Timely Thoughts

In this collection of poems, Owen Lewis explores the human desire for connection with the divine while navigating an early world.

Joey Rosenfeld discusses the inner meanings of Lag Ba-Omer.

Steven Gotlib review's Elliot Cosgrove's "For Such a Time as This: On Being Jewish Today," which urges unity among American Jewry.

In this essay, Yehoshua November presents a model for preparing for the High Holidays

In commemoration of Rav Amital's tenth Yahrzeit, Joe Wolfson, JLIC Rabbi at NYU, shares how the legacy of Rav Amital inspired his community's humanitarian efforts during the Covid19 pandemic.

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

In the spirit of Hanukkah, Yaakov Jaffe offers an intriguing thesis tying together a series of Mishnayot in the fourth chapter of Pirkei Avot: they are all responding to various aspects of Epicurean philosophy.

Noah Gradofsky explores sources about a pregnant Sotah and their relevance for Jewish abortion ethics.

In honor of Father's Day, Yosef Bronstein shares thoughts about the Talmud's perspective on the relationship between fathers and children.

This article was written and accepted for publication in the summer of 5783/2023 and scheduled to appear after the holidays. Because of the outbreak of Israel’s “Iron Swords” war with Ḥamas following the murderous attack on Israel on Shabbat/Simḥat Torah (7 October, 2023), we agreed that publication needed to be postponed. Now, five months into the war with no end in sight, we are nevertheless witness to renewed political tensions, public demonstrations, disagreements and paralysis in appointing judges and the President of the Supreme Court, together with resumption of talk of the “judicial reform.” Despite the continuing tragedy of the war in the south and warfare in the north, a review of how our sources treat the separation of powers and majority rule may help us avoid repeating some of the mistakes of the pre-war political and ideological divisions in Israel and contribute to a more reasoned consideration of the issues.