Tag Archives: Times of Israel

Seeing Life in Context

Posted on October 7, 2015 by

As I said the morning prayers today, I realized something: That act sets a context for my whole day. No matter what happens to me today — good, bad, or indifferent — the prayers remind me that it’s not all … Continue reading →

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Natalie Portman, Loyalty, and the Holocaust

Posted on August 24, 2015 by

My new blog post for The Times of Israel: By N.S. Palmer Israeli actress Natalie Portman received harsh criticism for suggesting last week that the Holocaust was not unique and that it should be less emphasized in Jewish education. Actually, … Continue reading →

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Maimonides and Keeping the Commandments

Posted on August 5, 2015 by

By N.S. Palmer “God rewards those who perform the commandments of the Torah and punishes those who transgress its admonitions.”1 The Jewish sage Maimonides called that an essential tenet of our faith. But there’s something a little odd about it. … Continue reading →

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Turning Around Spinoza’s Challenge

Posted on July 23, 2015 by

By N.S. Palmer Spinoza meant it as a taunt. But it might hold one of the keys to Jewish survival. Depending on where you sit, Baruch de Spinoza is either the founder of modern Jewish philosophy or Judaism’s deadliest critic. … Continue reading →

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