The Christian Monks Who Saved Jewish History

Malka Simkovich hunts for Jewish texts in some unlikely places.

The Seder is Anything but Orderly

Why is the Haggadah such a disorganized text? Lehrhaus editor Yosef Lindell offers a strikingly novel approach to the dynamic nature of the Passover seder.

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.

Unorthodox? How Megillat Esther Justifies the Holiday of Purim

Tzvi Sinensky suggests that the Megillah itself confronts the question of Purim's legitimacy.

Bedecked in Splendor

In this essay, Weinberg reflects on the symbolic significance of tefillin and its message for our Jewish future.

Shades of White: A Fresh Look at Lavan’s Relationship With Yaakov

Yitzchak Etshalom comments on the relationship between Lavan and Yaakov.

When Rambam Met the Izhbitser Rebbe: Response to a Straussian Reading of Hilkhot Teshuvah

Bezalel Naor responds to Bezalel Safran's Straussian reading of the Rambam.

Secular Music and the Jewish Soul

The Talmud criticizes the heretic Elisha ben Avuyah, or Aher, for listening to Greek music. But what did he do wrong? Todd Berman uses a close reading of Rashi’s comments on the Talmudic passage to explain.

Sin-a-gogue: A Must-Read for the Yamim Noraim

Jennie Rosenfeld reviews David Bashevkin's "Sin-a-gogue: Sin and Failure in Jewish Thought."

Cutting a Peace: The Story of Ketiah bar Shalom

Shlomo Zuckier offers a close literary reading of the fascinating Ketia bar Shalom narrative on Avodah Zarah 10b!