The Forgotten Mourners
What is the halakhic status of those mourning the loss of their parents-in-law? Aaron Ross, inspired by his personal experience, grapples with the lack of formal aveilut rituals for non-biological relatives.
20/20 vision for hilkhot Shabbat: A Glance at Rav Yosef Zvi Rimon’s Newest Sefer
In our saturated environment, can any contemporary work on hilkhot Shabbat break new ground? Ezra Schwartz explains that Rav Rimon's newest work does precisely this.
The Zogerke’s Vort
The zogerke or firzogerin, once the vernacular translator in the women’s section of the synagogue, has faded into distant memory. Dalia Wolfson reimagines her for our times.
Reclaiming the Musical Past: Leon Modena and Salamone Rossi in Context
Rebecca Cypess considers the life and work of the Italian Jewish Renaissance composer Salamone Rossi, his rabbinic supporter Leon Modena, and the controversies over 17th century polyphonic music in the synagogue.
The Haunted Yeshivah: Abaye and the Torah of ADHD
Elli Fischer examines the interplay between Talmudic Halakhah and Aggadah.
Resurrecting Moses Mendelssohn
Tzvi Sinensky
As chronicled in Robert Putnam’s 2000 classic book, Bowling Alone, loneliness is one of the vexing challenges of modern life. The advent of the...
Cross-Dressing and Cross-Conduct: When Lo Yilbash Meets Contemporary Western Culture
Moshe Kurtz examines the Torah’s prohibition on cross-dressing as a lens to view the shifting contemporary gender norms.
Hippocratic Healthcare and Christian Absolutism: Can Halakhah Allow for Compassionate Euthanasia?
Leead Staller argues for a more nuanced approach to euthanasia in Halakha.
Mitzvah Merchants and their Made-in-America Toys
Zev Eleff examines some of the toys peddled around by mitzvah merchants and other fascinating features of Ultra-Orthodox culture.
The Anti-Spiritual Rabbi: A Student’s Perspective
Shlomo Spivack discusses the anti-spirituality of his teacher, Rav Menachem Froman.
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