Category Archives: Politics

Orthodox Judaism, politics, and the gay problem

Political discussions among Jews who align themselves with the Democratic party frequently turn to the question of how it can possibly be that any Jew would choose to be a Republican (yes, we really do find it hard to believe!) and how to win them over to the Democrats. I have written previously about how… Read More »

Thomas: No Questions in 2 Years

The Associated Press ran an article recently about the fact that Clarence Thomas hasn’t asked a single question during oral arguments in the Supreme Court in over two years. Apparently, the last time he asked a question was on February 22, 2006, 144 cases ago. Thomas claims that he doesn’t need to ask questions to… Read More »

Is Judaism any less weird than Mormonism or Scientology?

Along with countless Jews throughout the ages, I have spent a great deal of time thinking about how to justify belief in the Torah through rational argument. It is certainly possible to maintain a belief in Judaism or anything else through simple faith, without regard for whether there is any rational underpinning for one’s beliefs.… Read More »

Voting the “straight Israel ticket”

It’s campaign season in the US, and like clockwork, out come the Jews who ask only one question when deciding for whom to vote: “Which candidate is the strongest supporter of Israel?” It is not unheard of to hear such people express the opinion that Jews who consider issues other than support for Israel when… Read More »

On “School Choice”

It’s campaign season in the US, and one of the issues that comes up during every campaign is “school choice.” “School choice” is a code word for school voucher programs, through which money would be taken away from public schools and given to private schools instead. In other words, under a school voucher program, if… Read More »