The Lehrhaus Editors
Over the course of another tumultuous year, we have once again taken refuge in our Torah. We at The Lehrhaus are proud to provide a forum for essential Jewish conversations, halakhic analyses, parshah exegeses, and expressions of mourning and hope. We have also deepened our commitment to publishing short fiction and poetry, doing our little part to cultivate creative expression in our communities.
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This year, our articles sparked debate. Right at the outset of 2024, Tzvi Goldstein exploration of the divergent principles of the Yeshivish and Centrist Orthodox worldviews captured the attention of our readers. The Lehrhaus published three different reactions to Goldstein, as well as his response.
We did not shy away from the questions that touch on broader culture wars. When Martin Lockshin’s criticism of the Jewish Publication Society’s new “Gender-Sensitive” Tanakh translation attracted interest, a member of the JPS team responded to defend the vision and methodology of the project.
Many new, valuable Jewish books emerged in 2024, and The Lehrhaus and its contributing authors strove to interpret and contextualize them. We published 18 book reviews this year, highlighting recent trends in literary output. For instance, two reviews address the bevy of new books reevaluating and reapplying the thought of R. Joseph B. Soloveitchik.
When we closed 2023 with a reflection on the ongoing crisis in Israel and our intention to help provide our readers spiritual meaning in troubling times, we did not imagine that the same reality would face us one full year later. Of course, the war expanded in 2024, and our communities continued to name and mourn fallen soldiers and civilians. We began 2024 with a symposium of community leaders and thinkers to address the effect of the war on Diaspora Jewry. More broadly, we continued to feature timely content on Zionism, warfare, and hope for a better future.
The Lehrhaus played an active role in fostering creative Jewish writing in 2024. Readers were moved by Talya Jankovitz’ new short story “The Agunah,” Phil Lieberman’s essay on the passing of his hostile father, and Elhanan Nir’s collection of Hebrew poems about the war, translated by Levi Morrow. We also announced our first ever Short Story Contest, the results of which will be announced shortly.
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