The Good Wife: Is Giselle Bundchen An Aishes Chayil?
Adam Dickter’s Continuum posted by: Adam Dickter “A righteous woman, who can find her?” Many Jews ask that question every Friday night with the recitation of the ballad “Aishet Chayil” at the Shabbat table. One answer to the queston: Tim Brady. Read More »
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Super Bowl Kaddish Conundrum
Adam Dickter’s Continuum posted by: Adam Dickter I have one prediction today that doesn’t have to do with football. At least not directly. Early mincha minyans, in the 12: 30-3: 00 range, are bound to be very popular on the East Coast. Read More »
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The Home Stretch
In a few weeks, I’ll be finished with the 11-month period of saying kaddish for my mother, Sondra, who passed away early last year. A lifelong religious slacker until now, I have somehow managed, as of this writing, to make it to shul every morning since March 27. Read More »
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18
About a year and a half ago my wife and I faced a milestone with our youngest son’s 10th birthday: No more single-digit kids. Now, we’re on the threshhold of something more substantial: Our oldest turns 18 on Monday. Our first legal adult child. He’s been driving for a year, and he will vote in the next election. Read More »
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A Job For Chris Christie
New Jersey’s Gov. Chris Christie is a tough guy. The former federal prosecutor is known for blunt talk and quick rejoinders to critics. The other day, up in New Hampshire, Christie had the back of the guy he probably hopes will tap him as vice presidential nominee. Read More »
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Swimming With The Polar Bears
It was a day like any other beach day. Mortal combat for parking spaces along Surf Avenue. People carrying their gear to the boardwalk. Music in the air and the scent of hot dogs and french fries. Sunshine and balmy temperature. Read More »
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Free Speech And Student Journalism
When I was a student newspaper editor in the late 80s and early 90s, there was a controversy across the country as newspapers (not including mine) were approached by a notorious Holocaust revisionist who wanted to take out ads promoting “open debate” about the Holocaust. Read More »
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Fletcher’s List: Many A Truth Told In Fiction
When a journalist writes fiction, especially historical fiction, it’s natural for the reader to search for the point of departure from truth to imagination. Read More »
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A Whack To Remember
If you were in shul today, as on any Rosh Chodesh, you may have heard the distinctive sound of a gabbai or chazan’s hand whacking the bima immediately prior to the Amida (or Shemona Esreh). Read More »
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Jabs At Jobs
The recent remarks by Britain’s chief rabbi, Jonathan Sacks, about Steve Jobs and his role in driving worldwide consumerism – the attachment of happiness and fulfillment to owning modern products – were refreshing in their bluntness. Read More »
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The Swastika Dance
If you work in Jewish journalism long enough, certain stories begin to look like Mad Libs: Blocks of fixed text in which only the particulars are rearranged. Examples: calls for the release of Jonathan Pollard. ‘s remarks about Hitler cause an uproar. Read More »
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You’re No One Till Somebody Tweets You: Happening Hashtags
On the day last month that Apple released its newest iPhone, tweets using the hashtag #iPhone5 – the device people were expecting rather than the 4S – were coming so fast and furious that you could barely read oner tweet before it was pushed down the Twitter or TweetDeck screen by the next entries. Read More »
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Defending An ‘Often Despicable’ Hamas
I often agree with Andrew Sullivan, but was surpised by this stunningly misguided blog post on the Daily Beast , attacking Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin for retweeting an angry statement about what should happen to the Hamas captors of Gilad Shalit. Read More »
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A 45 Percent Chance Of More Terror
Israeli journalist Ronen Bergman has a fascinating in-depth piece in today’s New York Times Magazine exploring the notoriously lopsided Gilad Shalit/terrorist trade, suggesting that the painful questions raised by the deal aren’t going away any time soon. Read More »
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Ashrei: A Closer’s Prayer
I’m keeping up pretty well with my obligation during the mourning period for my mother to pray with a minyan three times a day. But not so much with the tradition of leading the prayer service. Read More »
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Still Waiting For My Anti-Semitism Check
Wearing a yarmulke in New York City, as I did regularly as a kid and young adult, is not just an expression of pride and faith, but, as I often found, also an invitation for loudmouth anti-Semites to crawl out from under their rocks. Read More »
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Still Waiting For My Anti-Semitism Paycheck
Wearing a yarmulke in New York City, as I did regularly as a kid and young adult, is not just an expression of pride and faith, but, as I often found, also an invitation for loudmouth anti-Semites to crawl out from under their rocks. Read More »
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Guns and The Holocaust
Jewish Week online columnist Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz has drawn extensive feedback from commenters on this week’s edition of “Street Torah,” in which he deals with the highly controversial issue of gun control. Read More »
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Top 10 Signs Of Shul Fatigue
A little post-holidays humor. (Very little, some would say.) Top 10 Signs You’ve Spent Too Much Time In Shul 10. Show up to work with tallis on. 9. Before opening garage door, a voice in your head says “ chai dollar psichin …” 8. Punctuate coworkers’ presentations with “ baruch hu baruch shemo ” 7. Read More »
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A Dream Come True, At A Terrible Price
There will be endless debates about whether it’s right, or smart, to exchange more than 1,000 people who want to destroy Israel for the life of one Israeli soldier. Let those debates go on, once Gilad Shalit is home. Read More » - Load More
