Monthly Archives: January 2026

BA In Modern Jewish Studies Gets the Axe at Syracuse

Posted on January 30, 2026 by zjb

Dear All:  Writing with sad but not unexpected news. I met the other day with [two administrators in the College of Arts and Sciences –henceforth “The College”] who informed me that the SU is eliminating the major in  Modern Jewish … Continue reading →

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Iran @Twitter

Posted on January 19, 2026 by zjb

Follow at Twitter for reliable information and perspectives about the struggle for democracy and human rights in Iran: Arash Azizi آرش عزیزی @arash_tehran Siavash Ardalan @BBCArdalan BBC Persian/World Senior Reporter Yashar Ali @yasha Holly Dagres @hdagres @WashInstitute Senior Fellow Meir … Continue reading →

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(Mamdani) The Friend-Friend Distinction (Diaspora Haredi Political Theory)

Posted on January 9, 2026 by zjb

An “askan” in Haredi communities is the political fixer who coordinates the communal interest before local or state power. Indig is the askan who represents the interests of the Ahronim segment of the Satmar community. Based on enmity, the organized … Continue reading →

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(AI TRANSLATION) Toldot Ya’akov Yosef (Reader’s Digest)

Posted on January 2, 2026 by zjb

I generated an AI-translation of the Toldot Ya’akov Yosef, which I am sharing here. It is heavily annotated. The paragraph organization is very rough and represents my own attempt to provide thematic coherence. The AI-translation is followed by my own … Continue reading →

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