1. Modern Uberdox has pictures of a Hachnassat Sefer Torah in Chicago. The Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rav Amar, attended.

2. Rabbi Fink discusses the controversy in the White House - the claims that the White House is too manly.

3. DovBear has a post wondering whether us Orthodox Jews actually believe in the power of prayer, based on how we behave in shul. I don't think it is a matter of us not believing in it, but it is just so common - we daven three times a day every day - and results are often not seen directly, so we let it become very common, we get distracted. Yes, we know we are talking to God. But we do it so often, we kind of have become good buddies with Him instead of having the reverence we should. Perhaps.

4. Circus Tent on Rav Shimon Shkop's tophat.

5. Israeli Kitchen has the Kosher Cooking Carnival - #46.

6. SemGirl is back with a post on the shidduch crisis, preferring to call it a "seichel crisis" instead.

7. Muqata lets you know how you can tell you are pro-Israel, in light of the JStreet conference.