Sapir
Can College Cultivate Habits of a Free Mind?
1 Aug 2022
The article explores the different experiences that two hypothetical twin daughters, Adi and Sophie, have in college and how it shapes their thinking and ide...
1 Aug 2022
Sapir
What Makes a Day School Great
1 Aug 2022
Jewish day schools have seen an increase in enrollment despite the challenges posed by the pandemic. There are approximately 400,000 children enrolled in Jew...
1 Aug 2022
Sapir
Saul Bellow: ‘Something to Remember Me By’
1 Aug 2022
Saul Bellow's story "Something to Remember Me By" is a fictional account that draws inspiration from his own life. The story, framed as an ethical will, foll...
1 Aug 2022
Sapir
The Merit of Meritocracy
1 Aug 2022
The article discusses the current debate surrounding meritocracy in American society. It highlights how the value of merit is being challenged by a broader s...
1 Aug 2022
Sapir
The Ambivalent Jewish View of Meritocracy
1 Aug 2022
The Jewish view of meritocracy is complex and differs from the modern definition. In the biblical and rabbinic conceptualizations of meritocracy, individuals...
1 Aug 2022
Sapir
Jewish Education: Why We Should Care
1 Aug 2022
In a conversation about Jewish education, three professionals discuss its importance and purpose. They highlight the need for Jewish education to encompass u...
1 Aug 2022
Sapir
Breaking Out of the Certainty Trap
1 Aug 2022
The author discusses the lack of open discourse and the failure to foster constructive engagement on college campuses. They highlight survey results showing ...
1 Aug 2022
Sapir
Postcard from Wartime Ukraine
1 Aug 2022
The Menorah Center in Dnipro is an opulent Jewish Community Center funded by Jewish oligarchs to demonstrate the viability of Ukrainian Jewry. Despite the on...
1 Aug 2022
Sapir
The Trouble with Reading Hebrew
1 Aug 2022
The author explores the problem of Hebrew reading proficiency among bar and bat mitzvah students in non-Orthodox Jewish settings. They highlight the lack of ...
1 Aug 2022
Sapir
The Rise and Fall of Jews at Law Schools
1 Aug 2022
The article discusses the changing climate for Jewish students in law schools. It highlights the historical discrimination faced by Jewish students, who were...
1 Aug 2022
Sapir
Israel Studies Has an Israel Problem
1 Aug 2022
Israel Studies and Jewish Studies programs within academia are facing a problem of bias and hostility towards Israel. During the conflict between Israel and ...
1 Aug 2022
Sapir
Publisher's Note
1 Aug 2022
This text discusses the importance of education in Jewish life and the concern that Jewish education is in decline. The author mentions that historically, Je...
1 Aug 2022
Sapir
The Limits of Meritocracy
1 Aug 2022
In his book "The Tyranny of Merit: What's Become of the Common Good?", Michael J. Sandel argues against the moral foundations of contemporary meritocracy. He...
1 Aug 2022
Sapir
Israel 2072
1 May 2022
The article discusses the potential future of Israel in 50 years. Three visions are presented: a thriving Israel at peace with its neighbors, a stagnant Isra...
1 May 2022
Sapir
Amnesty International’s Israel Problem — and Mine
1 May 2022
Amnesty International recently released a report referring to Israel as an apartheid state, causing controversy and debate. While the occupation is seen as b...
1 May 2022
Sapir
What Britain Can Learn from Israel
1 May 2022
The article argues that Britain can learn several important lessons from Israel. Firstly, Israel has maintained its independence and self-reliance in its for...
1 May 2022
Sapir
Israel and the Empathy Deficit
1 May 2022
In this article, the author reflects on the difficulty of discussing Israel and suggests three suggestions for improving dialogue and empathy. They highlight...
1 May 2022
Sapir
Zionism Will Survive the Legacy Media
1 May 2022
The article discusses the growing influence of moral clarity and social justice activism within American journalism and how it has impacted coverage of the I...
1 May 2022
Sapir
Reclaiming the Z-word
1 May 2022
In this article, the author addresses the issue of Jewish anti-Zionists and explores how Jewish communities should engage with them. The author acknowledges ...
1 May 2022
Sapir
Postcard from Canvey Island
1 May 2022
Canvey Island, a seaside town in England, has become the new frontier for the Haredi Jewish community. A group of ultra-Orthodox families, looking to escape ...
1 May 2022
Sapir
Zionism and the Necessity of Choice
1 May 2022
This text explores themes of Jewish identity, Zionism, and the challenges faced by Jews throughout history. It criticizes the Reform movement for straying fr...
1 May 2022
Sapir
Editor’s Note
1 May 2022
In this editorial, the author discusses the importance of free speech and intellectual diversity in Jewish communal conversations. They argue that there is a...
1 May 2022
Sapir
Saving Israel for Democrats
1 May 2022
The Democratic Party's support for Israel has weakened over the years, with progressives increasingly viewing Israel as the oppressor and denying Palestinian...
1 May 2022
Sapir
Israel, America, and the Herzl Paradox
1 May 2022
Israel is facing challenges as it reevaluates its position in world affairs amid Russian military actions and America's disengagement from the Middle East. I...
1 May 2022
Sapir
Zionism Remains a Freedom Struggle
1 May 2022
The author discusses how Israel is often overlooked as a decolonized nation born out of the same messy process as other postcolonial states. While Israel has...
