshiva in Israel. During one of the breaks I joined some of my peers on an organized trip to Poland, called Shorashim. Shorashim is the…