Jewish Review of Books
Stirring the Pot
31 Aug 2018
Allan Arkush critically reviews the responses to his essay on the challenges of sustaining Jewish life in the U.S. Jack Wertheimer emphasizes the need for st...
31 Aug 2018
Tablet
The Great Jewish Tennis Hope
31 Aug 2018
Diego Schwartzman, a 26-year-old Jewish tennis player from Argentina, stands out despite his diminutive height of 5 feet 6 inches. Ranked 13th globally, Schw...
31 Aug 2018
Lehrhaus
Professor Yaakov Elman: A Talmud Scholar of Singular Depth and Scope
30 Aug 2018
Professor Yaakov Elman was a distinguished Talmud scholar known for his unique depth and interdisciplinary approach to studying the Babylonian Talmud. Despit...
30 Aug 2018
Lehrhaus
Yaakov Elman and the History of Halakha
30 Aug 2018
Dr. Yaakov Elman, a renowned Talmudist, was celebrated for his diverse scholarship that extended beyond Talmud to encompass various eras and texts in Jewish ...
30 Aug 2018
Tablet
My Father Calls on Me From Beyond the Grave
29 Aug 2018
The writer reflects on his father's meticulous life and posthumous request to decide on his headstone inscription. Recalling his father's attention to detail...
29 Aug 2018
Tablet
The Talmud as Rube Goldberg Machine of the Mind
21 Aug 2018
Literary critic Adam Kirsch discusses the Talmudic tractate Menachot, which deals with meal offerings in the Temple service. The text explores the importance...
21 Aug 2018
Lehrhaus
Is Religious Tolerance a Jewish Idea?
16 Aug 2018
The text explores the question of whether religious tolerance is a Jewish concept, examining the tension between modern values of religious freedom and histo...
16 Aug 2018
Lehrhaus
Our Hands Did Not Shed This Blood?
13 Aug 2018
The Torah emphasizes the concept of atonement for bloodshed, stating that only the blood of the perpetrator can cleanse the land polluted by spilled blood. I...
13 Aug 2018
Jewish Review of Books
Repentant Prostitutes, Medieval Jewish Courts, and WWII Classified Ads
9 Aug 2018
The text discusses three scholarly essays from leading journals, highlighting key points. The first essay focuses on the Jewish version of the repentant pros...
9 Aug 2018
Lehrhaus
Notes on the Conversation surrounding Faith Shattered and Restored / Post-Modern Orthodoxy.
6 Aug 2018
The text discusses the impact of Rabbi Shagar's teachings on Postmodern Orthodoxy and Modern Orthodoxy's struggle to engage with contemporary culture. It exp...
6 Aug 2018
Lehrhaus
Mysticism and its Alternatives: Rethinking Maimonides
2 Aug 2018
The text explores the complex relationship between Maimonides and mysticism, challenging the common perception of him as solely a rationalist opposed to myst...
2 Aug 2018
Jewish Review of Books
The Rabbi Goes to Court
2 Aug 2018
In "The Rabbi Goes to Court," the graphic history by Nina Caputo and Liz Clarke, the story of the medieval rabbi and scholar Nachmanides at the Barcelona Dis...
2 Aug 2018
Tablet
Who Gets to Eat Sacrificial Meat?
31 Jul 2018
Tractate Zevachim, studied in the Talmud, delves into the laws concerning sacrificial offerings at the Temple and the privileges of the priestly caste, who r...
31 Jul 2018
Lehrhaus
Tu be-Av and the Concubine of Givah
26 Jul 2018
Tu be-Av, a day described by the Mishnah as one of the happiest in the Jewish calendar, has its origins intertwined with a story in the Book of Judges about ...
26 Jul 2018
Lehrhaus
Revealed yet Concealed: the Meaning of Aseret Ha-Dibrot
23 Jul 2018
The text delves into the meaning and significance of the Aseret ha-Dibrot, or Ten Commandments, highlighting their unique nature as divine utterances reveale...
23 Jul 2018
Tablet
Tisha B’Av and the Jewish Detox Cycle
20 Jul 2018
The text discusses the concept of a Jewish detox cycle, reframing traditional fast days like Tisha B'Av as opportunities for spiritual and physical cleansing...
