Rethinking Judaism in Early America

Did the Founding Fathers study Kabbalah? Yisroel Ben-Porat reviews Brian Ogren’s new book Kabbalah and the Founding of America.

Yaakov Elman z”l: Breadth, Creativity, and Commitment

David Berger's reflection commemorating the passing of Yaakov Elman, ob"m.

Life, Children, and Sustenance: Personal Reflections on the Legacy of a Torah Scholar

Richard Hidary's reflection commemorating the passing of Yaakov Elman, ob"m.

Istanis: Is it Ever Too Hot for Halakhah?

Moshe Kurtz looks as discomfort as a factor in Halakha

Corona and Seder-ing Alone

How was the original Seder experienced, and how do we constitute a Jewish collective? Joel Levy and Leon Wiener-Dow argue that the collective must begin with the independent-minded individual.

The Exodus, America’s Ever-Present Inspiration

Stuart Halpern explains how, when faced with uncertainty, danger, and personal and communal hardships, Americans have turned to the story of the Exodus for inspiration.

American Orthodox Jews Can and Should Care About Whether Liberal Judaism Thrives

Roberta Kwall weighs in on the state of non-Orthodox Judaism and how it affects Orthodoxy.

Voices from Outside the Cave: Women and the Story of Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai

Kate Rozansky explores the life of Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai through the prism of the women in his life.

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.

With Liberty and Presents for All

Through an analysis of Hanukkah ads, Yael Buechler explains how Yiddish newspapers used the Old Country language to acculturate Jews to the New Country.