The other day I travelled from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv. I sp’end most of the day at Tel Aviv University meeting with colleagues, researching, and getting organized for the fall semester that I will spend as part of this intellectual community … [Continue reading] about Between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv
Israel: The Cost of Groceries
The recent demonstrations in Tel Aviv highlighted two economic issues in Israel. The first is the increasing economic stratification. The second is the cost of living: younger Israelis are concerned that it simply costs so damn much to live in … [Continue reading] about Israel: The Cost of Groceries
To Be a Man
Many Several years ago, I wrote an essay on ancient rabbinic understandings of masculinity. In that paper, I argued that the rabbis understood all human beings – men and women, Jews and Gentiles – to have an “evil inclination” that drove their … [Continue reading] about To Be a Man
How to Write a Dissertation Prospectus
I have read countless dissertation proposals and few of them are, well, good. That’s a shame, and not only because I often find the experience aggravating. After all the hoops of courses, languages, and exams that you’ve jumped through, the … [Continue reading] about How to Write a Dissertation Prospectus
Homo Economicus
Traditionally, much economic theory assumes that humans are perfectly rational economic actors - we do things that are in our economic self-interest and avoid things that aren't. More recently, economists have increasingly come to recognize that … [Continue reading] about Homo Economicus