Four Reasons to Leverage Pop Culture in the Judaic Studies Classroom
Can we learn Torah from Star Wars, superheroes, or the hit Netflix show ‘The Crown’? Olivia Friedman, a teacher at Ida Crown Jewish Academy in Chicago, says yes, arguing that bringing pop culture into the Judaic studies classroom in a meaningful way not only makes learning more fun, but models the type of integration that Modern Orthodoxy stands for.
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.
The Length of Our Days
A man who has left observance relives his old Gemara learning as he travels to return a sefer to his former Havruta.
Written and Sealed (and Stamped) in the Book of Life
We will all be much more distant from each other this Rosh Hashanah. That’s why, argues Ranana Dine, it’s time to revive the tradition of sending physical greeting cards.
Nine Measures
Tehila Wenger offers a short story on loss, eternity, and olive trees .
Hanukkah: A Poem by Avrom Liessen
In his Yiddish poem "Hanukkah" (1932), Avrom Liessen poignantly recalled his early experience of the holiday. Dov Greenwood's vivid translation transports us into that wondrous world.
Across the River
In this riveting short story, Leah Cypess retells a medieval Shavuot legend of how a Jewish community was saved from a deadly sorcerer.
A Parable of Barriers
In honor of Rosh Hashanah 5786, Akiva Weisinger retells and reimagines the parable of the king "who wished to be seen, but did not want to be seen."
Sanctifying the Secular: A Torah u-Madda Approach to Popular Culture
Responding to Moshe Kurtz, Olivia Friedman argues that forging deep connections between Torah and popular culture can be an uplifting and sanctified experience.
The Haunted Yeshivah: Abaye and the Torah of ADHD
Elli Fischer examines the interplay between Talmudic Halakhah and Aggadah.
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