Scholarship

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...

Benjamin Barer traces the word Hevel through Jewish texts, showing how the use of the same word can teach us both about the wisdom of Kohelet we read this past Shabbat and the character of Hevel who we will read about in this week's Parashah.

For Eve Grubin, Bilam's hidden messages is a lesson for the Torah and for life.

In these difficult times for Israel, Aharon Frazer of Alon Shvut is thinking about the fundamental sanctity of human life and the long game. Can war and weapons really take us toward the messianic age?

Jon Kelsen uncovers a deeper rabbinic meaning to the blood needed to "passover" the Israelites.

With Hoshanah Rabbah today and the theme of repentance in mind, Jack Cohen explores the role that outsiders play in one's teshuva process through an enigmatic midrash instructing one to return a person to themselves.

Michael Bernstein examines how the individual experience is ironically incorporated into holidays that are all about the community.

Steven Gotlib reviews Eugene Korn’s book on the future of Jewish-Christian relations.

Beth Kissileff on the book of Jonah and its relevance on Sukkot.

Elli Fischer explores the ideological components of developments in Hanukkah traditions.