20 Jul 2018
Forward
Meet The Sheitel Fairy Godmother, Providing Wigs To Needy Orthodox Women
18 Jul 2018
Staci Segal has launched "The Sheitel Shuffle," a transformative initiative offering free sheitels to Orthodox women who cannot afford them. With sheitels ra...
18 Jul 2018
Lehrhaus
Grief, Gratitude and … Grapes? Tears on Tishah Be-Av as Tools of Tikun and Thanksgiving
16 Jul 2018
The article explores the significance of tears shed on Tishah Be-Av and the connection to gratitude by focusing on the birkat ha-mazon blessing and the Sin o...
16 Jul 2018
Tel Aviv Review
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Business and Human Rights: A Contradiction in Terms?
16 Jul 2018
David Bilchitz, a law professor at the University of Johannesburg, suggests in his book "Building a Treaty on Business and Human Rights" that a legal framewo...
16 Jul 2018
Tablet
Suited to the Fire
10 Jul 2018
In Tractate Zevachim of the Talmud, the discussion revolves around what to do when a Temple offering becomes disqualified and ascends the altar by mistake. T...
10 Jul 2018
Lehrhaus
Women must learn and lead: A Response to Chaim Saiman
9 Jul 2018
In response to Chaim Saiman's views on female Torah study and leadership, Sharona Margolin Halickman argues that women in American Modern Orthodox communitie...
9 Jul 2018
Lehrhaus
The Source of Faith is Faith Alone
2 Jul 2018
The article reflects on the nature of faith, particularly within the context of Orthodox Judaism, focusing on the interplay between belief, rational argument...
2 Jul 2018
Lehrhaus
The Opaque Ceiling Hovering Over Women’s Torah Study: A Reply to Judah Goldberg
28 Jun 2018
The article responds to Judah Goldberg's call to enhance women's Torah study by addressing the need to understand the existing motivations and assumptions sh...
28 Jun 2018
Jewish Review of Books
Torah and the Thermodynamics of Life: An Interview with Jeremy England
27 Jun 2018
Jeremy England, an accomplished research scientist and an observant Jew, explores the origins of life through his work on the emergence of life-like behavior...
27 Jun 2018
Tablet
Bird Sacrifice
26 Jun 2018
In the Talmudic discussion of bird sacrifices in Tractate Zevachim, the focus shifts from large animal offerings to the detailed procedures of bird offerings...
26 Jun 2018
Lehrhaus
The “Essentials” of Orthodox Judaism
25 Jun 2018
Rabbi Benny Lau and Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein engaged in a debate regarding physical disabilities and the priestly service in the Third Temple. Rabbi Lau sug...
25 Jun 2018
Jewish Review of Books
Boundaries, Conversations, and the Reform Movement: A Response to Elli Fischer
21 Jun 2018
Joshua Holo responds to Elli Fischer's critique of Michael Chabon's commencement address at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR). Fisc...
21 Jun 2018
Lehrhaus
Divinity Redefined- Review of Christine Hayes, What’s Divine About Divine Law?: Early Perspectives
21 Jun 2018
Christine Hayes' book "What's Divine About Divine Law?: Early Perspectives" challenges the assumption of the inherent divinity of Torah law by exploring how ...
21 Jun 2018
Tablet
The Marrying Kind
21 Jun 2018
The text tells the story of a woman who, after years of failed relationships, unexpectedly finds love with a former friend, Paula, at a fundraiser opposing a...
21 Jun 2018
Jewish Review of Books
Letters, Summer 2018
17 Jun 2018
The Letters from Summer 2018 discuss various topics related to Jewish identity and history. One letter juxtaposes Ruth Wisse's portrayal of Mendele Mokher Se...
17 Jun 2018
Jewish Review of Books
Containing God’s Presence
16 Jun 2018
Rabbi Shai Held's two-volume collection "The Heart of Torah, Essays on the Weekly Torah Portion" delves into the importance of the Torah reading cycle and th...
16 Jun 2018
Jewish Review of Books
Maimonides in Ma’ale Adumim
16 Jun 2018
Rabbi Nachum Rabinovitch, a modern and highly knowledgeable scholar, has produced an extensive 23-volume commentary called Yad Peshutah on Moses Maimonides' ...
16 Jun 2018
Jewish Review of Books
Sacrificial Speech
16 Jun 2018
The text discusses the themes of sacrifice and its evolution in Jewish thought and practice, as reflected in Ruby Namdar's novel "The Ruined House" and Mira ...
