Author: David Rutman

So much keeps happening around the world daily—and the brainwashing spin cycle of social media is so distracting—it’s difficult to glean the significance of certain events, especially when they converge. And if you’re singularly obsessed with Donald Trump—whether as a die-hard America Firster, a brainless Bolshevik, or a gullible, needy Jew clinging to the cool […]

A rabbi whose mother is an athiest might sound like a pitch for a sit-com, but for Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson, it was his reality. His mother, now a retired psychotherapist, does not believe in God. But there is a happy ending. The rabbi, who is set to become American Jewish University’s Mordechai Kaplan Distinguished […]

Rabbi Cheryl Peretz has accepted the position of interim dean of American Jewish University’s Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, effective July 1. A longtime leader at Ziegler, Peretz has served the Ziegler School for 25 years, most recently as vice dean, where she has played a central role in academic leadership, student formation and faculty […]

https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/2cefb702-14b7-46d3-a730-0403ece8e3ac/S5_E6_Brian_Spivak.mp3 This week on Schmuckboys, Libby and Marla give you their post-Passover recaps they then welcome their guest, Brian Spivak, who founded Barzel Media, a company focused on helping Jewish content creators partner with businesses for brand deals. We get into Brian’s unexpectedly thriving Miami dating era, his Modern Orthodox New Jersey upbringing, and how […]

Thinking about the Torah portion Shemini earlier this month, I was struck by a single sentence commenting on Aaron’s behavior after his two sons were killed: “And Aaron remained silent.” This led me to Elie Wiesel’s famous statement: “Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented,” which motivated me to use my voice here, to speak […]

In 2024, influencer Dan Bilzerian told Piers Morgan that Jewish supremacy is the “greatest threat to the world today.” He has called Oct. 7, 2023 mastermind Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar a “hero,” claimed that Hamas is not a terrorist organization but Israel is a “terrorist state” and spread numerous antisemitic conspiracy theories. Known for living […]

When the House Committee on Education and the Workforce released its report on campus antisemitism in March, naming Sarah Lawrence College among the institutions whose responses it found wanting, the question was how the College would answer. We now have two answers—one from the president, one from a faculty member writing in The Forward. Read […]

American Jewish University (AJU) announced the appointment of Mitch Hamerman as vice president and chief advancement officer, effective May 11. A respected leader in Jewish philanthropy and nonprofit strategy, Hamerman will lead AJU’s advancement efforts at a pivotal moment for the university and the broader Jewish community. With nearly 25 years of experience, he has […]