Jewish skullcaps Male Orthodox Jews usually wear skullcaps called kippot (singular: kippah) while they are awake, both outdoors and indoors. I've even met some who wear head coverings while they sleep at night, although this is definitely beyond the norms of mainstream modern halakhah (religious law) and Jewish culture. In fact, it's quite interesting that… Continue reading Both a part and apart
A landay Thought experiment: If gender roles are so natural, need religion reinforce them?
A dozen or so years ago, when I was living in Washington, DC, I had a good friend who taught me a lot about traditional Judaism. I had great fondness and admiration for him. Unlike me, he had been raised in an Orthodox Jewish family, observing Shabbat, keeping kosher, attending weekly prayer services with his… Continue reading The Jewish teddy bear
Understanding today's Israeli political scene https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55UxLCjHwlc To understand the Israeli political scene, you must understand how traumatized this country's citizenry has been by decades of wars and terror attacks. When people in Israel say "left-wing" or "right-wing", they are referring to the Arab-Israeli conflict, as the above video explains. The failed Oslo Accords, which ultimately… Continue reading The incitement of Netanyahu & co.
I find secularism personally compelling I am a member of several Jewish online discussion forums for believers to engage in respectful conversations with those who have lost their faiths. The funny thing is that I fit neither of those two categories. You see, I'm not a believer, but I never gave upon Jewish religious practice… Continue reading Why can’t I be secular?
A major milestone for our Israeli family In Israel, the education system consists of three tiers: primary (grades 1–6), middle school (grades 7–9) and high school (grades 10–12). The major decisions about schooling have to be made for 1st grade and 7th grade. Last December, I wrote about applying to elementary (grade) schools for our daughter who… Continue reading Great(!) news: a very special school
A palinode to: 'Shabbat, or: The Sabbath' Fuck that noise; Sabbath law annoys girls and boys who want toys; They're denied their simple joys; Onus ~ faith destroys d'Verse prompt: Write a palinode A palinode or palinody is an ode or song that retracts or recants a view or sentiment to what the poet wrote in… Continue reading The Sabbath, or: Shabbat
Jewish tradition: mourning in community Papa died in July of 2018. I started blogging about my journey of mourning (i.e. kaddish) that August. That year was very intensive for me; I produced a great deal of content based upon numerous readings; research; reflections; recollections; conversations; and, yes, prayer. The kaddish, after all, is a prayer.… Continue reading Kaddish for an individual
The Skeptic's Kaddish 🇮🇱 
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