FailedMessiah.com

Today in History: The First Philo-Semitic Novel Is Published

Exactly 140 years ago today, the first installment of George Eliot’s Daniel Deronda, the world’s first great philo-semitic novel was published – by a lapsed Christian who had more in common with Baruch Spinoza than she did with any priest, vicar or rabbi.

Jews, Usury, And The Birth Of Modern Finance

"…Anxious to catch the Italians and lured by interest rates as high as 43 percent, German cities cleared the field of incumbents. Augsburg expelled its Jews in 1438 and used the gravestones from the Jewish cemetery to build a new city hall. A textile trader named Hans Meuthing became the first Augsburger to try finance on a major scale. He made a large loan to Archduke Sigmund of Tyrol, which was backed…by the output of the Schwaz silver mine. Others jumped in, replacing Jewish lenders on transactions, large and small. The German satirist Sebastian Brant noted the development in his best-selling Ship of Fools (1494): 'You borrow ten, eleven's due. They're more usurious than the Jew. Their business now the Jews may lose, for it is done by Christian Jews.'…"

Video: Life After Leaving Orthodoxy: Basya Schechter & Shulem Deen

Two ex-haredim, musician Basya Schechter (“Pharaoh’s Daughter,” “Darshan”) & author Shulem Deen (All Who Go Do Not Return), discuss their journeys with The Jewish Week’s Sandee Brawarsky at NYC’s Rodef Sholom Synagogue.

Chabad Messianists Lose Fight To Retain Control Over Most Of Rebbe's Books

Chabad messianists lost a their battle against Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky and his Merkos Chabad to retain control over the the sichot (printed talks) of the late Chabad-Lubavitch Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson when a federal judge dismissed most of their claims. However their claim for control over the late rebbe's Haggadah commentary will proceed to trial.

In A Sign Of Steep Decline, Conservative Movement Drastically Alters Seminal Judaica Library's Open Access

How little do leaders of the Conservative Movement care about Jewish scholarship? That question is answered by how they are treating the Jewish Theological Seminary's library, which for a century has been the preeminent Jewish research library outside Israel, a library used by everyone from academic scholars to haredi researchers. But now researching one minor topic and checking sources will cost these scholars, many who have limited or even no funds to pay, as much (if not more) as a meal in a five star Manhattan restaurant.

The Lives Of Our Ancestors

"…In most places and at most times, foraging provided ideal nutrition. That is hardly surprising -- this had been the human diet for hundreds of thousands of years, and the human body was well adapted to it. Evidence from fossilised skeletons indicates that ancient foragers were less likely to suffer from starvation or malnutrition, and were generally taller and healthier than their peasant descendants. Average life expectancy was apparently just thirty to forty years, but this was due largely to the high incidence of child mortality. Children who made it through the perilous first years had a good chance of reaching the age of sixty, and some even made it to their eighties. Among modern foragers, forty-five-year-old women can expect to live another twenty years, and about 5-8 per cent of the population is over sixty.…"

What Really Makes Humans Unique?

"…The truly unique feature of [Homo Sapiens or Sapiens] language is not its ability to transmit information about the [tangible]. Rather, it's the ability to transmit information about things that do not exist at all.…only Homo sapiens can speak about things that don't really exist, and believe six impossible things before breakfast. You could never convince a monkey to give you a banana by promising him limitless bananas after death in monkey heaven. [But you could do so with humans.]…"

Which Came First And Why Should You Care?

“…There is no denying [the Tosefta] is a source of the Mishnah. There is also no denying that it is a commentary on some other text. So much of it cannot stand alone. But the text upon which it comments is not the Mishnah, as we know it today, but the urMishnah, a forerunner of the Mishnah. However, since so much of that early text entered into our Mishnah, with or without change, the Tosefta functions at one and the same time as the basis for many paragraphs of our Mishnah and as a commentary on many others."

Ancient Rabbinic Censorship For Misogynistic Ends?

Did ancient rabbis alter a seminal Jewish text in order to exclude women from public prayer roles and religious and communal leadership? The evidence is that they did.

