Commentary

The Haredi community in Israel and its institutions have resisted army service and other forms of societal integration since the founding of the State. As the controversy over drafting Haredi citizens continues to feature in headlines, Nathaniel Helfgot revisits a well-known but underexplored episode in early Israeli history: the meeting and correspondence between Prime Minister David Ben Gurion and Rabbi Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz, known as the Hazon Ish.

Yaakov Bieler details several reasons why Torah u-Madda remains important to our role as Torah Jews and some practical ways we can implement this approach.

Aton Holzer offers a novel interpretation of Isaiah 53 based on current events in Israel.

Rabba Wendy Amsellem reviews Gila Fine's new book, "The Madwoman in the Rabbi's Attic."

Gabi Weinberg assesses the utility of a new monograph on Jewish leadership.

Rachel Sharansky-Danziger limns the deep collective pain of October 7th on Israelis and forges a way forward amidst its intensity.

At what point in Jewish thought does artificial intelligence go too far? In this short story, Olga Lempert writes about a world where humanity itself might be replaced by the machines they create

Bezalel Naor translates and contextualizes a poem by Pinchas Peli about the home of Rav Kook.

Harris Bor meditates on the world of Passover in his new poem for the Lehrhaus.

David Berger's reflection commemorating the passing of Yaakov Elman, ob"m.