Welcome to the first of what we hope will be a recurring feature in which we explore a passage from the Talmud that resonates with current events. The goal is not to determine “the Jewish view” but to prompt thought and discussion. You can find more about this passage — Sanhedrin 74a-b — at the…
In his 1936 essay “The Storyteller,” the renowned critical theorist Walter Benjamin contrasts the “story” with the morning news, the primary mode in which information was disseminated in his era. Benjamin was not interested in the idea of a story: what makes something a story, how stories work. He was instead interested in the tradition…
Jason Rosenberg went out Tuesday night to protest in New York City. He returned home Wednesday morning with staples in his head, a broken arm and a summons. A program manager at the 92nd Street Y and an activist with ACT UP, he’s now trying to heal and considering legal action against the NYPD. This…
“Whoever destroys a single life is considered by Scripture to have destroyed the whole world, and whoever saves a single life is considered by Scripture to have saved the whole world.” (Mishna Sanhedrin 4:5) Los Angeles and other cities across the United States are experiencing riots and social unrest the likes of which we haven’t…
Yesterday I was invited to a webinar called “How to make sure you are not raising the next Amy Cooper.” It is one of countless calls in the past few days about how to not be or not raise a racist. These lessons are essential. White America is just now beginning to learn how to…
After posting on Instagram in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, Seth Rogen pulled no punches when responding to fans who replied that “all lives matter.” On Tuesday, Rogen posted a stark graphic emblazoned with the movement’s name and captioned “If this is a remotely controversial statement to you, feel free to unfollow me.”…
Lea Michele apologized publicly after a former “Glee” co-star, Samantha Ware, accused her of racist behavior on set. Trouble began when Michele condemned police violence after George Floyd’s death. “This is not an isolated incident and it must end,” she tweeted on Friday, expressing support for the Black Lives Matter Movement. On Monday Ware, who…
The Anti-Defamation League released a report Wednesday on the increase in white supremacist propaganda in the United States during 2019. Here’s what you should know: 2019 saw a doubling in propaganda activity since 2018. The ADL said last year’s 2,713 reported cases made up the highest number of incidents they’ve ever recorded. There were 630…
100% of profits support our journalism
