Today’s Jewish Thinkers

I am currently reading Rabbi Marc Angel’s Maimonides, Spinoza, and Us: Towards an Intellectually Vibrant Judaism.
In this book, Rabbi Marc D. Angel discusses major themes in the writings of Maimonides and Spinoza as a means of exploring how modern people can deal with religion in an intellectually honest and meaningful way.
After Stéphane Moses last week, [...]

What Are You Reading?

I have just read a book of interviews between the French rabbi and radio host Victor Malka and the Jewish philosopher Stéphane Moses (1931-2007).

Stéphane Moses was born in Berlin. His family fled Nazi-Germany in 1936 to settle in Morocco and then France where he studied German and philosophy. He became a university professor and taught [...]

Would You Use This?

The Amazon Kindle was released in France this morning. So far the only kindle books available on Amazon are in English which means that, unless they start including books in French, the sales will probably remain limited .
While I was talking via Skype with my sister-in-law she asked my opinion about this new device. She [...]

Must Read

I mentioned last week that I had received the latest volume of Conversations, the journal of the Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals. Now I made it my Shabbat Reading yesterday (in betwwen bouts of migraine) and found it incredible.

- How Not to Make Halakhic Rulings by Daniel Sperber can be read on their [...]

Reading List and New Year Challenge

I have just received The new issue of Conversations, the journal of the Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals. This issue deals with Orthodoxy: Family and Gender Issues. I had not realized the journal had been released so it was a nice surprise to find it when I came back from work today.

A few days [...]

To Trust or Not To Trust?

This morning I finished reading A Code of Jewish Ethics, Volume 2: Love Your Neighbor as Yourself by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, which I had started two weeks ago. It took me some time to read this book, not because it is hard or boring – quite the opposite in fact – but because it is [...]

The Outside World

I started The Outside World by Tova Mirvis on Shabbat and finished this morning. It is a novel I thoroughly enjoyed and which I strongly recommend.
The cast:
The Millers (Modern Orthodox)
Naomi: The mother. Always trying to please everyone and accomodate the different members of her family. Reads handbooks for help.
Joel: The father. The skeptic in the [...]

Conversations: Jewish Education

Anyone interested in the future of Modern Orthodox education is likely to find the latest edition of Conversations stimulating. Whether you are a parent, a school leader or a Jewish educator you will find food for thought.

Here is the sort of the articles you can find:

- A symposium of four leading Jewish school leaders.

- Ideas [...]

Books and Haveil Havalim

- I’ve just finished Loving Rabbi Thalia Kleinman, a novel by Gary Morgenstein. The main character, Joss, attends a bat-mitzvah and instantly falls in love with the female rabbi of the Park Slope Reform Synagogue. He is convinced she is the love of his life and is ready to resort to any scheme to get [...]

His Father’s Paradise

Before asking my readers for advice on books I should read, I visited Jew Wishes, a Jewish-themed blog kept by a friend of mine. She has a page entitled Books read in 2009 which contains thorough book reviews. Her review of My Father’s Paradise caugt my attention.

The book seemed to be exactly what I was [...]