Gleaning the Wisdom of Ruth
In advance of Shavuot, Stuart Halpern reviews Reading Ruth, a succinct but poignant new literary commentary on the Book of Ruth, by Leon Kass and his granddaughter Hannah Mandelbaum.
There Are Jews Everywhere: Divine Revelation through the Other in Malamud’s “Angel Levine”
Eileen Watts puts the writings of Bernard Malamud in conversation with today's immigrant debate.
To Be, or Not to Be, a Holy People
Steven Gotlib reviews Eugene Korn’s To Be a Holy People: Jewish Tradition and Ethical Values, a book which asks hard questions about whether Halakhah can integrate with the demands of contemporary ethics.
Leviticus, Leonard Cohen, and the Paradox of Rest
Sarah Rindner asks what the Book of Leviticus, Leonard Cohen and the Liberty Bell all have in common.
The Patron Saint of Rabbis’ Kids
The father heard the voice of God, Elli Fischer explains, but the son ends up with the blade on his neck.
The Balabatish Daf Yomi Revolution
How did daf yomi evolve from a yeshiva-centered program to one focused on the working Jew? Zev Eleff offers a historical overview of the daf yomi revolution.
Restoring the (Recitation of) Korbanot
Pressed for time, people often skip reciting the korbanot section of the morning prayers. With the High Holidays approaching, Judah Kerbel makes the case that the korbanot are far more central and halakhically significant to our prayers than we often realize.
“In Every Generation They Rise Up Against Us to Destroy Us”: How We Keep...
Malka Simkovich on the Hasmonean victories and the truth behind the Hanukkah miracle.
Feeling “Off” on Yom Haatzmaut
So many of the most exciting developments in Jewish thought, explains Ariel Rackovsky, are occurring in Israel. Are American Jews sufficiently aware of them?
The Zogerke’s Vort
The zogerke or firzogerin, once the vernacular translator in the women’s section of the synagogue, has faded into distant memory. Dalia Wolfson reimagines her for our times.