Zionist Orthodox Girls School Bans Grammar School Students From Public Library

Even though the school gets state funding, Israel’s Education Ministry said it had no problem with the ban because it comported with school rules signed by all parents and students.

A Former NYPD Cop Tells His Story In New Book

In his 20 years as a New York City police officer, Steve Osborne made thousands of arrests. He nearly got run over by a train while chasing a suspect through a subway tunnel. He dealt with decaying corpses discovered in apartments. While making one arrest, when he was a rookie, a crowd gathered around him and starting throwing bottles and rocks at him. But he loved the job. One thing that surprises people, he says, is that he never fired his gun on the job. "Nobody wants to fire a shot; nobody wants to take a life. All I want to do is go out, do my job, do it well, and go home in one piece. When I lock a guy up and I tell him, 'Turn around, put your hands behind your back,' and he does it, I'm happy. I would much rather buy a guy a hot dog on the way to jail ... which I've done, rather than roll around in the street and fight with him."

Israel Prize For Literature In Jeopardy As Prime Minister Tries To Skew Appointment Of Judges, Gets Outed

The Israel Prize in literature may not be awarded this year – or ever again – after Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu interfered with the appointment of judges and was outed.

Ancient Tablets From Jews' Exile To Babylonia Translated And Made Public For The First Time

A two-day, international symposium, “Jerusalem In Babylonia,” celebrating the publication of this volume, will be held February 2-3, 2015, at the Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem, Israel.

Haredi Publisher Artscroll Censors Bible Commentary Of Leading Medieval Rabbi

Rashbam (Troyes, France c. 1085 CE to c. 1158 CE), Rashi's grandson, was a major Rishon (medieval rabbi). But he wrote some things his Torah commentary that the haredi censors at Artscroll (Mesorah Publications) didn't like. So Artscroll did something unprecedented when it comes to publishing biblical commentary written by Rishonim – it censored it. Artscroll also failed to tell readers it removed any of Rashbam's words, so readers who don't know they're will be completely misled by Artscroll's censorship.

Lawsuit Possible Over Ancient Hebrew Bibles Known As The “Crowns Of Damascus”

Two decades after the Mossad smuggled a group of ancient Hebrew Bibles from Syria to Israel, a member of the Syrian Jewish community wants them back and has threatened to sue to get them.

Modern Orthodox Author Loses Another Copyright Infringement Lawsuit

Modern Orthodox author Naomi Ragen has lost yet another copyright infringement lawsuit brought against her by a haredi writer.

The Hidden Lives Of Women In Sefardic Jewish History

Renee Levine Melammed, professor of Jewish history at the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, talks about recovering the history of Jewish women – a history that has largely been obliterated by rabbinic patrimony.

Jesus Was Married, Had Two Children, Professor, Filmmaker Claim

A new book based on interpretations of ancient texts features an explosive claim: Jesus married Mary Magdalene, and the couple had two children. In “The Lost Gospel,” set for release Wednesday, authors Simcha Jacobovici, the Discovery Channel's former Naked Archaeologist (pictured at right), and Barrie Wilson, a professor of humanities and religious studies at York University in Toronto, claim the Virgin Mary was actually Jesus’ wife – not his mother – and that there was an assassination attempt on Jesus’ life 13 years before he was crucified.

Exclusive: Emails Show Collusion, Manipulation Of Media, Minimizing Of Sex Abuse, By Senior OU Rabbi And Chabad Propagandist

If you haven't yet doubted the honesty reviews of books by prominent Orthodox rabbis, if you really believe that many favorable reviews and articles they publish about Chabad are true (rather than propaganda), or that many Jewish newspapers and magazines aren't careful about separating actual real reviews from promotional content, read the following email exchange between Chabad Rabbi Chaim Dalfin and the OU's executive VP emeritus Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb.

The Case Of The Missing – And Possibly Stolen – $7,000 16th Century Hebrew Bible

Was it a crime of opportunity? A rare Hebrew Bible printed in eight volumes in about 1540 has gone missing – and may have been stolen – in the heavily hasidic town of Monsey, New York.

