In Hebrew, as in other languages, there is a widespread use of “acronyms”. One of the most common acronyms in the news in Israel these days is hidden in the term ‘LIBA studies’. LIBA is the Hebrew acronym for something like “Basic Studies in State Education”. As it happens, “LIBA” in Hebrew also means “core”. […]

A letter sent to “Daat Emet“ The original letter (in Hebrew) I was born in Jerusalem, Israel. And guess where? in the ultra-Orthodox religious ‘Mea Shearim’ neighborhood. As a child, I used to throw stones at passing cars on the Sabbath. I have lived in the US for over 25 years. I was the best […]

Written by Ehud Amir (Hebrew version HERE) Secular people have a smart mobile phone that has everything in it, and they have the responsibility of following their moral code while using it, both with time and content. Religious people in general – and ultra-Orthodox Jewish people (“Haredim”) in particular – do not trust the education […]

“The seeker after the truth is not one who studies the writings of the ancients and, following his natural disposition, puts his trust in them, but rather the one who suspends his faith in them and questions what he gathers from them, the one who submits to argument and demonstration, and not to the sayings […]

Much has been said about the “logic” found in Talmudic treatises and among the Sages. Persistent rumors have mentioned the teaching of the Hebrew Talmud in Korea, due to its alleged contribution to the development of logical thinking. Young “Yeshiva” students, lacking real education, are brought up to believe that their studies are equivalent to […]

Anyone with lots of El Al’s experience – especially on the Tel Aviv – New York line – knows this well. The flight is full of ultra-Orthodox religious Jewish (“Haredi”) families, which also means many children and a lot of prayer rituals. All of these are known facts, and nothing said (so far) constitutes any […]

There is currently a huge debate in Israel about an issue that has great potential to bring down the government: The obligatory army service (conscription) of ultra-Orthodox Jews, a.k.a. “Haredim”. Ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel do not currently enlist in the IDF, while the conscription law applies equally to the rest of the Jewish population. The […]

Prof. Dan Mahler passed away on April 16, 2024. Dan Mahler was a freedom fighter, an honorary member of the Hofesh (Freedom) – The largest secular Israeli NPO, and one of its founders. Dan Mahler was also an educated man, broad-minded, and with many interests. He was a plastic surgeon and medical consultant; He was […]

We heard the intriguing truth not long ago, in one of the Islamic demonstrations in favor of the Hamas terrorist organization: “You believe that death is the end, we believe that death is the beginning!” – cried the brainwashed protester. How can you convince someone, given that they believe that death is a beginning – […]

Israel, Tel Aviv. A few years ago, I took a taxi. The [male] driver did not wear a “Kippah”. There were no religious papers visible around. Not even the common religious stickers you can find on many cars in Israel. The busy Ayalon Highway 20, however, inevitably established the necessary atmosphere for a driver-passenger conversation. […]