American Orthodoxy

Our recent article by Emmanuel Bloch on the book Reclaiming Dignity generated much discussion. Now, two readers respond.

Gil Perl argues that Modern Orthodox currently lacks a “Hedgehog Concept,” namely something at their core that they passionately believe they do better than anyone else in the world. He argues that Or Goyim, as articulated by 19th century luminaries like Netziv and Hirsch, is the Hedgehog concept that can engage Modern Orthodox Youth in a postmodern world.

Rabbi Adam Starr reflects on his community's hurricane relief efforts, and what it taught him about Jewish unity.

Elinatan Kupferberg argues that the boundaries between Torah and Madda have blurred and evolved throughout Jewish intellectual history. This erudite analysis upends our assumptions about Torah u-Madda and breathtakingly reimagines its past, present, and future.

Steven Gotlib reviews Roberta Rosenthal Kwall’s book Remix Judaism, which has an important message about navigating Jewish practice in the modern world for non-Orthodox and Orthodox Jews alike.

Lehrhaus is proud to present Rabbi Henry Schneeberger's 1911 sermon in honor of Thanksgiving.

Leslie Ginsparg Klein examines a new case of Orthodox censorship, contextualizing it within recent trends and religious culture.

Responding to results from the recent Pew survey, Hillel David Rapp argues that we can limit Orthodox attrition by addressing the bifurcation of Jewish and general learning in high school.

Jack Bieler continues the conversation about the need for and feasibility of a Modern Orthodox humash.

Joshua Leifer’s new book illustrates the collapse of several paradigms that long sustained American Jewish life. In his review, Steven Gotlib notes that Leifer’s search for a viable, non-separatist, traditional Judaism overlooks several existing models of Jewish life and practice.