Matthew Robin, at The Blogs

Aug 17, 2026, 11:08 AM

When Jews Assimilate into the World Around Them

“Mattathias and the Apostate,” Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

From Hellenistic Judea to American Judaism We tend to remember Jewish history as a series of encounters between Jews and outsiders: Jews and Greeks, Jews and Romans, Jews and Christians, Jews and the modern nation-states of Europe. But some of...

Aug 13, 2026, 8:21 PM

Why Should Jews Care About the Vulnerable?

Rembrandt van Rijn, The Sacrifice of Isaac, 1635. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

In studying Abraham Heschel's The Prophets, I am reminded that many people are heartened by the prophets' call to care for the poor, widows, orphans, and other vulnerable people. But I worry that the prophets' message is sometimes incorrectly...

Aug 3, 2026, 7:33 AM

History Is a Kaleidoscope

A Question Deserves Another Question A friend recently asked me whether I think we are living through the "Fourth Turning." Being Jewish, I will answer him in the traditional way: with another question. Not "Are we living thought the fourth turning?" But rather:...

Jul 23, 2026, 5:54 AM

The Strategy I Didn’t Want to Defend

In early April, I published an article criticizing Israel's "Clear-Hold-Flatten" strategy. I argued that it risked locking Israel into an open-ended occupation with no clear political end state. I worried that flattening neighborhoods and holding territory would create new...

Jul 19, 2026, 6:38 PM

The Second Question

Eugène Delacroix, Liberty Leading the People (1830). Public domain. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AEug%C3%A8ne_Delacroix_-_Liberty_Leading_the_People.jpeg

The Times of Israel recently interviewed Darializa Avila Chevalier, the Democratic nominee for a congressional district in New York City. Much of the coverage focused on her attendance at a pro-Palestinian rally on October 8, 2023, one day after...

Jul 13, 2026, 11:00 PM

History After Prophecy

Esther before Ahasuerus by Rembrandt van Rijn. Public domain image via Wikimedia Commons.

The Meme That Started My Thinking A few years ago, I came across one of those ubiquitous internet memes: Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. Weak men create hard times. Something about it bothered me. Not because...

Jun 30, 2026, 7:14 PM

The Day I Stopped Resenting My Name

The day before my Kabbalah class, I found myself frustrated by my own name. Matthew Robin. It sounded so thoroughly American, so thoroughly non-Jewish, that I almost felt disconnected from it. As my own Jewish practice has deepened, I've become increasingly...

Jun 24, 2026, 3:58 PM

Skull Face and the Death of Worlds

"We do not inhabit a country; we inhabit a language." Metal Gear Solid V begins with this attributed to Emil Cioran. It captures a truth that I did not fully appreciate until I began learning to pray in Hebrew. At first,...

Jun 5, 2026, 6:32 AM

The Sin of Jeroboam and the Tragedy of Big Boss

One of the recurring refrains in the books of Kings is that later rulers of Israel “walked in the sins of Jeroboam.” The phrase appears so often that it becomes almost liturgical. Jeroboam’s actions are not treated merely as...

Jun 2, 2026, 6:21 PM

The Ontology of the Table

Happy extended family communicating while having a late meal on Hanukkah in dining room.

Modern people often think they understand what a table is. A table is where individuals consume calories. It is a site of preference expression. One child dislikes vegetables. Another wants dessert first. One adult is dieting. Another is tracking protein...

About Me

Born and raised in South Florida, I hold a master’s in applied economics from Florida State University and have worked as a data analyst for the past decade, now at GitHub. I live in Wamego, Kansas, and am currently on a journey of teshuva, deepening my commitment to Jewish life and exploring a path toward greater observance as I seek to find my Jewish community.