Yonatan Birnbaum, at The Blogs

Jul 26, 2024, 12:48 AM

The Meeting Chaos reigned supreme as shrieks and laughter echoed through the large room, reverberating off the walls like the clamorous calls of wild animals. Furniture was overturned and the floor was littered with puddles of brown, shoko liquid along...

May 7, 2024, 11:25 PM

Oy Vey! I knew it!!

“Everything is foreseen, and freewill is given, and with goodness the world is judged. And all is in accordance to the majority of the deed.” (Rabbi Akiva, Pirkei Avot 3:19) It’s the early 1970’s. The United States faced decades of...

Jan 23, 2024, 10:16 PM

Ignorance is our Worst Enemy

A Lingering Memory Around 9 years ago, my wife and I flew to America for the first time since my wife and I got married. As part of the trip, we decided to visit my non-Jewish relatives who owned a...

Nov 14, 2023, 3:32 AM

If You Don’t Have Something Nice to Say, Try Harder

Breaking News Before I begin, please note that this info has been abstracted from the highest ranks of intelligence, has been confirmed by very reliable sources and has been fact-checked numerous times. Its implications are absolutely shocking. Saying nice things to...

Jun 4, 2023, 11:04 PM

Not Today, Burnout!

Burnout. It’s a term we are all somewhat familiar with. It could describe that foggy feeling after a long day at work in front of a computer screen or when working on a project that doesn’t seem to end....

Apr 3, 2023, 2:17 AM

From the Seder to On the Spectrum

First comes Acceptance “Really?” A pretty common response. “He doesn’t look autistic.” Six years old and soon to begin first grade, our son doesn’t always fit the role of his ASD diagnosis. In most cases, he is generally calm and doesn’t...

Mar 1, 2023, 11:39 PM

Global Warming vs. Kanye West

Queen Esther We are all pretty familiar with the story of Purim. There’s the mock-worthy king who controls the vast Persian empire. We got Mordechai, a pious Jew who doesn’t flinch in the face of evil and on the other...

Feb 1, 2023, 10:06 PM

Featured Post

Savta was wrong; talk to strangers

Why the loneliness pandemic needs less focus on social media and more on our everyday behavior. (Shutterstock.com)

The apps on our phones make us efficient and productive, but at what cost do we miss opportunities for human connection throughout the day?

Dec 14, 2022, 5:16 AM

Stature, Money? What Special Needs Parents Envy

I am a parent of a child with autism. I am not a victim or a sympathy case. Nor is my son. But there is something to be said for the special trials my spouse and I have gone...

About Me

Raised in Baltimore and an oleh since 2008, I now work for a yeshiva in the old city. Aside from being a dedicated husband and father, I spend my free time biking throughout Jlem and practicing Capoeira.