[Updated] Buying Love Through Lies: The New York Times' Joseph Berger

Many people think Joseph Berger of the New York Times is a dishonest and incompetent reporter who consistently minimizes the wrongdoing of Satmar and other haredim while glorifying their lifestyle. Berger allegedly argued against covering haredi child sex abuse and still claims that Williamsburg's notorious hasidic modesty squad doesn't exist – even though it very clearly does. In other words, lots of ex-hasidim and victims inside the haredi community think Joe Berger – seen posing at right with his new book and a prominent Brooklyn hasid who is the brother-in-law of a notorious hasidic pedophile – is an ass of the highest order.

Will The World End In 2060?

In his cursive English, occasionally laced with Hebrew words, Sir Isaac Newton applied his scientific mind to measurements of the ancient Jewish Temple in Jerusalem and predicted the end of the world in the year 2060.

Guest Post: NY Times Reporter Writes Dishonest Book About Haredi Judaism

Many people think Joseph Berger of the New York Times is a dishonest and incompetent reporter who consistently minimizes the wrongdoing of Satmar and other haredim while glorifying their lifestyle. Berger allegedly argued against covering haredi child sex abuse and still claims that Williamsburg's notorious hasidic modesty squad doesn't exist – even though it very clearly does. In other words, lots of ex-hasidim and victims inside the haredi community think Joe Berger is an ass of the highest order – as one ex-hasid now writes.

World’s Oldest Jewish Prayerbook To Go On Public Display In Jerusalem

The oldest known siddur (Jewish prayer book) ever found is on its way to Israel for a museum showing set to open in time for the High Holidays.

Artscroll Still Selling Disgraced Rabbi's Books

Rabbi Dovid Weinberger was forced to resign from his synagogue and sign a formal agreement never to be a synagogue rabbi again and never to be involved in education again. You might think that would be enough reason for America's largest haredi publishing house, Artscroll, to remove Weinberger's books from the market. But you'd be wrong.

History: Albert Einstein, Founder Of Solar Power

Albert Einstein was only 26 years old when he discovered and explained the science that led to today's widespread use of solar power.

Skvere Hasidim CENSOR The Torah

Skvere hasidim from New Square, New York have published a CENSORED Chumash (FIve Books of Moses; the Torah; the first 5 books of the Hebrew Bible) for girls that removes the first two pashiyot – perhaps because they deal with the creation of the universe and non-Jews – and removes 'immodest' sexual things, like the story Judah and Tamar, but leaves in the story of the rape of Dinah – presumably as a warning to the girls not to make friends with people outside Skvere.

How Ex-Haredi Memoirs Became New York Publishing’s Hottest New Trend

Have memoirs written by young ex-haredim become the New York publishing world's hottest trend? Why?

Haredi Author's Plagiarism Suit Against Naomi Ragen Settled By Supreme Court

The plagiarism suit against author Naomi Ragen by haredi author Sarah Shapiro – herself an accused plagiarist – has been settled by Israel's Supreme Court with a compromise that finds Shapiro making no money from her suit while Ragen has agreed to remove 29 phrases and sentences from her novel Sotah if it is ever reprinted.

Kiryas Joel Residents Barred From Checking Out Library Materials In 4 New York Counties

The New York State Board of Regents has approved an amendment to the Monroe Free Library’s charter thatexcludes the Satmar Village of Kiryas Joel from the library’s service area – meaning Kiryas Joel residents can no longer check out library materials there or from other public libraries in the Ramapo-Catskill Library System, including libraries in  Orange, Ulster, Rockland and Sullivan counties.

Nature Or Nurture: How DNA May Guide Our Vote – And, By Extension, Our Religious Choices

A new book explores the impact of genetics on how people vote and on their political views. Can that information also explain susceptibility to fundamentalism, religious extremism – and haredi kiruv?

Anonymous Chabad Group Calls For Boycott Of Non-Chabad Talmud

An anonymous letter purportedly from Chabad community activists and rabbis calling for a boycott of the Oz Vehadar Talmud and other books by Oz Vehadar has been published in Israel.

Russia To House Disputed Schneersohn Book Collection In Moscow Jewish Museum

4,500 books from the collection, which is currently stored at the Russian State Library, are set to be taken to the Jewish Museum and the Center of Tolerance by the end of the year. The Center’s new library area will function as a branch of the Russian State Library.

