• Orthodox Judaism and the Pandemic: How Religion Affects Response https://elemental.medium.com/orthodox-judaism-and-the-pandemic-how-religion-affects-response-31edea97fb8f • This is very important – America needs healing, not more partisan warfare https://www.jns.org/opinion/america-needs-healing-not-more-partisan-warfare/ • The ongoing transformation of Jewish media – JTA’s parent company acquires the NY Jewish Week https://www.jta.org/2021/01/11/united-states/jtas-parent-company-acquires-the-ny-jewish-week/ • The Long Journey Home of Ethiopian Jewry http://www.5tjt.com/the-long-journey-home-of-ethiopian-jewry/

• Clean Hands by Shalom Carmy https://www.firstthings.com/article/2021/01/clean-hands • IMPORTANT – READ THIS: Should We Be Leaving WhatsApp? https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/headlines-breaking-stories/1937297/important-read-this-should-we-be-leaving-whatsapp.html • Why Data Matters: A Conversation with Social Scientist Matt Williams https://jewishaction.com/jewish-world/why-data-matters-a-conversation-with-social-scientist-matt-williams/

by R. Gil Student Many people have their own private eruvin, structures that allow them to carry on Shabbos. They do this with one or more neighbors by ensuring the area is closed, whether by gates, walls or doorway-like structures — a complicated matter that requires rabbinic oversight or approval. Additionally, they keep food for two communal meals, usually matzah, ...

by R. Gil Student I usually enjoy Rabbi Chananya Weissman’s opinion pieces, whether I agree with him or not. His latest article, however – “Herd Immunity or Herd Insanity?” (The Jewish Press, January 1) – sadly misfires. Rabbi Weissman claims that if you don’t shake hands with others and kiss the Torah in an outdoors minyan, you are a paranoid hypochondriac. ...

• A student reflects on the influence and methodology of Rav Yehuda Herzl Henkin – Initial Thoughts on R. Henkin as Posek https://traditiononline.org/initial-thoughts-on-r-henkin-as-posek/ • Y Hoffman – The Attack on the Capital and Halacha https://vosizneias.com/2021/01/07/the-attack-on-the-capital-and-halacha/ • The left eats its own – Another kind of pain… calling out Rabbi Avi Weiss https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/another-kind-of-pain-calling-out-rabbi-avi-weiss/ • P Lerner – My Thoughts About Jonathan Pollard https://www.jewishpress.com/indepth/opinions/my-thoughts-about-jonathan-pollard/2021/01/07/ • Rabbi Kanievsky calls for ultra-Orthodox ...

• N Lewin – Religious observance redux https://www.jns.org/opinion/religious-observance-redux/ • How ancient Jewish law has influenced pedestrian planning in West Rogers Park https://chi.streetsblog.org/2021/01/05/how-ancient-jewish-law-has-influenced-pedestrian-planning-in-west-rogers-park/ • Vol. 2, No. 1: January 2021 · Reviews in Digital Humanities  https://reviewsindh.pubpub.org/v2-n1

Last year, we released the free Torah Musings app for iOS and Android devices (announcement). We have started adding more features. You can now access a selection of video and audio shiurim on their respective tabs on the app (these are not available on the Torah Musings website). More features to come… Usage note: To refresh tabs in the app, ...

• Dr E Brown – Friendship After COVID https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2021/01/friendship-after-covid • US immigration to Israel holds up in 2020 despite pandemic, and interest is surging https://www.jta.org/2021/01/04/israel/us-immigration-to-israel-holds-up-in-2020-despite-pandemic-and-interest-is-surging • The Age of Anxiety https://jewishaction.com/health/wellness-report/the-age-of-anxiety/

• R Eis – Kosher Slaughter and True Religious Freedom https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2021/01/kosher-slaughter-and-true-religious-freedom • When Jewish Women Took to the Streets for Affordable Kosher Meat https://mosaicmagazine.com/picks/history-ideas/2021/01/when-jewish-women-took-to-the-streets-for-affordable-kosher-meat/ • One the sea change in the lives of Israeli Charedi women – “Noble Women”: Matter and Spirit in the Lives of Charedi Women https://iyun.org.il/en/article/the-charedi-noble-woman/ • Counterpoint on the same subject – Keeping Hold of What We’ve Got https://iyun.org.il/en/article/the-charedi-noble-woman/hold-on-to-what-weve-got/

Illuminating Jewish Thought Vol 1 Faith, Philosophy and Knowledge of God by R. Netanel Wiederblank (Maggid) Exodus: A Parsha Companion by R. David Forhman (Maggid)