Yehoshua Pfeffer

Yehoshua Pfeffer, a rabbi and rabbinical judge, holds a law degree from the Hebrew University and clerked at the Israel Supreme Court. He has taught at a number of yeshivas, published widely on Jewish law and thought, and is currently directing programs for the haredi community in Israel for the Tikvah Fund.

Left, Right, Haredi: Three Great Awakenings of the Gaza War

Three major sectors of Israeli society, at odds before the war, are now coming together. That unity cannot be allowed to dissipate.

Oct. 31 2023 12:01AM

The Grandchild Clause’s Seeds of Compromise

An arrangement involving eliminating the Grandparent Clause but recognizing patrilineal descent for purposes of the Law of Return just might be feasible.

July 20 2023 12:01AM

Podcast: Yehoshua Pfeffer on Israel's Social Schisms and How They Affect the Judicial Reform Debate

A ḥaredi rabbi and editor who also clerked on the Supreme Court, Pfeffer is uniquely positioned to talk about a major aspect of the current crisis.

March 24 2023 12:01AM

Watch Our Conversation on the Rising Power of Haredi Judaism

Missed the live event? Catch the recording here of Eli Spitzer speaking live on the rising influence of haredi Judaism with a journalist, a researcher, and a haredi rabbi.

Jan. 24 2022 12:01AM

Podcast: Yehoshua Pfeffer on How Haredi Jews Think About Serving in the IDF

Why do Israel’s ultra-Orthodox Jews so adamantly decline to serve in the military—and could that change? A communal leader walks us through the deliberations taking place.

July 9 2021 12:01AM

Podcast: Yehoshua Pfeffer on the Coronavirus and Rethinking the Relationship between Haredim and Israeli Society

The coronavirus has dramatized the tensions in Israeli society. This week, a ḥaredi communal leader joins us to chart a path forward.

Feb. 11 2021 12:01AM

The Best Books of 2020, Chosen by Mosaic Authors (Part III)

Five more of our regular writers pick several favorites each, featuring Stalingrad, the master, Margarita, parasitic minds, infectious ideas, dust, heaven, Zoom, traveling light, and more.

Dec. 18 2020 12:01AM

Podcast: Yehoshua Pfeffer on the Response of Ultra-Orthodox Jews to the Coronavirus Pandemic

Ultra-Orthodox Jews have been one of the hardest-hit groups in Israel and elsewhere. Why?

April 23 2020 12:01AM

Podcast: Yehoshua Pfeffer on the Future of Ultra-Orthodox Politics and Culture in Israel

The leading ultra-Orthodox intellectual joins us to explain the key conflicts surrounding the place of his community within Israeli society.

July 25 2019 12:01AM

Five-and-a-Half Myths about Ultra-Orthodox Jews

They’re not anti-Zionist. They’re not right-wing extremists. They’re not even against birth control.

Dec. 15 2014 12:01AM