The Yom Kippur War and Yeshivat Har Etzion: Letters from a Talmid

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, published here are excerpts from letters of an American student studying in Israel in 1973. These letters, written during and immediately after the war, shed light on Yeshivat Har Etzion in its formative years and the lasting impact of the Yom Kippur War.

The Simple Judaism of a Rosh Yeshiva-Novelist

In a continuing series on great, modern Israeli thinkers, Joe Wolfson explores the powerful themes in a novel by Rav Haim Sabato.

There Are No Lights in War: We Need a Different Religious Language

A growing list of dati le’umi leaders and thinkers frame war as a desirable state and even an opportunity for spiritual elevation. Religious Israeli activist Ariel Shwartz traces this trend with alarm and argues that it contradicts deep-rooted Torah values. Translated by Mordechai Blau.

Reclaiming Lag ba-Omer 

Rav Ronen Neuwirth suggests that the strictures of social distancing enable us to reduce this year's Lag BaOmer bonfires - which he sees as a very good thing.

Shas’ Rav Ovadia: Omnipresent “Abba” Looks Down From Above

Meshulam Gotlieb responds to Shaul Seidler-Feller with his own interpretation of Shas' 2019 political campaign.

God, Torah, Self: Accepting the Yoke of Heaven in the Writings of Rav Shagar

Rav Shagar's postmodern insights on accepting the yoke of Heaven, for your pre-Shavuos reading pleasure!

“Lu Yehi”: Between Fragility and Hope

In this thoughtful essay, Cypess reflects on the melody that is carrying Israel in the wake of October 7th.

In Search of Modern Orthodoxy

In introducing his embrace of Rav Shagar, Rabbi Dr. Gil Perl details his personal journey of being initially excited, then disappointed with the writings of our...

There’s Something About Wendy

Author Risa Miller reviews Beth Kissileff's debut novel, Questioning Return.

Ahron Marcus: The Leading Hasidic, Zionist, Scholar of Ancient Judaism You Never Heard of

Who's the Pioneer of Hasidic Literature, Most Important Zionist, and Defender of the Masorah? Shlomo Zuckier explores Ahron Marcus' legacy.