Author Archives: zjb

TORAH PHARMAKON: DRUG OF LIFE/DRUG OF DEATH YOMA 72b אִלְמָלֵא בִּגְדֵי כְהוּנָּה, לֹא נִשְׁתַּיֵּיר מִשּׂוֹנְאֵיהֶן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל שָׂרִיד וּפָלִיט. He offers a homiletic interpretation: Were it not for the priestly vestments, which provide atonement for the Jewish people, there would … Continue reading →

Nicholas Kristof’s recent, incendiary op-ed about mass rape committed against Palestinians is now a confusing case in point about the political and moral morass that is Israel under Netanyahu after October 7. There is, in fact, reliable reporting about the … Continue reading →

Religion is the beating heart of the rot in Israel today, but Netanyahu and Israeli society are ultimately responsible for activating and tolerating this dangerous mutation in Judaism

Ihab Hassan @IhabHassane: Israeli settlers exhumed the body of Hussein Mahmoud Asasa, an 80-year-old Palestinian man, and dug up his grave because it was near an illegal settlement — most likely built on land stolen from him and his family … Continue reading →

Dr. Jordan Loewen-Colón presented this very sharp and critical talk at Syracuse about the intersection of AI, the world of business, tech and society, and the Humanities before a large and rapt crowd. Colleagues should invite him to campus and … Continue reading →

A letter from the liberal-left London Initiative against the unprecedented wave of state-sponsored Jewish terror against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank Click here to add your name List of Signatories March 2026 Dear President Herzog, In a letter from Diaspora Jewry … Continue reading →

The following is a summary of personal impressions followed by a few critical comments of my own a week after the second conference of Smol Emuni held two Sundays ago at Congregation Bnei Jeshurun in Manhattan. , My own thoughts … Continue reading →