Then and Now
I recently had the opportunity to to see the Dead Sea scrolls exhibit at the Discovery Center in New York. The exhibit is being advertised heavily (it seemed like there was a poster on every other block in Manhattan) and has been extensively … [Continue reading] about The Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibit: An Unsolicited Opinion
We have dragged our children to art museums most of their lives, and perhaps only because they didn't know any better they have been remarkably tolerant. We would, of course, try to help them to stay engaged through tours, audio … [Continue reading] about Hot Sexy Mama!
My friend Horace Taft, in his comment to a previous post, drew my attention to this TED video. In it, Liz Coleman, the president of Bennington College, eloquently defends the value of the liberal arts. She begins with a largely conventional … [Continue reading] about More Musings on the Humanities
Have gum disease? Boils? Abscesses? Anal sores? An ear ache? A swollen eye? Insect stings? Check out the Bavli for a remedy. The Babylonian Talmud is full of medical advice. Enough advice, in fact, for Julius Preuss to fill a fat tome entitled … [Continue reading] about Medicine and the Redaction of the Talmud
The humanities, we are now regularly told, are in crisis. In colleges, enrollment in humanities courses has decreased as students flock to more "relevant" courses and majors. Academic administrators, in turn, redirect resources to the areas that … [Continue reading] about Musings on the Humanities