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While reading an excerpt form Samuel Heilman's "Sliding to the Right", I was very surprised by the idea that "Some therefore advocate that one can be a better Orthodox Jew in a land where Jews remain a tolerated minority"(298). I was shocked to read this; I was always aware there were anti-Zionist Jews, but never expected them to be Orthodox Jews. At first I could not understand this thought, but after re-reading the section a few times, I can see this point of view. Founded on the principle of separation between church and state and through the centuries of religious freedom, one can safely practice religion and live in a safe religious community in America. I find this especially ironic as I visit the Orthodox Union's website and the first thing on the page is about the war in Israel and how "War brings soldiers closer to their Judaism".

Speaking of the website, I found it very informative, aesthetically pleasing, well organized. Compared to the main websites of Reform and Conservative Judaism, this website really seems like the "home" of Orthodoxy on the web. If I were to venture a guess, I would imagine this site to be the most popular, or have the most average hits of the three. It seems to have a plethora of information here, and mainly serves Orthodox Jews or those who have an understanding of Orthodoxy already. I liked the main scrolling headline with pictures, with 6 different stories or news points. Upon my visit, two were for the weekly parsha; Bo.

By looking at the tabs on top and the left, it appears the Orthodox Union caters to providing resources for Orthodox Jews. Opposed to the other two website, apparently one can become a member of the Orthodox Union. they have different prices for each type of membership. Most surprisingly, during the membership process, it is strictly monetary and not based on religious views.