Articles by Gavriel Brown

Interview with Rabbi David Bigman

By Gavriel Brown | Comment ()
GB: Do you view your yeshivah as having a distinct mission or credo that sets it apart from the other yeshivot hesder? If so, what is it?   RDB: Let me first discuss what we have in common with the rest of the yeshivah world. First, in terms of the broad yeshivah world, we share [...]

Rav Hutner and Emmanuel Levinas, Panim el-Panim

By Gavriel Brown | Comment ()
Nose, mouth, eyes.  Forehead, ears, dimples. Wrinkles. Irises, cheekbones, eyebrows. For both Emmanal Levinas and Rav Yitzchok Hutner these features combine to produce a unique face for every living person which has rich philosophical value. These parts of the human face are “The epiphany of ... Read more →

Shabbat: A Time of Rest or Unrest?

By Gavriel Brown | Comment ()
In 2009, when Nir Barkat, the mayor of Jerusalem, opened a parking garage on Shabbat, thousands of Ultra-Orthodox Jews took to the streets in violent protests. A counter-protest was organized by secular Jews who held placards that read “No Religious Coercion” and “Jerusalem is for ... Read more →