Author: David Rutman

Photo Credit: Stine Merethe Eid via Wikimedia ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, on Friday issued a statement saying: “In brief, I am satisfied that (i) war crimes have been or are being committed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip; (ii) potential cases arising […]

Photo Credit: Ari Fuld Ari Fuld’s Chanukiah This article about Chanukah has been adapted from the video of Ari Fuld’s Grill and Torah D’var Torah that he gave on Friday, Dec. 23, 2016 https://arifuld.org/2019/12/19/the-real-miracle-of-chanukah-5777/ Advertisement ‘); _avp.push({ tagid: article_top_ad_tagid, alias: ‘/’, type: ‘banner’, zid: ThisAdID, pid: 16, onscroll: 0 }); I want to talk to […]

Photo Credit: Some 500 Haredim protested against opening business on Shabbat on Friday night and throughout the day Saturday in Jerusalem, Bnei Brak, and Beit Shemesh. At least seven were arrested and later released. Hundreds of Haredi men rioted on Ha’Neviim Street in downtown Jerusalem and moved toward Highway 1 outside the Haredi neighborhood of […]

Photo Credit: Sandy Eller Over the past few years, thousands have made pilgrimages to Eastern Europe, visiting the kevarim of renowned rebbes on auspicious times. Rosh Hashanah in Uman has become a “thing,” as have visits to the burial places of Reb Yeshayale Kerestir in Hungary and the Noam Elimelech in Lizhensk. For those of […]

Photo Credit: Jewish Press The Shelah (1560-1630) writes that every special date on the Jewish calendar is related to the parashiyos read in close proximity to it. What, then, is the connection between Vayeishev and Chanukah? The following is one answer: When Yosef went to check on his brothers at the bequest of his father, […]

Photo Credit: Jewish Press What do Smokey the Bear, Scared Straight, and red light cameras have in common? Among other things they all seem to have, at some point, generated unintended consequences. The law of unintended consequences simply stated is that all human decisions and actions result in unintended and unanticipated results. While these consequences […]