JL;DR

"Shababnikim" is a new Israeli TV dramedy that follows the lives of yeshiva students dealing with the death of their rosh yeshiva and the arrival of a new, s...

In the novel "Eternal Life" by Dara Horn, the story revolves around Rachel, the mother of Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai, who becomes immortal after making a vow ...

Roz Chast, a renowned cartoonist at the New Yorker, is known for her slice-of-life reflections on relationships, midlife crises, and New York urban living wi...

Abraham Socher's examination of Aristotle's akrasia and Maimonides's teshuvah in a 2017 article led to a discussion on true repentance. In response, Andrew N...

The text discusses the commemoration of the Balfour Declaration's centenary, outlining British Prime Minister Theresa May's affirmation of support for Israel...

The text discusses the complexity of concepts like repentance, free will, virtue ethics, and moral development, focusing on the perspectives of various philo...

The text discusses the historical prominence of Jewish revolutionaries from the 19th to the mid-20th century, mentioning figures like Zalkind Hourwitz, Rosa ...

"The Story of the Jews, Volume Two: Belonging, 1492-1900" by Simon Schama and "Et Hadashah (A New Age: Eighteenth-Century European Jewry, 1700-1750)" by Shmu...

Samuel C. Heilman's book "Succession, Secession! Who Will Lead Us? The Story of Five Hasidic Dynasties in America" explores the notion of zera kodesh, or hol...

Steven Weitzman explores the complexities of Solomon's legacy and the quest for Jewish origins in his book "The Origin of the Jews: The Quest for Roots in a ...

The kibbutz, once viewed as a successful utopian experiment in Israel, has undergone significant changes over the years, with many kibbutzim privatizing and ...

The text explores a newly discovered poem by Yehuda Amichai and reflects on his unique poetic style that intertwines scientific and poetic perspectives. It r...

Romain Gary, a Lithuanian Jew who considered himself a quintessential Frenchman, led a remarkable life filled with self-invention and multiple personas. From...

Joseph Roth, a talented yet troubled writer, is described as a mournful figure by Volker Weidermann in his book "Ostend." Roth, a prolific Austrian novelist ...

The Winter 2018 edition of "Letters" touches on various topics. Ben Rich discusses the use of the simile of seas and ink in the Quran and its potential origi...

Sara Hirschhorn's book, "City on a Hilltop: American Jews and the Israeli Settler Movement," provides a detailed history of American Jews' involvement in Isr...

The essay reflects on the author’s childhood discovery of Isaac Babel's works, which became the first Jewish language they could relate to, spurring thoughts...

The text delves into the significance of the Torah in Judaism, discussing its origins and relationship with physical objects like Torah scrolls. It highlight...

Arthur Szyk, a prominent Jewish artist, is recognized for his iconic illustrations in The Haggadah, a Passover favorite imbued with modern and ancient imager...

"Sons and Soldiers" by Bruce Henderson tells the stories of German-Jewish soldiers who escaped the Third Reich to become combat interrogators for the U.S. Ar...

"Eternal Life" by Dara Horn is a novel that imagines the story of Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai's mother, Rachel, who takes a vow at the Temple, granting her imm...

Ruby Namdar's novel "The Ruined House" won the Sapir Prize in 2014, the first time awarded to a non-Israeli resident. Published in English in 2017, the novel...

Abraham Socher's essay "Is Repentance Possible?" discusses the debate on morality between Aristotelian virtue ethics and the Judeo-Christian obedience to law...

Joseph Sss Oppenheimer, a court Jew in 18th-century Germany, faced a tumultuous rise and fall that culminated in a trial and execution in 1737-1738. Yair Min...

Diana Trilling, a prominent 20th-century writer and intellectual married to renowned critic Lionel Trilling, is the subject of Natalie Robins' biography "The...

The discussion delves into the late Hebrew poet Lea Goldberg's work, focusing on her later poems as a departure from traditional forms and a reflection of he...

Emil Fackenheim, a renowned Jewish thinker known for his assertion about the 614th commandment after the Holocaust, was a philosopher and Rabbi who experienc...

The article discusses the parallels between Shakespeare's play "King Lear" and the biblical story of the binding of Isaac. It explores how both stories revol...

In 1923, Rabbi Yehuda Meir Shapiro introduced the Daf Yomi program, encouraging daily study of a page of Talmud for seven and a half years. Ilana Kurshan's m...

Hans Kohn, a prominent figure in Zionism and nationalism studies, led a remarkable life from pre-World War I Prague to Cold War America. His journey encompas...

In "Leaving the Jewish Fold: Conversion and Radical Assimilation in Modern Jewish History" by Todd Endelman, the discussion revolves around figures like Card...

In the 11th century, a Jewish man from Afghanistan named Yair faced personal and financial struggles, seeking advice from his family's patriarch and brother-...

The article discusses the complex relationship between the Lowell family, Harvard University, and the Jewish community. It delves into the conflicting views ...

The Fall 2017 issue of Letters covers various topics related to Jewish identity and education. It discusses the origins of the trope equating Israelis with N...

Recent novels by prominent Jewish American writers such as Jonathan Safran Foer, Joshua Cohen, Nathan Englander, and Nicole Krauss have prominently featured ...

Heinrich Heine's prophetic statement, "Where they have burned books, they will end up burning people," is now engraved on the Bibliotek memorial in Berlin, c...

Bruno Chaouat's book, "Is Theory Good for the Jews?" critically examines how postmodern theorists in Europe and America have often failed to effectively addr...

Micah Goodman's book "Catch 67: The Ideas Behind the Controversy Tearing Israel Apart" delves into the complexities surrounding Israel's control of territori...

During the Bar Kokhba Revolt, a Jewish woman named Babatha fled Ein Gedi but perished, leaving behind a satchel containing various legal documents. These doc...

The text explores the concept of repentance and moral conflict through a discussion of Aristotle's ideas on akrasia (weakness of the will) and Alasdair MacIn...

"The Patriots" by Sana Krasikov is a novel that follows the life of Florence Fein, an American Jew who moves to the USSR seeking a just society but ends up d...

Jacob Taubes and Arthur A. Cohen, both with deep connections to Jewish scholarship and thought, engaged in a heated exchange in 1977 in Paris regarding Simon...

Scholarly works by Yair Furstenberg, Mira Balberg, and Stuart S. Miller delve into the intricate topic of purity in ancient Jewish communities. Ritual purity...

"Oslo" is a play by J. T. Rogers that delves into the negotiations leading to the first Oslo Accord signed by Israel and the Palestinians in 1993. The play, ...

In "Great Jews in Robes," David Dalin explores the rise of Jews to prominent positions in American law, particularly focusing on Jewish Supreme Court Justice...

The text discusses the issue of disrespect and inappropriate behavior at sensitive locations such as Holocaust memorials and concentration camps, particularl...

Ernst Kantorowicz, a prominent medieval historian, is brought to life in Robert E. Lerner's biography, detailing his fascinating life. Kantorowicz's wealthy ...

The text delves into the importance of texts both inside and outside the Bible in understanding Jewish tradition. Scholars have uncovered a wealth of ancient...

Rabbi Joseph Rozin, known as the Rogochover, was a renowned 20th-century talmudic genius known for his unconventional and highly original legal thinking. His...

In "Undeclared Wars with Israel: East Germany and the West German Far Left 1967–1989," the author Jeffrey Herf explores how both East Germany and the West Ge...