1 May 2022
Sapir
Judaism and Zionism Are Inseparable
1 May 2022
The text argues that Judaism and Zionism are inseparable, rooted in the biblical narrative of God's promise of a land to Abraham and his descendants. It emph...
1 May 2022
Sapir
An Iron Dome for Social Media
1 May 2022
The article discusses the negative portrayal of Israel and Zionism on social media during the May 2021 conflict between Israel and Hamas. It highlights how m...
1 May 2022
Sapir
Flipping the Script on Intersectionality
1 May 2022
Intersectionality, originally a theory for understanding how different forms of oppression can intersect, has been distorted on college campuses into an ideo...
1 May 2022
Sapir
Haim Hazaz: ‘The Sermon’ (HaDrasha)
1 May 2022
"The Sermon" (HaDrasha) by Haim Hazaz is a little-known Zionist and modern Hebrew literature, published in 1942 during a desperate time for the Jewish people...
1 May 2022
Sapir
Can the Academy Be Saved from Anti-Zionism?
1 May 2022
This essay discusses the crisis of anti-Zionism in American universities, particularly elite institutions. It argues that universities, which are supposed to...
1 May 2022
Sapir
Dear Paul, I’m a Zionist
1 May 2022
This article is a response to Paul O'Brien, the executive director of Amnesty International USA, who stated that American Jews don't want Israel to be a Jewi...
1 May 2022
Sapir
Zionism’s Next Great Task
1 Feb 2022
The author discusses the achievements of Israel in fulfilling the vision of David Ben-Gurion, the first Prime Minister of Israel, which includes the ingather...
1 Feb 2022
Sapir
The Media are Broken. Here’s What Could Be Next
1 Feb 2022
The article asserts that the current general-interest media landscape is irreparable, and that major outlets like The New York Times do not care about the co...
1 Feb 2022
Sapir
Make Zionism Sexy Again
1 Feb 2022
The article discusses the need to rebrand and revitalize Zionism for the younger generation in order to combat rising anti-Israel sentiment and antisemitism....
1 Feb 2022
Sapir
Visionary Leadership for a Jewish Future
1 Feb 2022
The article highlights the importance of visionary leadership in Judaism. It references great Jewish leaders like Moses, Esther, and Herzl who had a clear mi...
1 Feb 2022
Sapir
A Vanguard of Rabbinic Unicorns
1 Feb 2022
The structure of Jewish communal life is creating barriers for rabbis to become visionary leaders, hindering their ability to address moral challenges and op...
1 Feb 2022
Sapir
What Will Stop the Islamic Republic of Iran
1 Feb 2022
This article discusses the possibility of the Islamic Republic of Iran experiencing collapse or regime change by the year 2030. The author explores scenarios...
1 Feb 2022
Sapir
Surfing the Tsunami: Demography and Education in Israel
1 Feb 2022
This article discusses the importance of education in Israel and argues that the country's focus on education has declined over the years, leading to negativ...
1 Feb 2022
Sapir
Enchantment and the Black-Jewish Divide
1 Jan 2022
The author reflects on their dual identity as both black and Jewish and the complex relationship between the two communities. They highlight the contribution...
1 Jan 2022
Sapir
The Case for Secular American Yeshivas
1 Jan 2022
The author argues that the American educational system is failing students by not teaching them how to read deeply and engage with texts. They suggest that m...
1 Jan 2022
Sapir
Can a Year in Israel Transform Your Teen?
1 Jan 2022
The article proposes the idea of a "Prep Year in Israel" program for American Jewish high school graduates, similar to the gap year programs in Israel for Or...
1 Jan 2022
Sapir
Invest in Philanthropy
1 Jan 2022
The article discusses the need for a moonshot in Jewish philanthropy, aiming for universal Jewish giving. It highlights that giving is incumbent on all Jews,...
1 Jan 2022
Sapir
Dreams for Living Jews
1 Jan 2022
The article discusses the revival of the Wampanoag language by drawing a parallel to the revival of Hebrew. The author recalls attending a conference where r...
1 Jan 2022
Sapir
Israel Wins the War of Ideas
1 Jan 2022
The author argues that Israel's usual defenders are trying to win over the wrong kinds of people with the wrong kinds of arguments in the wrong kinds of plac...
1 Jan 2022
Sapir
Jewish Study for Non-Jewish Clergy
1 Jan 2022
The article proposes a program called the Jethro Project, which aims to provide non-Jewish clergy with the opportunity to engage in focused Jewish study. The...
1 Jan 2022
Sapir
Publisher’s Note
1 Jan 2022
In this publisher's note, the author reflects on the mission and goals of Sapir, a publication focused on Jewish communal leaders and the future of the Jewis...
1 Jan 2022
Sapir
Universal Jewish Literacy
1 Jan 2022
The author argues for the need to achieve universal basic Jewish literacy among North American Jews within 20 years, in order to address the current Jewish i...
1 Jan 2022
Sapir
Invest in Democracy
1 Jan 2022
The article discusses the challenges facing the Jewish people, such as the impact of the Enlightenment, the struggles of assimilation, the rise of nationalis...
1 Jan 2022
Sapir
Muslim-Jewish Reconciliation
1 Jan 2022
The article discusses the need for Muslim-Jewish reconciliation and the challenges in achieving this. It highlights the success of the Christian-Jewish dialo...
1 Jan 2022
Sapir
Summing Up
1 Nov 2021
The main points of this text can be summarized as follows: The threats to Jewish continuity include assimilation, antisemitism, intermarriage, apathy, and ig...
1 Nov 2021