April 19, 2025

Linking Northern and Central NJ, Bronx, Manhattan, Westchester and CT

Ben Rothke

Ben Rothke lives in New Jersey and works in the information security field. He reviews books on religion, technology and science. @benrothke

Articles by Ben Rothke

Demystifying the Route To Yerushalayim

Highlighting: “Derech Ha’Ir” by Rabbi Yosef Weisenfeld. Feldheim. 2025. 216 pages. ISBN-13: 9781680256727. Rabbeinu Chaim Cohen, a student of Rabbeinu Tam, famously said in Ketubot

Two Fabulous Books by Rabbi J. David Bleich

Highlighting: “Contemporary Halakhic Problems: Volume VIII” by Rabbi J. David Bleich. Maggid. 2024. 648 pages. ISBN-10: 1592646565. Highlighting: “DNA in Halakhah” by Rabbi J. David

Four Quick and Enjoyable Books

Highlighting: “Strictly Observant: Amish and Ultra-Orthodox Jewish Women Negotiating Media” by Rivka Neriya-Ben Shahar. Rutgers University Press. 220 Pages. 2024. ISBN-10: 1978805225 When doctoral students

Finding the Divine in Our Lives

Reviewing: “Snapshots of the Divine: Seeking the Sublime in the Mundane” by Rabbi Shlomo Horwitz. Adir Press. 2024. Hardcover. 224 pages. ISBN-13: 9781962522083. English. When

Chanukah Gift Books 2024

It’s not always easy to find the right Chanukah gift for people. With the holiday under a week away, here are a few new book

The Jewish Calendar Explained

Reviewing: “The Jewish Calendar” by Michael Baxter. Mosaica Press. 2024. English. Hardcover. 436 pages. ISBN-13: 978-1957579993. There are many things that go on behind the

Walking the Ladder of History

Reviewing: “Reclaiming Redemption: Deciphering the Maze of Jewish History” by Rabbi Moshe Taragin. Mosaica Press. 2024. Hardcover. 477 pages. ISBN: 9781961602526. When reviewing a book

A New Kind of Koren Tanakh

Reviewing: “The Koren Tanakh of the Land of Israel: Genesis.” Koren Publishers. 2024.  Multilingual. Hardcover. 513 pages. ISBN-13: 978-9657766705. In a fascinating new book, “The