Nine Crazy Nights?
Outside the Land of Israel, we add an extra day to several holidays. Michael Kurin wonders: why not on Hanukkah?
Magid, Moshe, Story-Telling, and Story-Living
For Jennifer Raskas, the seder narrative reflects on the past and informs the future.
Yaakov Elman z”l: Breadth, Creativity, and Commitment
David Berger's reflection commemorating the passing of Yaakov Elman, ob"m.
Adam’s Absence: Rereading the Primordial Sin
Yisroel Ben-Porat analyzes a Midrash offering non-misogynistic takes on the original sin.
The Jewish Leap Day: A Halakhic Analysis of a Calendar Conundrum
The secular calendar has its leap day on Feb. 29. On the Jewish calendar, our leap day is 30 Adar I, since Adar in a non-leap year always has 29 days. Yaakov Taubes explores all of the Halakhot pertaining to this unique day.
“Certainty Has Never Been Mine”: The Denominational Eclecticism of David Ellenson
Just in advance of the shloshim for David Ellenson, the former president of Hebrew Union College, Jonathan D. Sarna pays tribute to a man whose life, work, and friendships spanned the Jewish denominational divide.
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.
Before, After, and During: Yehuda Amichai’s “Beterem”
In this timely article, Wendy Zierler examines how Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai's "Beterem" can provide readers with the inspiration they need leading up to the Days of Awe
Rabbi Lamm, Sukkot, and the Spiritual Perils of Materialism
Can we solve the growing problem of materialism in the Orthodox community? Tzvi Sinensky explains how Rabbi Norman Lamm’s Sukkot sermons shine some light on the matter
“Lu Yehi”: Between Fragility and Hope
In this thoughtful essay, Cypess reflects on the melody that is carrying Israel in the wake of October 7th.