After COVID, Reimagine Synagogue Life, Don’t Just Tweak it: A Response to Judah Kerbel

Responding to Judah Kerbel's discussion of synagogue life after COVID, Yechiel Shaffer argues that the pandemic is a call not simply to enhance synagogue life, but to reimagine it in bold new ways.

When Things Go Back to Normal

Given the duration of the pandemic, should we suffice with waiting to return to normal, or are there hard-fought lesssons we can reintroduce even once the pandemic passes? Lehrhaus Consulting Editor and Director of Education at Sefaria, Sara Wolkenfeld, uses our recent experiences to gain new perspective on what tefilla, minyan and shul are really all about.

A Year in Review – 2021

As 2021 comes to a close, the Lehrhaus team is delighted to highlight many of the thought-provoking essays we’ve published this year, with a diverse array of incredible thinkers and writers.

The Mikveh Never Closed: What the Pandemic Has Taught Us About Mikveh

Last year at this time, when the pandemic brought tremendous upheaval to Jewish communal institutions the mikveh remained open for use. In this expansive piece, Mijal Bitton and Elana Stein Hain examine the communal response to mikveh during COVID-19, explore the experiences of women who chose to use--or not use--the mikveh during this time, and offer constructive recommendations for the future.

From Graduation to Contagion: Jewish Physicians Confront Plague in 1631

Contemporary physicians have been heroic in the battle against COVID-19, but what was it like to be one of a handful of Jewish doctors confronting the Bubonic Plague during the 17th-century in Italy? Prolific medical halakhist and historian Eddie Reichman takes a close look at the four Jewish graduates of the Padua medical school class of 1623.

The Customs of Sefirah aren’t about Mourning. They are about Quarantine.

Ben Greenfield looks at the similarity between Sefirah observances and quarantine, and suggests a new way to understand the connection.

Backyard Prayer (Covid-19)

Akiva Shapiro depicts the experience of outdoor prayers during the pandemic.

Wherefore Art Thou, Moses?

What does Shakespeare have to say about the Exodus, Moses, and the power of storytelling? Shaina Trapedo explores how the Bard's work can speak to us during this unprecedented Pesach season.

Vaccine Triage in Jewish Ethics – an Intermediate Approach

Aryeh Dienstag and Penina Dienstag respond to the articles by Sharon Galper-Grossman, Shamai Grossman, and Alan Jotkowitz regarding vaccine allocation.

Contagious Disease, Moral Behavior, and Prayer: Bava Kama Today 

How did the Talmud look at plagues? Miriam Reisler offers a close reading of a key halakhic and narrative section of Bava Kama.