Essays, &c.
A Passage to Hungary – memories of a year in Budapest
California Dreamin’ – a hitchhiker’s guide to Torah Observance
Shylock in Jerusalem – Shakespearean scholarship with an unexpected twist
Virtual Unreality – post open-heart surgery reflections
The Private Life of Miss America – modesty and pop-culture
The Mystical Power of Amuka – a memoir of journeying toward marriage
A Novel Idea – excerpts from Under the Sun
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Perspectives
Dawn to Destiny:
Exploring Jewish History and its Hidden Wisdom
By Rabbi Yonason Goldson
A comprehensive overview of Jewish History from Creation through the redaction of the Talmud, illuminating the intricacies and complexities of Torah tradition and philosophy according to the sages and classical commentaries, spanning the length and breadth of Jewish experience to resolve many of history’s most perplexing episodes, offering profound insights and showing their relevance to life in the modern world.
How did the sin of Adam transform mankind and the world? How were the prophecies of Noah fulfilled through the rise of the Greek Empire? Why did lifespans shrink so dramatically after the Flood? How did the builders of the Tower of Babel believe they could wage war against G-d? Why did the Torah have to be given in both written and oral form? What was King David’s transgression regarding his involvement with BasSheva? Why did some Jews oppose the construction of the Second Temple? How can we trust the transmission of Torah if our scholars engaged in such fierce disagreements? These and many other questions are answered in this unique volume.
An invaluable resource for scholars and laymen. A priceless tool for education and outreach. With approbations from HaRav Dovid Cohen and HaRav Zev Leff.
25% OF MY FIRST YEAR’S PROCEEDS WILL GO TO BLOCK YESHIVA HIGH SCHOOL.
FOR EXCERPT AND ORDERING INFORMATION CLICK HERE.
Mission Statement for the Jewish People — from the extraordinary wisdom of Rav Shraga Feivel Mendelovitz, founder of Torah education in America.
Why Jews are Liberals — the origins of ideological confusion, and a follow-up piece exploring the practical applications.
The End of the Age of Reason — the sages’ vision of a future that is at our doorstep, and a follow-up piece in response to, and including, some colorful comments.
Israel: History, Politics, and Ideology — Answers to the attacks of apologists and antagonists.
Defining “Objective” History — How can we determine the accuracy of historical records? How do we resolve contradictions in history?
The Language of Confusion — 60 years after 1984, Orwell’s prophetic dystopia remains more relevant than ever.
The Final Battlefield – The current economic crisis foretold a thousand years ago and the climax of the ultimate ideological war. Also, variations on a theme inspired by Pink Floyd and this recipe for the only truly secure investment.
The Fallacy of Moral Relativism — How I taught a class of cynical teenagers the illogic of unrestricted personal freedom.
Hurricane Season– With meteorologists predicting more hurricanes on the scale of Gustav, Ike, and Katrina, these thoughts on the Pacific Rim Tsunami are worth another look.
Talking the to the Wall Department — My efforts to engage an ideologue in civil discourse. Draw your own conclusions, and feel free to weigh in … respectfully.
Insights into the weeky Torah Portion
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On your recent article in the JWR on”Why Jews Are Liberals”, I have often asked the same question and have yet to get a coherent answer.
I am also curious about your remark that FDR did not intervene on behalf of the 6 million Jews murdered by the Nazis. I am not a great fan nor a detractor of FDR, he was always a mixed bag to me . I was 7 when he was first elected, so I lived through his Presidency. It is true that the US did essentially nothing to give help to refugees. He did however send many hundreds of thousands of GI’s to Europe to liberate the continent from the Nazis. I know this from first hand experience. There are many cemeteries in Europe with tens of thousands of GI’s who paid for this along with many more thousands that came home with scars visible and not visible. The great majority of these were not Jews. How can you say that he did nothing?
A group recently came back from Europe where they visited some of the death camps at a memorial service. I heard of not one who visited an American cemetery to place one flower on GI headstone.
Why is that?
Comment by Julius Blank | April 29, 2010
FDR sent in the troops for America, not for the Jews. Yes, Jews do owe America gratitude for defeating Hitler, but all that was done was in America’s own interest, and the diverting of even a single bombing mission might have destroyed the crematoria and gas chambers at Auschwitz and saved countless lives. Then there were the Jews turned away from America (and almost everywhere else) who had no place to go and perished.
The purpose of many Jewish trips to Europe is specifically to honor and mourn the victims of the Holocaust. Budgets and schedules are tight, and many important sights have to be overlooked. This should not be interpreted in any way as a slight against the GIs who gave their lives for freedom and liberty. Every one of them has our eternal respect and admiration.
Comment by torahideals | April 29, 2010