Culture

Organizations advocating for Jewish renewal in Israel have become increasingly popular in the last decade, seeking to transcend the religious-secular divide and articulate a vision of Jewish civilization as a shared identity. David Sperber explores the ways that these organizations effectively seek to recreate models that have already long existed in non-Orthodox denominations, but to wrap them in the idioms and culture of Orthodoxy. He argues that failure to recognize the non-Orthodox contributions is unjustified and hopes that Israeli society can grow to "recognize renewal wherever it has taken root."

In this poem, Litvacitus honors the yahrzeit of the Rebbe and recounts his impact on the world.

In this mini-collection of poems, November reflects on the presence of God in the universe.

Can food embody holiness? In this poem, DJ Grant uses challah as a metaphor to encapsulate the individual holiness of a person.

Enter the Baltic Coast in the late 1980's, in George Kuchinsky's reflection on a childhood encounter with anti-semitism.

A man who has left observance relives his old Gemara learning as he travels to return a sefer to his former Havruta.

Ross Weissman offers a stirring poem on hope during the trying times of coronavirus.

In honor of Hanukkah, Admiel Kosman considers literary and aggadic traditions that depict holy people as burning flames or sources of light. He proposes that these traditions be read in light of Martin Buber’s insight regarding the dialogical personality.

Peninah Taragin Gershman I once made a Holocaust joke. It was not intentional, and it was not planned, but I said it, and it landed...

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