Commentary

Can our humility about the possibility of knowing truth help us to achieve a principled pluralism? Steven Gotlib examines Raphael Jospe’s argument and responses to it in this review of Accepting and Excepting.

Ari Zivotofsky responds to two letters criticizing his recent article regarding the alleged abuse of Palestinian prisoners at Sde Teiman.

In his review of Glenn Dynner’s recent book on Polish Hasidism, Jon Kelsen argues that Dynner is engaged in an act of resistance against the prevalent view of interwar Hasidism as a movement in decline.

In this letter to the editor, Perry Dane asks further questions about Steve Lipman's essay "An Empty Place at the Jewish Table: Why Are Young Jews Dropping Out?"

Jonathcan Muskat explores the different ways Rabbi Soloveitchik communicated about Mehitzah.

In this essay, Aviva Lauer analyzes the Biblical prohibition against cutting down fruit trees in wartime, and connects it to messages about human dignity.

Joshua Ladon reviews the Devash Jr. Book of Shemot.

Yosef Blau and Jonah Winer respond to Ari Zivitofsky's recent article regarding the alleged abuse of Palestinian prisoners at Sde Teiman.

The propriety of celebrating the downfall of enemies presents a complex web of questions and seemingly contradictory Jewish texts. Michael Kurin makes sense of this subject and proposes a framework for applying it to matters of Israeli public policy.

In the summer of 2024, IDF police raided the Sde Teiman base as part of an investigation into reports of serious abuse of alleged terrorist detainees. The many turns of the resulting controversy divided Israeli society during wartime and brought global attention to Israel's military prisons. Ari Zivitofsky reflects on these events and argues that senior officials in the Israeli government and media failed to heed the dictates of the Jewish ethical tradition.