Growing up, I was always fascinated by the diversity of Judaism. I loved the idea that the religion was portable and adaptable; that each person could make it his or her own, yet feel one hundred percent assured of the…
Instant Gratification
Do we have it too easy? I woke up this morning with a song stuck in my head. It took me less than a minute to log onto iTunes and purchase it, enjoying it while I made some instant coffee…
The Shabbos App: pro-Shabbos?
In the world of ever-evolving consumer high tech, it should come as no surprise that an app has been created to assist Shabbat-observant Jews. There are other apps to assist Jews out there, like Rustybrick’s Minyan app or G-dscast’s Wake…
My Grandfather’s Uniform
Last week, I visited the Israeli consulate to renew my passport. As the lady at the desk was happily typing my information into her computer, a sense of relief quietly overcame me, knowing I would soon be one step closer…
The Empathy Gap
The tragedies of the summer of 2014 in Israel began with the abduction and murder of three Israeli children, Eyal, Gilad and Naftali. Though the vast majority of Jews across the world had no direct connection to the boys, we…
The practicality of the Shurat Hadin lawsuit
Last Monday, a US jury ordered the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization to pay over $218 million to the victims (and their families) of terrorist attacks in Israel that the PA provided material support for. The trial provided…
JSwipe: coloring outside the lines of dating
Modern Jewish dating has moved way past the traditional matchmaking days á la Yenta of Fiddler on the Roof. Nowadays, Jewish dating generally involves the following questions: Is he a nice Jewish boy? Does she attend synagogue? Is she going…
The persistent stream of Jewish sectarianism
Hinduism has been compared to the Ganges River, for it has been flowing and evolving over many centuries. In order to extend this metaphor to Judaism, one would need to alter it slightly. Judaism is best compared to the river…
Seville and Civility: The necessity of reforming Jewish-Muslim relations on campus
A history of symbolic violence It does not appear coincidental that a recent rise in rhetoric leveled against Jews across the world has coincided with a devaluation of the term anti-Semitism. Jews often use the term not only to describe…
President Barack Obama — what it’s like to have an anti-Semitic president
It’s no surprise that President Obama has once again shocked the world with his outrageous and ignorant comments of anti-Semitism. After the attack at the Hyper Cacher kosher market in Paris in early January — committed by a man claiming…