Personal Reflections

Nechama Sternberg contemplates her relationship to her grandfather, and remarks on the person he was in life.

Eliyahu Freedman compares hospital chaplains to the Kohanim.

Sarah Rindner contemplates whether Torah u-Madda as it’s sometimes interpreted can engender unreflective allegiance to trends in contemporary society that might harm our religious communities.

The dynamic conversation continues with three letters to the editor widening our perspective on Torah u-Madda. Steve Gotlib grapples with the challenges of living Torah u-Madda in the real world; Ezequiel Antebi Sacca adds a Sephardic view from Argentina; and Eugene Korn adds insight to the Jewish view on Christianity.

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

In commemoration of Rav Amital's tenth Yahrzeit, Joe Wolfson, JLIC Rabbi at NYU, shares how the legacy of Rav Amital inspired his community's humanitarian efforts during the Covid19 pandemic.

Gilad Goldberg describes the bewildering experience of reporting for emergency reserve duty on October 7.

Julie Goldstein reflects on her recent Yom Kippur experience and why it matters for Orthodox women everywhere.

Eric Suben considers various Jewish and non-Jewish representations of angels and their significance in his life.

Zev Eleff offers a rejoinder and some reflections on "What if Rav Aharon Had Stayed?"