‘May Memories Rise’- On the Meaning of ‘Ya’aleh ve-Yavo’

Ben Lorber reflects on the meaning of ya'aleh ve-yavo.

The Shofar as a Mekonenet, a Singer of Laments

  Rebecca Cypess As the only musical instrument used in modern Jewish liturgy, the shofar possesses a humble form. Halakhah forbids the modification of the shofar’s...

Shnei Zeitim: A Hanukkah Piyyut About the Separation of Powers

Yitzhak Szyf explores the piyyut of Shnei Zeitim, a once well-known addition to the Shabbat Hanukkah services that subtly critiques the Hasmoneans for usurping the kingship while serving as priests.

Running and Returning: A Personal Reflection on Prayer, Contemporary Poetry, and Yom Kippur’s Neilah...

In this essay, Yehoshua November presents a model for preparing for the High Holidays