“Love your neighbor as you love yourself,” the foundation of Judaism and the basis of the Golden Rule is not too hard to imagine in a vacuum or even in real life if you’re neighbor’s a nice guy. But what if your neighbor is your political opponent? How could could you possibly love your political […]

As the Grammy Awards approach, the music industry hands out honors to an elite few. The American Society of Composers Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) does the same, and when they name someone songwriter of the year, they mean business. Did you know that in 2014 that honor fell to a Hasidic Jew? Alex Clare is a […]

How many Jews, in the history of the world, have put on tefillin every day while simultaneously wearing a Super Bowl ring? As far as we know, the answer is exactly 1 and his name is Alan Veingrad, the only NFL player to become an Orthodox Jew. At the time Alan Shlomo Veingrad played, he […]

This New Kosher Deli May Be Miami’s Hippest Restaurant The instant success of Stern’s deli isn’t too surprising given that Zak the Baker — both his bakery and the man himself — have garnered numerous accolades since setting up shop four years ago. Stern has achieved the seemingly impossible: His eateries are decidedly cool and […]

  God is connected to everyone who reaches out to Him, as the Midrash (Eliyahu Rabbah, 9) teaches, “I call heaven and earth to witness that whether Jew or Gentile, man or woman, slave or maidservant, everything is according to their actions that the divine spirit rests on them.” Every place the Torah and Talmud discuss holiness […]

Recently, I received an inquiry from someone who was researching transgender issues in halacha. The first thing I told them, before suggesting some sources, was that this issue is far above my pay grade. I am not qualified to comment on the permissibility of any course of action and I can make no recommendations. All […]