Looking at Intermarriage

Devarim 7:7 – “Not because you were more numerous than any people did God find satisfaction in you and choose you, for you were the fewest of all the peoples.” Throughout history we have ALWAYS been in the competition for “fewest of all the peoples.” And yet… “The Egyptian, the Babylonian, and the Persian rose, [...]

Adventures In Hachnasas Orchim

We travel back to the mid 1980s. A very important ingredient in my metamorphosis from assimilated to BT were the people from my chosen community, who ALWAYS invited me to one of their homes for every single Shabbos and Yom Tov meal. These meals were rich and very rewarding experiences, and as I transitioned to [...]

It’s Mashgiach, Not Moshiach

Among my regular Jewish activities, I work as a mashgiach. I thank Hashem for the opportunity to work within the needs of the Jewish community, and I involve myself with a considerable amount of kiruv. I’ll give you some examples. This Shabbos I oversaw a luncheon in a non-observant (conservative in this case) temple. Here [...]

The Omer (Part II) The Ultimate TS (Tinok Shenishba)

The tinok shenishba is the “kidnapped Jewish child”. Question: Who is he kidnapped from, his parents? Answering that question yes or no would be missing the point. After all,the parents might well be the kidnappers. The tinok shenishba is the Jew who has been kidnapped from Hashem, kidnapped from the vital knowledge requisite to understanding [...]

The Ultimate BT and The Omer

I am thinking of a man by the name of Ben Kalba Savua. Ben Kalba was a wealthy Jew who made a fortune in both the meat and textile industries. One of his employees was a JFB, which means a John Fitzgerald…oops…excuse me..it means a Jew From Birth. I don’t know how frum this Jew [...]

The BT, A Stranger In A Strange Land

I became a BT 24 years ago. Prior to that, I was strictly BLT. Making the transition from BLT to BT was an adventure, filled with memories that profoundly embarrass me to this very day. After all, I didn’t know ANYTHING! I was raised in an assimilated home which spoke very little about G-d, Judaism, [...]

Popular Posts

• Financial Realities in the Frum World
• Looking at Intermarriage
• How Can We Avoid Alienating our Families and Breaching Our Values?
• Healing the Rift within Orthodoxy
• Using the G-word in Reference to Non-Jews
• A Case for Modern Orthodox Kiruv
• UnInspired
• Are BTs Treated as Second Class Citizens?