Authors Posts by Tzvi Sinensky

Tzvi Sinensky

Tzvi Sinensky
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Tzvi Sinensky is Director of Judaic Studies and Upper School Principal at Main Line Classical Academy, and Director of the Lamm Heritage Archives at Yeshiva University. He earned his PhD in Jewish Philosophy on the subject of rabbinic conceptions of manhood at Yeshiva University's Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies. A popular lecturer and author, Tzvi completed three book-length series published by Yeshivat Har Etzion’s Virtual Beit Midrash, is editor of a forthcoming posthumous edition of Rabbi Lamm's halakhic writings, and is writing a book on the overarching themes in Rabbi Lamm's oeuvre. He has served as Lehrhaus editor for over four years, and lives in Lower Merion, PA, with his wife and three children. 

Rabbi Lamm, Sukkot, and the Spiritual Perils of Materialism

Can we solve the growing problem of materialism in the Orthodox community? Tzvi Sinensky explains how Rabbi Norman Lamm’s Sukkot sermons shine some light on the matter

Demystifying R. Eliezer Waldenberg on Sex Reassignment Surgery

Tzvi Sinensky carefully examines the Tzitz Eliezer’s view on sexual reassignment surgery.

The Children’s Book About R. Aharon Lichtenstein That Belongs on Your Summer Reading List

Tzvi Sinensky reviews the new volume about R. Aharon Lichtenstein from Divrei Shir’s Hebrew-language “Gedolei ha-Umah le-Yaldei Yisrael,” explaining why it is a must-read for adults and children alike.

A Return to Moderation: Rabbi Lamm’s Passionate Plea for Civility

Tzvi Sinensky examines Rabbi Lamm’s lifelong commitment to civility.

The Utilitarian Case for Torah u-Madda

Tzvi Sinensky reimagines the utilitarian case for Torah u-Madda. Far from seeing the study of Madda as a concession to the need to earn a livelihood, the new utilitarianism uses cutting-edge scholarship to solve some of the most pressing problems in our schools and communities.

Lo Yilbash and Gender Difference: A Rejoinder to Moshe Kurtz

Responding to yesterday’s article by Moshe Kurtz, Lehrhaus editor Tzvi Sinensky presents an alternative read of the Mitzvah of lo yilbash.

The Myth of Jewish Male Menstruation

In older times, Christian New Year’s Day celebrations were sometimes marked by antisemitic incidents. Although such days are behind us, Tzvi Sinensky recalls the antisemitic canard that Jewish men menstruated, a pervasive and disturbing myth that demeaned Jews and all women.

Masculinity and the Hanukkah Hero: Toward a New Interpretation of Biblical Gevurah

The Maccabees were renowned as gibborim. But what exactly is gevurah, and what does it mean for dicussions about manhood and Zionism? Tzvi Sinensky uses Hanukkah as a starting point for this contemporary conversation.

(Re)reading Shir ha-Shirim during Covid-19

Tzvi Sinensky argues compellingly for a new way to understand the relationship between Shir HaShirim and Pesach in times of quarantine.

The Passover Pandemic

In a piece that resonates today, Tzvi Sinensky examines what made the Jews' salvation from the plague of the firstborns so miraculous.