16 Jun 2018
Jewish Review of Books
No Empty Place
16 Jun 2018
In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, a rift emerged between the Hasidic movement and its opponents, particularly the Lithuanian mitnagdim, over theolog...
16 Jun 2018
Jewish Action
Reviews in Brief
12 Jun 2018
Rabbi Jack Abramowitz's book "The God Book" offers modern Jewish readers a clear and accessible summary of key theological thoughts from medieval Jewish phil...
12 Jun 2018
Jewish Action
New Books from OU Press – Summer 2018
12 Jun 2018
Rabbi Hillel Goldberg's "Countdown to Shabbos" explores the deep connection between Shabbos and the rest of the week, encouraging readers to integrate the sp...
12 Jun 2018
Tablet
Mapping the Temple
12 Jun 2018
The subject of Tractate Zevachim discusses the ritual protocol for animal sacrifice in the Temple, detailing where sacrifices are performed, how blood is spr...
12 Jun 2018
Tablet
Saying Goodbye to Bacon
8 Jun 2018
The text explores the author's journey towards embracing kashrut by relinquishing non-kosher foods, particularly bacon, which held special significance for h...
8 Jun 2018
Forward
Seymour Hersh’s Rise From Dry Cleaner To America’s Supersnoop
7 Jun 2018
Seymour M. Hersh, a stalwart of investigative journalism, narrates his career in his memoir "Reporter," revealing how his upbringing influenced his probing n...
7 Jun 2018
Lehrhaus
After Lag: Two Readings on The ‘Self-Praise’ of Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai
7 Jun 2018
After the Lag Ba-omer celebrations at the tomb of Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai (Rashbi) in Meron, there are discussions around his self-praise in rabbinic literatu...
7 Jun 2018
Lehrhaus
“Doctor, I Need My Rabbi”: How can Halakhah be Practical in Medical Ethics?
31 May 2018
Rabbi Jason Weiner's book, "Jewish Guide to Practical Medical Decision Making," provides a clear and compassionate guide to navigating medical dilemmas in li...
31 May 2018
Tanakh Cast
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TanakhCast #132: The Full Range of Emotions Edition
28 May 2018
In TanakhCast #132, the podcast delves into the full range of emotions found within the Tanakh, covering 4 chapters from Genesis to 2 Chronicles in each epis...
28 May 2018
Lehrhaus
Pesah and Shavuot, Or: Emancipation and Freedom
17 May 2018
The text delves into the concepts of freedom and emancipation in Jewish tradition through the lenses of Pesah and Shavuot. It explores the Talmudic discussio...
17 May 2018
Unorthodox
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The Conversion Episode: Ep 136
17 May 2018
This episode of Unorthodox delves into the diverse experiences and challenges of converting to Judaism, featuring personal stories from around the world. The...
17 May 2018
Unorthodox
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The Conversion Episode: Ep 136
17 May 2018
The podcast episode discussed the theme of conversion to Judaism, inspired by the Book of Ruth. It featured stories of individuals who converted to Judaism, ...
17 May 2018
Lehrhaus
First Fruits (Bikkurim) and the Talmudic View of Capital: An Essai in the Philosophy of Halakhah
14 May 2018
The text delves into the concept of first fruits (bikkurim) in Jewish tradition, focusing on the Talmudic view of this practice and its philosophical implica...
14 May 2018
Promised Podcast
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The “Age of Uncertainty” Edition
10 May 2018
Noah Efron, Allison Kaplan Sommer, and Don Futterman discuss the unsettling state of affairs with Trump's decisions and escalating tensions in Israel, prompt...
10 May 2018
Promised Podcast
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The “Age of Uncertainty” Edition
10 May 2018
In a podcast episode titled "The Age of Uncertainty Edition," the hosts explore significant topics including concerns raised by Trump's decisions and escalat...
10 May 2018
Forward
McCain Regrets Picking Palin Over Lieberman As His 2008 Running Mate
8 May 2018
Senator John McCain expressed regret in his new book and accompanying documentary for not choosing Senator Joseph Lieberman as his running mate in the 2008 p...
8 May 2018
Tablet
What Is ‘Jewish Food’?
27 Apr 2018
Jewish cuisine is a complex and diverse tapestry that reflects centuries of geographical movement and cultural exchange. While commonly associated with Easte...
27 Apr 2018