Video: More Than 1,000 Bags Of Shaimot Left On Lakewood Roadside

Rabbi Chaim Abadi, ordered by a judge to remove illegally buried bags of shaimot, dug up the bags – but left them laying by the side of a Lakewood, New Jersey road. By law, shaimot – old, damaged prayerbooks and other damaged Jewish texts and other religious items – must be buried.

Chabad Prints Tanya In Arabic

Following the dictates of its late rebbe to make the foundational work of Chabad hasidut available in every language, Chabad in Israel has published and Arabic translation of Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Lyadi's Tanya.

Win A Free Copy Of The Book "How to Spell Chanukah"

You could win a free copy of the book How to Spell Chanukah… And Other Holiday Dilemmas. Just correctly answer the following question and you'll be among those FailedMessiah.com readers who might win:

Soldiers Stop Racist Settler Rabbi From Addressing Troops

Rabbi Dov Lior is run out of town by Israeli soldiers stationed on the border with Gaza.

Should You Be Reading These Books?

A new book on Job, the next generation of Modern Orthodoxy, and a biography of one of the world's oldest cities – Jerusalem.

Boteach Sex Book Number One Crown Heights Summer Read

Rabbi Shmuley Boteach’s book “Kosher Sex: A Recipe for Passion and Intimacy" was the most checked-out nonfiction title in the Crown Heights branch of the Brooklyn Public Library this summer. But what books made up the rest of the top te?

New Haredi Book On Child Sex Abuse Prevention Tries To Do Its Job Without Naming Body Parts Or Using The Word "Sex"

A new book for haredi children and their families on preventing child sexual abuse tries to educate children without using the words, "penis," "vagina," "groin," or "sex." “It’s like printing a recipe in a cookbook, without saying the word 'food," its co-author said.

Rescued From Slavery

Judie Oron knows the price of freedom. So does her daughter Wuditu: $111. That's the price Oron paid to free the 17-year-old Ethiopian Jew from a life of slavery and forced prostitution.

Artscroll, The Rabbis, The Talmud, The iPad And The Internet

One “feature” that comes with the app and cannot be turned off is a warning screen that appears as soon as the Digital Talmud is loaded. “Note,” the screen reads. “This app does not require the Internet for daily use. Following the ruling of leading rabbinic authorities, web devices should be used only with filters.”

Right Wing Zionist Orthodox MK Rips Up New Testament, Drawing Condemnation – And Silence

While the Anti-Defamation League, the American Jewish Committee and the head of the Conference of Presidents of Major America Jewish Organizations condemned the public destruction of a New Testament by a prominent Israeli lawmaker, the Jewish Federations of North America refused to condemn Ben Ari or comment on the incident.

Is The New Koren Talmud Any Good?

Is the new English language version of Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz's Hebrew language Talmud translation and commentary any good?

Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz On The Radio Tonight

Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz will be on the radio in NYC (and on the Web worldwide) tonight at 8 pm EDT to talk about the new Koren edition of his English Talmud.

What's Shmarya Reading?

Three novels, including one about Satmar, and three non-fiction titles, two of them dealing with the history of conversion to Judaism.

New Color English Language Steinsaltz Talmud Launched

The English language Steinsaltz Talmud reemerges, this time published by Koren Publishers and completely redesigned.

Low Blows, No Takebacks

"One good beating was all it took. My husband nearly killed me the first month we lived together after our marriage, and that sent a powerful message: don't cross me."

Is The New American Haggadah Worth Buying?

Is Jonathan Safran Foer's years-in-the-making project featuring a translation by Nathan Englander and commentary by modern writers like Jeffrey Goldberg, Rebbeca Goldstein and Lemmony Snicket worth the money? And if it not, why not?

Emergency Bidikat Hametz Appeal!

I was crawling on the floor in my room in mother's basement, beeswax candle, feather and brown paper bag in hand, chaffed by and constrained in the clothing necessary to properly do the important mitzvah of searching for hametz, when I suddenly discovered something so shocking and horrible that I am forced to turn to you, my loyal readers, for help…