Kiruv & Orthodox Judaism

One of my earliest memories of Rabbi Noach Weinberg, also known by the more anglicized name of Noah Weinberg, was encountering him in the street as a young child. I was intimidated, but he gave me the brightest smile and fished through his briefcase for a lollypop. (I can't...

Aish Hatorah, or Aish, as it eventually changed its name to be in order to be more hip with the youths, is an institute and movement with an overt agenda of getting Jews to be more religious than they currently are. Their tactics often result in accusations of Aish...

A key Aish tactic in proving God’s existence, was emphasizing the unusual.  There is no nation as oppressed as the Jews.  No other nation claims public revelation. No other book can spell the word Pizza or Hitler with this unique arrangement of letters. This tactic is a huge part of the discovery seminar,...

I have alluded to this before in other scathing posts, but it's becoming more and more clear to me, to the point that I almost see it as synonymous. People generally become religious because they have a fucked up past, and the more religious they become, the more their...

Mental health in the Orthodox world is a catastrophe. It's gotten marginally better in the Orthodox community in the United States, but in Israel the shitshow still reigns supreme. It starts with the absolute stigmatization of any mental health issue. Physical ailments aren't great either, but mental health ones...

Are you in the process of getting brainwashed by an Institute for Jewish Wisdom? Is all that mumbo jumbo getting you down as you try to don a black hat a week after being a regular college kid in California? This handy dandy glossary will provide an explanation for...

              Shimon and Shmuesster are proud to present the newest title in the "Rebbi Stories" collection. Each title lovingly written and embellished, we strive to present you with the most accurate and inspirational accounts of the lives of the gedolim past and present, in order that their story be...

Rule #1 of cults, according to the international society of cults, is don't call yourself a cult. But what if others call you that? That could undermine the whole thing, the whole big plan for world domination. Here's a great strategy - beat them to the punch, and make...

This was a post I wrote in my teens, while I was still very much religious. As you can see, I was still very bothered by the absolutely abysmal quality of literate in the Jewish community. BS”D By C. Yackobovitch Writing Frum novels can be an exciting, creative and rewarding experience....

Around two years ago, one of my siblings was struck in a hit and run accident. They spent a day in the hospital before any of us family members even found out about it. When we did, there were a few panicked hours as we tried to figure out...