American Orthodoxy

In his first and last foray in this field, Zev Eleff tries his hand at some Modern Orthodox counter-history.  

Is the Mishnah racist? To answer the question, begs Elli Fischer, is to get a better understanding of both Judaism and Race

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.

Sarah Rindner contemplates whether Torah u-Madda as it’s sometimes interpreted can engender unreflective allegiance to trends in contemporary society that might harm our religious communities.

Chesky Kopel explores the similarities between the 2022 Beijing Olympics and the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

Todd Berman warns of antisemitism in strange places.

Rav Moshe Feinstein does not praise the United States for not having fascists and communists, but for having a system of government that is particularly resistant to what came to be known as totalitarianism.

Sara Tillinger Wolkenfeld offers a reflection on the role of imagination in bringing about the recent women's Siyyum ha-Shas.

How did daf yomi evolve from a yeshiva-centered program to one focused on the working Jew? Zev Eleff offers a historical overview of the daf yomi revolution.

Tzvi Sinensky makes a case to consider Rabbi Norman Lamm as pathbreaking Talmud innovator.