American Orthodoxy

Gidon Rothstein mines parashat Yitro for insight into best practices in synagogue governance.

As the Covid-19 pandemic looks like it might be subsiding, Ezra Schwartz, a Rosh Yeshiva at Yeshiva University, incisively examines competing trends toward decentralization of synagogue life and centralization of halakhic decision-making that are reshaping the Modern Orthodox world.

Louis Jacobs, the controversial British rabbi and theologian, died 15 years ago. Steven Gotlib reviews Harry Freedman’s new book on Jacobs’ life, and considers how what happened to Jacobs should inform the way we draw the boundaries of Orthodoxy today.

Shayna Goldberg contributes to the Lehrhaus Symposium on the recent OU statement regarding female clergy.

Elli Fischer looks back at 30 years of Daf Yomi celebrations.

Continuing the Yitzhak paradigm, Rabbi Yaakov Bieler offers another perspective on the nuances of Jewish education.

Tovah Lichtenstein responds to and critiques Zev Eleff's counter-history, "What if Rav Aharon Had Stayed?"

Rachel Levmore asks whether Internet feuds are the proper way to adjudicate halakhic matters.

In part 1, Gil Perl argued that Modern Orthodox is in need of a Hedgehog Concept and put forward Or (la-)Goyim as a candidate for that role. In part 2, he details what this might look like in practice and why it would appeal to our youth in a post-modern world.

Todd Berman contributes to the Lehrhaus Symposium on the recent OU statement regarding female clergy.