JL;DR

Akiva Schick reviews "Night Night Fawn" by Jordy Rosenberg, noting the novel's recurrent theme of Jewish mothers and their complex relationships with their s...

David Assaf's new book, "Ima yekara li (Mother, my dear mother)," delves into the fascinating history and cultural significance of songs centered around the ...

"Giant" at the Music Box Theater in Manhattan features John Lithgow as Roald Dahl, exploring the tension between the author's prolific imagination and his no...

Akiva Schick delves into the fascinating intersection of Klezmer and Jazz, spotlighting the enigmatic Joseph Cherniavsky and his Yiddish-American Jazz Band f...

Benjamin Balint explores how three German Jewish writers—Franz Kafka, Martin Buber, and Paul Celan—each engage with mountains as a metaphor for dialogue and ...

Shai Secunda explores the enduring poetic fascination with Jerusalem through a review of Rachel Tzvia Back's anthology "This Longing City: Modern Hebrew Poem...

Georg Morris Cohen Brandes, a notable Danish literary critic, unexpectedly intersects with Jewish history through his writings on the plight of Eastern Europ...

Abraham Socher critiques Random House's omission of specific terms like "Israel," "Gaza," "Hamas," and "Jew" from the book description of Rachel Goldberg-Pol...

Dara Horn's poignant exploration into Rachel Goldberg-Polin's memoir, "When We See You Again," draws a powerful parallel to the biblical matriarch Rachel, em...

Akiva Schick discusses the vibrant and complex depiction of Jewish life in Allegra Goodman's novel "This Is Not About Us," which reassures that Jewish litera...

Allan Arkush's article explores the legacy of Nathan Straus, a significant yet often overlooked Jewish philanthropist and Zionist from the early 20th century...

Benjamin Balint's article explores the historical and moral dichotomy of the Wannsee Conference villa, which once hosted Nazi officials planning the Final So...

Jesse Tisch explores the tensions and dynamics of the contemporary Jewish left at a conference in Boston, highlighting the generational and ideological divid...

In a detailed exchange, Rabbi Yitz Greenberg critiques Seth Winberg's review of Daniel Ross Goodman's book, "Soloveitchik's Children," arguing that Winberg u...

Rebecca Gratz, an influential 19th-century American Jewish woman, is often remembered through the lens of legend and philanthropy. Gratz, whose prominent por...

Rebecca Gratz, often hailed as the foremost American Jewish woman of the 19th century, was instrumental in shaping Jewish communal and philanthropic institut...

Jesse Tisch explores John Updike's engagement with Jewish identity and literature, primarily through his creation of the fictional character Henry Bech, a Je...

Roya Hakakian reflects on her father's role in leading family seders amidst the cultural chaos of their Iranian Jewish home during the years leading up to th...

Barnett Newman's complex relationship with his Jewish identity and his career as an artist are explored in Amy Newman's comprehensive biography, which situat...

Menahem Kahana, a leading scholar in classical rabbinic literature, passed away on December 10, 2025. A member of Kibbutz Yavne, Kahana thrived under the men...

Menahem Kahana, a leading scholar of classical rabbinic literature at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, made groundbreaking contributions to the study of h...

Dan Rabinowitz delves into the contentious reaction sparked by his research on the Strashun Library in Vilna, which drew criticism from the haredi community ...

Dan Rabinowitz explores the controversy sparked by Rabbi Michoel Sorotzkin's impassioned criticism of his report on the Brisker Rov's visit to the Strashun L...

Jenna Weissman Joselit provides a comprehensive and critical look at Mordecai Kaplan, the founder of Reconstructionist Judaism, in her new biography, "Kaplan...

Jenna Weissman Joselit delves into the life and legacy of Mordecai Kaplan, founder of Reconstructionism, in her new biography. Unlike previous works, Joselit...

Mark Mazower's book "On Antisemitism: A Word in History" explores the evolution of the term "antisemitism" and its uses from its inception in the late 19th c...

Mark Mazower's book, "On Antisemitism: A Word in History," examines the evolution of the term antisemitism, more so than the phenomenon itself, from its 19th...

Frances Wilson's biographical examination of Muriel Spark presents a complex portrait of the enigmatic writer, highlighting her contradictory spiritual ident...

Matti Friedman's new book explores the courageous yet ultimately tragic mission of Jewish parachutists, including Haviva Reick and Hannah Senesh, sent into N...

David Kraemer's book, Embracing Exile: The Case for Jewish Diaspora, explores the positive aspects of the Jewish diaspora throughout history. Kraemer argues ...

Steven Weitzman's book, "Disasters of Biblical Proportions: The Ten Plagues Then, Now, and at the End of the World," explores the varied interpretations and ...

William M. Schniedewind's book, 'Members of the Scribe,' delves into the fascinating world of ancient biblical scribes, challenging traditional notions of au...

Amos Oz's childhood fantasy of becoming a book highlights the fragility and miraculous survival of ancient texts, a theme explored in the Posen Library's com...

The article explores the constant disruptions faced by Israelis due to ongoing conflicts and socio-political developments. The ever-present threat of missile...

Shai Secunda reflects on the new reality of wartime family life in Israel, where escalating tensions with Iran, marked by missile threats and societal change...

Purim has long been celebrated with humor and parody, seen notably in the tradition of creating Purim Torah—a genre of satirical biblical and talmudic interp...

The discussion dives into Mordechai's strategic use of rhetoric in the Book of Esther, specifically highlighting his enigmatic statement about Esther's "fath...

Celebrating Purim after the Holocaust poses a profound challenge to some in the Jewish community, as articulated by philosopher Aviezer Ravitzky. The article...

Reexamining the Book of Esther reveals compelling parallels to the plight of agunot—Jewish women chained to unhappy marriages, unable to divorce due to their...

Daniel B. Schwartz reflects on the persistent allure of "Fiddler on the Roof," a musical that blends Jewish and American cultural elements to retell Sholem A...

Jenna Weissman Joselit explores the Jewish contributions to the American toy industry through Ydessa Hendeles' art installation and Michael Kimmel's book, "P...

"The Golden Peacocks Gift" explores the symbolic significance of the golden peacock in Yiddish folklore and its reinterpretation in Benny Mer's children's bo...

Shai Secunda draws an intriguing parallel between Thomas Mann's novel "The Magic Mountain" and the Babylonian Talmud, highlighting their mutual exploration o...

Jenna Weissman Joselit explores the allure of Manhattan's Lower East Side walking tours, which evoke the history of Jewish immigrants through tangible herita...

At a wedding in Massachusetts, Allan Arkush encountered Gloria Ascher, an academic who recently published a fascinating translation of her uncle's World War ...

The new Hebrew biography by Zvi Yekutiel explores the multifaceted life of Zalman Shazar, Israel's third president, who lived as a unique blend of secular an...

Leah Sarna's exploration of the biblical midwives Shifra and Puah sheds light on the often-overlooked decision-making authority historically granted to Jewis...

Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik's influence on modern Orthodox Judaism is undeniable, yet his intellectual legacy, particularly his approach of integrating Tora...

The article explores the rich history of Bukovina, a culturally diverse region in Eastern Europe, mainly during the late Habsburg rule and its transition int...

Exploring the convergence of Jewish faith and body image activism, Minna Bromberg's 'Every Body Beloved' challenges the Jewish community to recognize and dis...