As of ten minutes ago, I was really happy with the amount of views our Christmas in Calgary video had on YouTube. That is, until I searched for “Party in the USA” by Miley Cyrus. Not only does the official video have 78 million hits, but there are at least nine other knockoffs that have [...]

While we here at MJL may be focusing a good amount of attention on Tu Bishvat, which is tomorrow, we have another Jewish holiday coming up in a very short time. That’s right. Purim is less than a month away. What does that mean? It means that Passover is two months away. What does that [...]

Aliza Hausman just posted a great video by Ma Nishtana about mythbusting that whole Jews have sex through a hole in the sheet thing. It’s kind of awesome. Alternately, you can watch the Jew in the City’s answer, though I find it significantly less satisfying: Or you can check out my own explanation, from my [...]

This is what the Holy One said to Israel: My children, what do I seek from you? I seek no more than that you love one another and honor one another. –Tanna d’Bai Eliyahu Find more Wise Fridays wisdom on MJL.

In her last posts, Melissa Broder conducted a “Jewish vs. Goyish litmus test” for the year in review, shared the B-Sides of her forthcoming When You Say One Thing But Mean Your Mother (Feb. 6), and imagined being in Hebrew School with John Stewart, Bob Dylan, and Rahm Emanuel, and wrote her pen pal, Esther [...]

Super Bowl fever is upon us (make sure you to get vaccinated. We wouldn’t want to spread it to the children). This year’s game, if you haven’t been paying attention, features the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints. And, at the risk of angering my Peyton Manning-loving boss, I’ve thrown all my support towards [...]

In her last posts, Melissa Broder conducted a “Jewish vs. Goyish litmus test” for the year in review, shared the B-Sides of her forthcoming When You Say One Thing But Mean Your Mother (Feb. 6), and imagined being in Hebrew School with John Stewart, Bob Dylan, and Rahm Emanuel. She is guest-blogging all week for [...]

A look at Israel’s successes in developing robotic fighting and unmanned vehicles for the battlefield, including drones and “the Guardium unmanned ground vehicle, which now drives itself along the Gaza and Lebanese borders.” (Wall Street Journal) Israel is in the last stages of accession to the OECD, but there are serious obstacles to be overcome [...]

There are a lot of funny, up and coming, Jewish comedians out there right now. However, you’d be pressed to find one who is funnier than Nick Kroll. A former contributing writer for Chappelle’s Show and Human Giant (including being featured in my favorite sketch from that show) and actor on Cavemen, Kroll is currently [...]

This essay is reprinted with the permission of Clal-The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership. With Tu Bishvat coming up, I’ve been thinking about trees–it is the New Year for trees, and in Israel the holiday is celebrated by planting trees. Living in New York City, I don’t think too much about things that [...]