JL;DR

The Jewish Museum in New York is currently hosting an exhibition called "The Sassoons," which explores the lives and legacy of the Sassoon family, a wealthy ...

This text is a discussion of Norman Mailer's life and career, focusing on his mayoral campaign and his transformation from a nice Jewish boy from Brooklyn to...

Maya Arad's novel "Shanim tovot" is a collection of annual Jewish New Years letters written by Leah Zuckerman over five decades, chronicling her life in Amer...

This article discusses the role of Jews in the American Revolution and the subsequent granting of political equality to Jews in the United States. It highlig...

Ilana Pardes' book, "Ruth: A Migrant's Tale," explores the biblical story of Ruth and its various interpretations throughout history. The book tells the stor...

In "Walking Upright" by Daniel Gordis, the author explores the successes and failures of Zionism and the State of Israel in relation to the aspirations of Is...

This photo essay by Agnieszka Traczewska documents the presence and revival of Hasidic Jewish life in Poland. Traczewska, a non-Jewish Polish photographer, h...

In this article, the author recounts their experience of attempting to walk around the Dead Sea, starting from the Jordanian side and intending to finish on ...

The letters in this issue touch on various topics related to Jewish concerns. In response to Hillel Halkin's assertion that Israel is sleepwalking towards a ...

"Coming of Age in the Sephardi Diaspora" explores the scarcity of Sephardi coming-of-age stories compared to Ashkenazi literature and highlights some notable...

In "Bookstore or Beis Medresh," the author reflects on the value of browsing in bookstores and the unique experience they offer. The author shares personal a...

In "Rub Salt into Love," Israeli poet Almog Behar explores the intertwining of Hebrew and Arabic in his family history and writing. The collection reflects h...

This article discusses the complex relationship between Sigmund Freud and his Jewish identity. Freud himself did not want to be seen as a Jewish thinker, as ...

"Satmar, American-Style" discusses two books that challenge common perceptions of the Satmar Hasidic community in Brooklyn. "A Fortress in Brooklyn" argues t...

As Israel approaches its seventy-fifth birthday, the traditional celebrations and nostalgic commemorations will focus mainly on local actors and events. Howe...

The author discusses the significance of Israel's Declaration of Independence in contemporary Israeli society. The Declaration is often displayed on banners ...

The diaries of Franz Kafka, translated by Ross Benjamin, provide insight into Kafka's life and writing process. Kafka's close friend and literary executor, M...

In Peter Cole's book "Draw Me After," the poet explores the meaning of Jewishness in relation to art, specifically drawing. The book features nine drawings b...

J.H. Chajes' book, "The Kabbalistic Tree," reveals the existence of a genre of Jewish visualizations of God called ilanot, which are combinations of images a...

"When Canines Were in the Land" is a book edited by Susan Martha Kahn that tells the story of Rudolphina Menzel, a scientist and Zionist who played a signifi...

In the 1520s, a black man named David Reubeni appeared in North Africa claiming to be the son of King Solomon and the brother of King Joseph, who ruled a Jew...

The author explores the significance of the storytelling aspect of the Passover Seder and its role in the creation of the Jewish nation. The Exodus story, as...

The practice of reading the Song of Songs on Shabbat Chol Hamoed, the Sabbath during the intermediate days of Passover, is unique to Ashkenazi synagogues. Th...

The article is an exchange between Allan Arkush and Eric Alterman regarding Alterman's book, "We Are Not One: A History of America's Fight Over Israel." Arku...

This text is a response to Eric Alterman's book "We Are Not One" by an unnamed author. The responder criticizes Alterman's approach to history, arguing that ...

In this article, the author criticizes a review of his book by Allan Arkush, a chief at the pro-Israel thought police. He argues that Arkush's attack is inep...

The Jewish Review of Books has compiled three humorous reviews for Purim. The first review rates various famous "Brooks," including Mel Brooks and Brooks Bro...

Koren Publishers has released a graphic novel adaptation of the Book of Esther, called "The Koren Tanakh Graphic Novel Esther." The novel is aimed at a young...

The article is a response to critics of the author's previous article, in which he expressed pessimism about the future of Israel. The author clarifies that ...

In this response to Hillel Halkin's concerns about the recent Israeli elections and their consequences, the author disagrees with Halkin's deep pessimism. Th...

The author argues that despite disagreements, democracy is still thriving in Israel and the voters who supported the current government had various reasons f...

The author reflects on their disappointment and fear after losing Israeli elections and discusses various ways they have tried to manage it, including visiti...

The author begins by agreeing with Hillel Halkin's portrayal of the current cultural and political situation in Israel, which is marked by despair and uncert...

The article discusses how Kyrie Irving, the Brooklyn Nets point guard, has faced criticism for his endorsement of a conspiracy theory that claims present-day...

The article discusses the response of the Yiddish literary elite to Isaac Bashevis Singer's Nobel Prize win in 1978 and explores the lesser-known Yiddish wri...

George Lichtheim, a Jewish German immigrant to Jerusalem during World War II, was a writer and journalist who gained knowledge from his weekly meetings with ...

Mordecai Kaplan, a prominent figure in modern American Judaism, kept a journal from 1913 to 1981, offering insights into his evolving views and the challenge...

In "Like a Son of Man" by Israel Knohl, the author explores the nature of the messianic figure in Judaism and Christianity. He argues that the conflict betwe...

"Brotherhood" by Karma Ben-Johanan explores the transformation of the Oberammergau Passion Play, a historically antisemitic play, into a symbol of Jewish-Chr...

In the Winter 2023 issue of the Jewish Review of Books, editor Abraham Socher discusses an essay by Hillel Halkin that challenges the idea of Jews as the cho...

"Tradition and Imagination" discusses Johanna Kaplan's recently reissued story collection, emphasizing her scrupulously attentive portraits of postwar Americ...

In his book "Fragile Finitude: A Jewish Hermeneutical Theology," Michael Fishbane explores the interaction between life and tradition and argues that interpr...

"The Yeshiva and the Rise of Modern Hebrew Literature" by Marina Zilbergerts examines the relationship between traditional Jewish learning in yeshivas and th...

Eric Alterman's book, "We Are Not One," critiques American Jewish support for Israel and the Zionist project. Alterman argues that American Zionists prioriti...

Benny Morris's book, "Sidney Reilly: Master Spy," explores the life of Sidney Reilly, a renowned spy with a mysterious background. Reilly, originally born as...

Matthias B. Lehmann’s book, "The (Railroad) Baron," examines the life and legacy of Baron Maurice de Hirsch, a prominent figure in Jewish history during the ...

In this response to Hillel Halkin, the author challenges Halkin's criticism of right-wing Zionist parties and the ultra-Orthodox community in Israel. The aut...

The article discusses the author's disagreement with the focus on demographics in Jewish writings, particularly in relation to Israel's survival. The author ...

This text discusses the views of David Ben-Gurion, the former prime minister of Israel, on the role of religion in the Jewish state. Ben-Gurion initially sid...

In this article, several thinkers respond to Hillel Halkin's essay about the new Israeli government. The responses varied in their perspectives. Emily Amrous...