Some Thoughts on the Role of Judaism in the State of Israel
What does it mean to say that the State of Israel is the “State of the Jews” or, more accurately, the “Jewish State”?
Articles
Sephardim and the Holocaust
Holocaust scholarship is finally making up for nearly eight decades of inadequate attention to the impact of the Shoah (1933 - ’45) on approximately 430,000 Sephardi Jews from Europe, Morocco, Algiers, Tunisia, and Libya, etc., over 160,000 of whom perished in the catastrophe.
Dogma, Heresy, and Classical Debates: Creating Jewish Unity in an Age of Confusion
Judaism includes the basic tenets of belief in one God, divine revelation of the Torah including an Oral Law, divine providence, reward-punishment, and a messianic redemption. The question for believing Jews today is, how should we relate to the overwhelming majority of contemporary Jews, who likely do not fully believe in classical Jewish beliefs? Two medieval models shed light on this question.
Sensitivity: Thoughts for Parashat Ki Tetsei
What presents itself to be an easy mitzvah from Hashem, is really teaching us about sensitivity. Not only to people, but to animals as well.
Religion and Superstition: A Maimonidean Approach
Judaism seeks to bring us closer to God through proper thought and deed. Superstition seeks to circumvent God's power through the use of magical formulae or rituals. While Judaism demands intellectual and moral excellence and a direct relationship with God, superstition provides purported means of bypassing or manipulating God in order to ward off evil or to achieve some other desired goal.
When Jews Undermine the Jewish State and the Jewish People
For some critics, everyone in the world seems to have rights...except Jews. Every nation in the world has the right to defend its citizens...except Israel. These are positions which must be repudiated by all fair-minded people. These are positions which most surely should be repudiated by the victims of such views...the Jews themselves.
BREASTFEEDING: SCIENCE, SENSITIVITY, AND HALAKHAH
The Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals invites you to a discussion BREASTFEEDING: SCIENCE, SENSITIVITY, AND HALAKHAH on Sunday, June 6, from 10:00-11:30 am
Rabbi M. Angel Replies to Questions from the Jewish Press
The Jewish Press Newspaper has a regular feature in which questions are posed to a group of rabbis. One of the respondents is Rabbi Marc D. Angel. Here are his replies to questions relating to Aliyah against the wishes of parents; dealing with the non-Jewish spouse of an intermarried friend; public fundraising appeals in synagogues; dealing with families of "get" refusers.
Review of the Koren Edition of the Book of Samuel
An excellent new commentary of the biblical book Samuel
Review by Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin
View our recent program on Breastfeeding in Halakhah on YouTube!
As of this writing, over 300 people have viewed our recent program on Breastfeeding in Halakhah. We are thrilled to reach people on such an important topic, and are grateful to the Institute for making such vital programming an essential aspect of what we do to promote our vision to the broader community.
View the program on Breastfeeding at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sWQJWg2hxo
Please also view other recent symposia we have run, and of course please share the links with your friends: