Latest Posts

  • A Little About Love

    I just saw Flight, and the entire time I was thinking about my relationship with Ilana. I can’t believe I still tread that ground. It’s shocking to me, really. It shouldn’t be like this. I really wish it wasn’t like this.… Continue reading

  • The Religious Mindset

    Last week, I finished a six-week course of study at Mayanot, an orthodox Jewish yeshiva in Jerusalem. It was the deepest I had ever delved into the world of religion, having grown up and been educated in a pretty secular… Continue reading

  • Thinking About Aaron Swartz

    A week ago, I had never heard of Aaron Swartz. Today, I can’t stop thinking about him. A boy genius who would become a practical idealist. A man of profound curiosity who bent all his abilities towards repairing our world.… Continue reading

  • A Perspective on UC Berkeley’s Financial Dilemma

    I was looking through my drafts and found this little gem, dated back to February 28, 2012. Not sure why it wasn’t properly published… if I had to guess I’d say I was excessively apprehensive about imagined backlash for posting… Continue reading

  • A Fascinating Discussion

    I observed a fascinating discussion unfold the other day. It triggered anger in me the way that few others have, and may have provided the key to helping me make sense of the religious mentality I’ve been immersing myself in.… Continue reading

  • “Big Questions”

    The following is an article I wrote for an alumni newsletter for “Ask Big Questions,” a Jewish student initiative I used to be a part of. In it I try to explain my motivations for going to Israel and the… Continue reading

  • A Brick in the Wall

    Imagine this: You’re a young soldier, six months out of your parent’s house, the only home you’ve ever known. You’re not a zealous patriot, but an 18-year-old-boy. You’re not hungry for glory, but for a sense of self and belonging.… Continue reading

  • The Kibbutz: A Profile of the Ulpanists

    I want to talk a little bit about the kinds of people who come to the Ulpan at kibbutz Ma’agan Michael. During my eleven weeks on the kibbutz, I’ve gotten to know people fairly well and have been able to… Continue reading

  • Quick Update

    Loyal readers, Much has happened in the last–I can’t believe it–two months since my last post. I owe many apologies for allowing this much time to pass without completing any new posts. Many were begun, drafts were revised, but I… Continue reading

  • An Observation of Some Patterns of Nature

    A few weeks ago, I was re-assigned from working in the Bustan (literally “orchard,” actually a tropical garden of sorts) to working in the extensive Avocado fields. The job has me working from 5:30am to about 11:30am, with bouts of… Continue reading