Society

Embark on a journey of Jewish learning and discovery, exploring the depth of our Society resources, where tagged items including audio, programs, and podcast episodes await your exploration.

The Catholic Church, Gay Rights and the Jewish Community

Rabbi Jay Kelman

The mark of maturity is the ability to disagree with others respectfully; to be able to appreciate the integrity and sincerity of an argument even as you may fundamentally disagree with it. This is easier said than done, and it is truly the rare…
Article

Rabbi Meir Soloveichik Presents the Rabbi Joseph and Ruth Kelman z"l Memorial Lectures

Rabbi Meir Soloveichik

Rabbi Joseph Kelman, prominent Toronto rabbi and educator, was the scion of a long line of distinguished rabbis. He was married to Ruth Kelman (nee Friedman) for 45 years, and together, they worked tirelessly for the benefit of Clal Yisrael.…
Program

Our Days Are Numbered

Mark Steyn put it quite simply in America Alone: “Experts talk about root causes. But demography is the most basic root of all.” Prognostications about the future of any country, race or civilization must begin and end with the hard numbers. Is a…
Article

The Open Society

In his groundbreaking book, The Heretical Imperative, Professor Peter Berger argued that modernity—and its emphasis on freedom of choice—has profoundly affected every area of society, religion included. In a world where personal and communal…
Article

Authenticity

Sin gets bad press these days, because it is experienced as a guest that brings a whole slew of unwelcome associates into the house--guilt, bad feeling, punitiveness. These alleged running mates of sin are anathema to most, and so the very ability…
Article

The Unsinkable Ship: 100 Years After the Titanic Disaster

Rabbi Jay Kelman

Despite the passage of 100 years, the sinking of the Titanic holds a special fascination. In fact, the only time I’ve gone out to the theatres to see a movie in the last fifteen years was to see the original release of James Cameron’s Titanic. The “…
Article

Client Perjury and Jewish Law

Rabbi Michael Broyde

This program has been accredited by the Law Society for 1 Professionalism Hour. This program has been accredited by the Law Society for 1 New Member CPD Hour
Program

No, Israel Isn’t Turning into an Iran-Style Theocracy (The New Republic)

Gil TroyThe demonizing of Israel, dismissing the democratic Jewish state as a right-wing, religious, racist project, continues. The latest storyline describes ultra-Orthodox Israelis—known in Hebrew as haredim—as medieval Neanderthals rapidly…
Article

Beyond Conformity: Connecting to our Judaism

Dr. William Kolbrener

From Shakespeare to Freud, Einstein to Eliot - what is the role of play in creative thinking?; and is there a role for play in contemporary Jewish life? We explore how play and desire are essential for a radical Jewish creativity for the 21st…
Class

Monday Morning Quarterback

Monday morning at 1:30AM here in Israel, I joined over one hundred million of my fellow earth dwellers to watch Superbowl XLVI. When halftime rolled around, I imagine there were far fewer of us who left the broadcast and surfed over to the YU Torah…
Article