Michael Lesher, at The Blogs

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Jun 3, 2019, 10:29 AM

To the friendly Orthodox rabbi who praises war crimes

Dear Rabbi _____: I write to you in a state of considerable uneasiness. I know that you, as an Orthodox rabbi, are well versed in the ethical teachings of our shared religion. What is more, I have personally experienced your...

May 23, 2019, 7:56 AM

C is for censorship, S is for slander

It isn't every day I'm called a terrorist -- especially when the accusation is based on my membership in an organization that deplores violence of any kind. And it isn't every day I'm accused of wanting to kill Jews --...

Apr 29, 2019, 5:30 PM

Why armed guards are the wrong response to synagogue shootings

Six months ago, just after Robert Bowers' mass murder of Jews at a Pittsburgh synagogue, someone close to me asked me what I thought about armed guards at Jewish places of worship -- an idea that was already gaining...

Sep 9, 2018, 6:36 AM

Rabbis, Trump told you he’s a maniac — what are you going to do about it?

I never thought much of the "tradition," reportedly inaugurated by Barack Obama, in which the US president initiates a conference call to a bunch of American rabbis and Jewish lay "leaders" immediately before Rosh ha-Shanah. (Try to imagine such...

Mar 15, 2018, 11:30 AM

The speech Nikki Haley could have given at the AIPAC conference…

My fellow apologists: it's really wonderful to be here with friends like you -- people who appreciate the license that comes with having overwhelming military power and political carte blanche. You know, representing the US at the United Nations can...

Sep 28, 2017, 11:11 AM

I support Palestinian rights, and I’m fed up with the anti-Jewish conspiracy theories

'I will not be asked to choose between Judaism and justice'

Sep 11, 2017, 5:26 PM

Guard my synagogue? No, thank you

“A sign of the times,” an acquaintance sighed as the two of us approached the entrance to our Orthodox Jewish synagogue in Passaic, New Jersey a few months ago. At the glass doors of the building stood two young...

Mar 17, 2017, 2:03 PM

What Canadians really think about Israel/Palestine — and what major media won’t tell you

As a citizen of a democracy, wouldn’t you want to know if the policy of your government ran directly contrary to the will of its electorate? As a news reader, wouldn’t you prefer accurate information from your newspapers and TV...

Feb 21, 2017, 5:51 PM

Why “love of Jews” means hate

In 1970, when I was 12 years old, I watched with a kind of horrified fascination as a sinister-looking, middle-aged man named J.B. Stoner delivered a stump speech in his campaign for governor of Georgia. Stoner would later go...

Feb 14, 2017, 4:17 AM

The Orthodox Union’s war on women: It’s all about abuse

“If they are victorious now, what will they not attempt?” warned Cato, perhaps ancient Rome’s most eloquent misogynist, back in 195 B.C.E. “As soon as they begin to be your equals, they will have become your superiors.” Empires come...

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About Me

Michael Lesher is an author, lawyer and Orthodox Jew who lives in Passaic, NJ. His most recent book is Sexual Abuse, Shonda and Concealment in Orthodox Jewish Communities (McFarland & Co., 2014).