We Don’t Need the Middle

By Amram Altzman February 17, 2014

In my more angsty, middle-school days, Jimmy Eats World’s “The Middle” ranked up there with my personal anthems alongside Simple Plan’s “I’m Just a Kid,” and other songs playing into adolescent angst. However, the middle is no place to be for anyone — politically, socially, or religiously. Francine Klagsburn’s article in last week’s Jewish Week…

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On Non-Binary Jewish Identities and the Future of Traditional Judaism

By Amram Altzman January 6, 2014

I have a hard time answering the question, “So how do you identify? Like, Jewish-ly?” On the one hand, I grew up in a Modern Orthodox home and attended Modern Orthodox schools since kindergarten, but, for most of my life so far, was part of a haredi community in southern Brooklyn. On the other hand,…

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Pitching Your Tent in the Promised Land

By Stacey R. Hamman November 7, 2012

Jerusalem, ISRAEL — Coming to Israel as a student or volunteer, you can easily determine how independent, or how insulated, you want to be. With all the package-deal options available through organizations like MASA Israel Journey, you might never have to face the “housing question,” but MASA and others also offer you a chance to …

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