JL;DR

Yitz Landes explores Jodi Magness's latest scholarly work on ancient synagogues in the Galilee, focusing on the intellectual and ideological evolution of syn...

Ilana Kurshan's memoir, "Children of the Book: A Memoir of Reading Together," offers a unique look into family life through the lens of reading. Kurshan, an ...

Olga Litvak reviews "The Woman Question in Jewish Studies" by Susannah Heschel and Sarah Imhoff, which explores systemic gender issues within Jewish studies....

The new translation of Chaim Grade's novel "Sons and Daughters" by Rose Waldman offers a vivid exploration of a rabbinical family in a shtetl facing dissolut...

Deborah E. Lipstadt reflects on the influence of the Soviet Jewry movement, which mobilized American Jewish activists to aid in freeing Soviet Jews during th...

In a world reeling from the events of October 7, rabbis have been thrust into the spotlight as spiritual guides navigating uncharted waters. Two recent works...

The 2013 exhibition at The Israel Museum in Jerusalem on "Herod the Great: The King's Final Journey" offered a nuanced exploration of the historical figure o...

Eli Sharabi's memoir, "Hostage," offers a gripping account of his 491-day captivity by Hamas in Gaza following the attacks on Kibbutz Beeri in October 2023. ...

Jerusalem Holiday, a book by Sharon Ann Musher, delves into the life of Hadassah Kaplan, the daughter of renowned Jewish leader Mordecai Kaplan, during her s...

Roman Polanski's film "An Officer and a Spy" dramatizes the infamous Dreyfus Affair, focusing on the antisemitic army intelligence officer Major Georges Picq...

"Eminent Jews" by David Denby profiles four significant figures—Mel Brooks, Betty Friedan, Norman Mailer, and Leonard Bernstein—who have significantly impact...

David G. Roskies explores the character of Tevye the Dairyman, as created by Sholem Aleichem, focusing on Tevye's unique approach to prayer or 'davening.' Te...

The summer 2025 letters section of the Jewish Review of Books features eclectic reader responses, including insights into Jewish themes in literature and phi...

Dan Rabinowitz delves into an unexpected discovery in the archives of the Martynas Mavydas National Library of Lithuania, uncovering library ledgers from the...

Matti Friedman responds to Asaf Hazani's cultural anthropological perspective on the Gaza War, which he finds insightful yet lacking in scientific rigor and ...

Asaf Hazani's response to Matti Friedman's review of his book "Anthropology at War: Iron Swords, Field Notes" delves into the anthropological analysis of the...

Asaf Hazani's response to Matti Friedman's critique of his book, 'Anthropology at War: Iron Swords, Field Notes,' defends his anthropological approach to und...

Elliott Abrams, in his latest book "If You Will It: Rebuilding Jewish Peoplehood for the 21st Century," critiques the current strategies for Jewish continuit...

Elliott Abrams, in his recent book "If You Will It: Rebuilding Jewish Peoplehood for the 21st Century," addresses the pressing issue of Jewish continuity in ...

The recently published collection of letters from Paul Celan to his wife, Gisèle Celan-Lestrange, and his son, Eric, illuminates the poet’s struggle to balan...

Amidst the tense ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, hundreds of Hasidic Jews gathered at the grave of Rav Ashi on Mount Shinan, a site symbolically sign...

Orit Rozin's book, "Emotions of Conflict," explores the emotional experiences of Israel's first generation of citizens, highlighting how the government and k...

Orit Rozin's book, translated by Haim Watzman, explores the emotional states and management of Israeli citizens during the country's early years, particularl...

Jeremy Dauber examines the Jewish roots and broad cultural influence of MAD magazine through a collection of essays edited by David Mikics. Initially launche...

Melting Point, written by British Rachel Cockerell, presents a layered family history that delves into the randomness of Jewish existence in the 20th century...

Scott D. Seligman's book delves into the dramatic events surrounding the 1902 funeral of New York City's Chief Rabbi Jacob Joseph, the East Side's response t...

"Haunted Heritage" explores the unique place of Jewish country houses within British and European heritage, tracing their complex history through a lavishly ...

Stuart Nadler's novel "Rooms for Vanishing" intricately explores the impact of the Holocaust through the lens of a fragmented Viennese family, scattered acro...

Kenneth Turan's book, "Louis B. Mayer and Irving Thalberg: The Whole Equation," delves into the complex partnership between two legendary figures of Hollywoo...

Arnold Eisen, former chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary, offers a candid exploration of faith and theology in his new book, catering to nonacademi...

In an insightful interview, Abraham Socher engages with renowned author Cynthia Ozick to explore her prolific writing career and her new collection, "In a Ye...

Stuart Halpern explores the complex concept of 'return' in the Book of Ruth, focusing on the word "shuv," which typically implies a return to a previous plac...

The Australian Jewish community, historically one of the most secure outside of Israel, is facing unprecedented levels of antisemitism following the October ...

Delmore Schwartz, a literary prodigy immortalized as Von Humboldt Fleisher in Saul Bellow's "Humboldt's Gift," is remembered more for his tragic life and pot...

In "Seder Maziqin: Law and Magic in Late Antique Jewish Society," Avigail Manekin-Bamberger explores the interplay between magic and rabbinic law in Babyloni...

David J. Halperin's book, "Intimate Alien: The Hidden Story of the UFO," investigates the enduring American fascination with UFOs through the lenses of relig...

Yehoshua November's latest poetry collection, "The Concealment of Endless Light," straddles the boundaries between the kabbalistic and the everyday. Despite ...

Norman Manea, a prominent Romanian author from the historic Jewish community of Bukovina, navigates themes of memory, identity, and survival in his literary ...

Allan Arkush reviews Richard Kreitner's book "Fear No Pharaoh," which examines the complex and often uncomfortable role American Jews had in the institution ...

A two-part letter section on Polish-Jewish historical relations and American Revolutionary history illustrates complex themes. Michael Schwartz corrects an e...

Exploring the origins of the beloved Passover Seder songs "Echad Mi Yodea" and "Chad Gadya," Yosef Lindell delves into their historical roots, which potentia...

"The Brutalist," a film by Brady Corbet, dives into the immigrant experience in post-World War II America through the lens of Hungarian Jewish architect Lász...

Yenta Serdatsky's short story "The Shopkeeper on East Broadway" explores the Jewish immigrant experience in New York City through the lens of an idealistic s...

Shulamit Reinharz's memoir, "My Father's Resistance," uncovers the hidden life and untold acts of resistance by her father, Rabbi Max Rothschild, primarily d...

Mira Balberg explores the complex dynamics between adult children and their aging parents through a personal lens, juxtaposing a self-help book she found wit...

Irving Greenberg explores the often-overlooked Jewish doctrine of resurrection of the dead, contrasting it with more commonly discussed concepts like the wor...

"In Dissent," authored by Benjamin Nathans, delves into the history and significance of the Soviet dissident movement, highlighting key figures and events. T...

Jeremy Dauber explores "One Little Goat," a graphic novel by Dara Horn and Theo Ellsworth, that offers a unique twist on the Passover Seder. The story intert...

Asaf Hazani's book, developed from his field notes as an IDF reserve colonel during the Gaza conflict following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, provides ...

The exhibition "The Book of Esther in the Age of Rembrandt" at the Jewish Museum offers a captivating exploration of Queen Esther's influence on 17th-century...