Confrontation between secular culture and halakhic values is an inevitable ramification of Modern Orthodox Judaism. The very notion of Torah U' Madda, while being somewhat ambiguous concerning subtle nuances, undoubtedly describes some kind of reconciliation between the wisdom's of society and the study of Torah. Certainly, an integral part of the halakhic process is the adaptation of timeless halakhic ideals to the mundane realities of life. This is why it is both surprising and disconcerting that I would have to defend a forum that allows Yeshiva University students to write about how they, as halakhic individuals face modern culture. I always thought that this was the idea behind an Arts and Culture section in a YU newspaper.

Do You Hear the Women Sing? The Kol Isha Myth

All it takes is one trip to Times Square to corroborate the stereotype that Jews love musicals. Inevitably, you will see boys with Yarmulkes (traditional Jewish skullcaps) in the audiences of "Phantom of the Opera." A short woman wearing a long dress, readjusting her wig while yelling at her six matching children, somehow always seems to be on line at the box-office for "Beauty and the Beast." You may even see a group of bearded Hassidim on line at T.K.T.S hoping to get last minute discount tickets for "The Sound of Music."

Other Culture Stories:

• A New York Experience
• The Thin Red Line
• Fact Not Opinion