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.

Subjective Experience in Halakhah: Music During Sefirah as a Case Study

Judah Kerbel explores how differing approaches to listening to music during Sefirat ha-Omer balance the appropriate role for subjectivity in halakhic decision-making.

Jeremiah Lockwood’s New Cantorial Blues Album, Kol Nidre, is a Yom Kippur Dream

Hillel Broder reviews the latest release from Jeremiah Lockwood.

Ivri Anochi: A Tribute to the Paradox of Jewish Pride

Shlomo Zuckier takes a closer look at the cultural and theological underpinnings of this hit new Orthodox music video.

Wrestling With God: Leonard Cohen’s You Want it Darker

Malka Simkovich with a careful reading of the work of the late Leonard Cohen.

“Do Not Summarize Me on Wikipedia.” The Thought of Hanan Ben Ari

Natan Oliff analyzes the deep philosophical messages in the music of Israeli singer Hanan Ben Ari.

Notes of Defiance: Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, Diana Blumenfeld, and the Question of Cultural Genocide

Alia Saphier examines the concept of cultural genocide, how it relates to the Holocaust, and how both Anita Lasker-Wallfisch and Diana Blumenfeld fought for the longevity of Jewish music.

Reclaiming the Musical Past: Leon Modena and Salamone Rossi in Context

Rebecca Cypess considers the life and work of the Italian Jewish Renaissance composer Salamone Rossi, his rabbinic supporter Leon Modena, and the controversies over 17th century polyphonic music in the synagogue.

“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.

The Development of Neo-Hasidism: Echoes and Repercussions Part III: Shlomo Carlebach and Zalman Schachter-Shalomi

Ariel Evan Mayse considers the neo-Hasidic approaches of Shlomo Carlebach and Zalman Schachter-Shalomi.