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Isaac Steven Herschkopf

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Jun 27, 2026, 10:05 PM

‘Here Be Monsters!’: The Mayor and The Munsters

"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster." - Jenseits von Gut und Base, Frederich Nietzsche (1886) Supposedly, when ancient cartographers reached the limits of their knowledge, they warned their readers of the areas...

Jun 21, 2026, 4:00 AM

“Pray That Your Children…”: The “No-Contact” Phenomenon

"... A son debases his father, a daughter rises up against her mother..." -Micah -7:6 The strongest bond that exists in nature is not between atoms, but between parent and child. It transcend all geographical and temporal boundaries, as well as...

Jun 10, 2026, 9:34 AM

A Legacy of Camp Massad: Too Much Hebrew Can Be Dangerous

"Courts and camps are the only places to learn the world in." - Letters to his Son, Lord Chesterfield (October 2, 1747) Before there was a Camp Morasha, Moshava, Mesorah, Ramah or Yavneh, there was a Camp Massad. Indeed, not only...

May 31, 2026, 8:03 AM

Yad Vashem vs. Migdal Dovid: Which is More Important?

"I will give them in my house... a memorial and name better than sons and daughters." - Isaiah 56:5 Which is more important?! What a stupid question! Yad Vashem is the most important Holocaust memorial in the world, (with the...

May 10, 2026, 4:39 AM

Our Movie Gods and Psychiatrists: Needing Hannibal Lecters

"They shall know I am the Lord when I take my vengeance upon them." - Ezekiel 25: 17 Considering how frequently we refer to God, He is unquestionably the Being most underrepresented on film. The reason is obvious. In addition...

May 5, 2026, 12:38 AM

An Argument Against Arguing: Spitting in the Wind

"It is a absurd to argue men, as to torture them, into believing." - The Usurpations of Reason, John Henry Newman (1843) For the entire 19th century, and most of the 20th, it was considered rude to express one's opinion about...

Apr 27, 2026, 7:42 AM

“Unnecessary” Hate: Is Hate Ever “Necessary”?

"Intolerance of groups is often, strangely enough, exhibited more strongly against small differences than against fundamental ones." -Moses and Monotheism, Sigmund Freud (1938) Our temple was destroyed because of "Unnecessary" hatred. Is hatred ever "Necessary"? Attending Muslim, Hindu, Catholic weddings, or funerals,...

Apr 10, 2026, 8:58 PM

Till Death Do Us Part: Arguing About Capital Punishment

"If we are to abolish the death penalty, let the murderers take the first step." Les Guepes, Alphonse Karr (1849) There are few arguments as vitriolic, or recurrent, as capital punishment. Opponents call supporters barbarians; supporters deem opponents fools. Both agree...

Apr 5, 2026, 5:16 AM

What Defines A Seder? Many Esthers, One Sine Qua Non

"Family is not an important thing. It's everything." - Michael J. Fox (1961-) The Seder is the single most observed Jewish ritual. Nothing else comes close. Why? What defines it? "Seder"means "Order." Is it defined by reciting the 14 parts in order? No. Families...

Apr 1, 2026, 4:45 AM

An Honored Seder Guest: Eight Decades Later

"Earth, receive an honoured guest; (a Holocaust victim) is laid to rest." In Memory of W.B. Yeats. W.H. Auden (1940) Their name was pronounced Peh- Sheh- Vor- Ski. I have no idea of the spelling or their first names. I addressed...

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About Me

Son of survivors, graduated Yeshiva University H.S., Queens College (Phi Beta Kappa), NYU School of Medicine (medical school and university Valedictorian.) Attending physician, Teaching faculty NYU School of Medicine, (retired) Chair Sesquicentennial, President emeritus Alumni Association, Founding Chairman NYU Bellevue Psychiatric Alumni. Chatan Torah Park East Synagogue. Served on boards: [IADAF] International Drug Abuse Foundation, Ramaz, Lincoln Square Synagogue, [FASPE] Fellowships Auschwitz Study Professional Ethics. Married five decades, father, grandfather.