Timely Thoughts

In his review of Glenn Dynner’s recent book on Polish Hasidism, Jon Kelsen argues that Dynner is engaged in an act of resistance against the prevalent view of interwar Hasidism as a movement in decline.

In this thoughtful essay, Cypess reflects on the melody that is carrying Israel in the wake of October 7th.

David Polsky meticulously explores officer immunity in Halakha and compares it with the American legal standard of qualified immunity.

Ezra Sivan follows up last year's piece about how the Exodus leveled social boundaries with an article about what the Pesah story teaches us about social distancing today.

Last year, Nathan B. Oman, a Latter-day Saint and law professor, bought hametz from the members of Chaim Saiman’s synagogue before Passover. This is his story—a profound meditation on the nature of religious law and legal fiction — with an introduction by Chaim Saiman.

Aryeh Solomon explores that lifelong influence of the Lubavitcher Rebbe on Rabbi Jonathan Sacks.

Moshe Kurtz looks as discomfort as a factor in Halakha

Shumel Hain discusses how we can bridge the "Tragic Gap" between the world envisioned in the blessing on budding fruit tress and our current reality of pandemic and tragedy

Drawing upon his expertise in Anglo-Jewish history, Benjamin Elton traces the intellectual journey and career of the late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks zt"l. As a brilliant young scholar, Rabbi Sacks rose to prominence through the British Chief Rabbinate, but he transcended that role to become a global phenomenon.

Yosef Lindell offers a brief history of Pesah guides.