Haiti, then Chile, one earthquake after another has brought death, suffering, dislocation, and torment. And as ever, everyone seems to be asking, “Did God do this? And why?” All the usual holy rollers of all religions trundle out the old tired theories about what we did wrong to deserve this. Indeed, often there may well be a good reason why…
Author: Jeremy Rosen
Assassination
The outpouring of protests over the assassination of a terrorist in Dubai is another case of hypocritical anger and symptomatic of a complete loss of moral compass. From a Jewish ethical point of view, if someone is trying to kill you, you have every right to disable or remove the threat in any way you can (preferably without killing). If…
Purim 2010
One of the most well known quotes from the Talmud goes, “Rava said: It is a man’s duty to get so drunk on Purim that he cannot tell the difference between ‘Cursed be Haman’ and ‘Blessed be Mordecai’” (Gemara Megilah 7b). The text goes on to give an example of how too much wine can lead to murder, and as…
Special Blog Post – Carmel College Reunion
Carmel College Reunion – March 20th, 2010Village Hotel, Elstree, London Carmel College was a magnificent adventure and experiment in Anglo-Jewish education that lasted from 1948 until 1997. For many people it was a defining experience in their lives. Having been involved in Carmel through my father, as a pupil and later headmaster, I remember vividly how difficult it always was…
Study
Education has been the bedrock of Jewish religious life for thousands of years. The Torah insists that “you should teach your children”. We recite this phrase at least three times a day whenever we say the Shema (a declaration, not a prayer). After the Bible, the next greatest book in Judaism is the Mishna (which together with its companion the…
Special Blog Post – Proud To Be A Religious Jew
On this blog I have often criticized the abuses of religion. Here’s a clip I’d like you to see because this is the other side–a Kiddush HaShem, giving God, religion, and Judaism a good name. I am proud to have gone to the same school as Dr. Tate! Dr. Joseph Tate on PBS’s Religion and Ethics Newsweekly