Reading Tragedy in Gittin and Gaza
David Polsky explores the similarities and differences between Hamas and the Jewish Zealots at the time of the destruction of the Second Temple.
Leavings of Sin: Rav Aharon Lichtenstein on Teshuvah
Shlomo Zuckier reviews Rav Aharon Lichtenstein's just-released book on teshuvah
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 Customs of Sefirah aren’t about Mourning. They are about Quarantine.
Ben Greenfield looks at the similarity between Sefirah observances and quarantine, and suggests a new way to understand the connection.
Esther the Queen, Hester Prynne, and The Scarlet Letter as Biblical Commentary
Tzvi Sinensky explores the hidden world of Esther with the help of Nathaniel Hawthorne.
Song of the Sea: Making a Space for Joy and Sorrow
Zach Truboff draws on personal experience in considering the place of Yizkor on Yom Tov.
My Body in the East, My Heart in the West
What is it like to make aliyah from New Jersey precisely at a time when North American Jewry is suffering more heavily than Israel? Ahead of Yom Yerushalayim, Sarah Rindner, drawing on Yehuda ha-Levi and Yehudah Amichai, reflects.
No Rest for the Weary? Ambiguity in Yehudah Halevi’s “Yom Shabbaton”
Yaakov Jaffe analyzes the multiple meanings of a medieval Jewish poem and popular Shabbat table song.
Laughter in the Face of Tragedy: The Enduring Resistance of Rabbi Akiva
Miriam Zami’s essay, runner-up to Hadar's annual Ateret Zvi Prize, uncovers the political and theological resistance of Rabbi Akiva’s laughter in the wake of the destruction of the Temple.
Darkness Will Envelop Me: A Meditation on Hanukkah
Dr. Devora Steinmetz offers a meditation on the significance of Hanukkah and darkness.
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