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Am Yisrael Chai (Or, When a Movement Breaks Your Heart)
3 Sep
Shane Burley explores the complex interplay between Jewish identity, belonging, and tradition, contrasting it with conventional religious definitions. He arg...
3 Sep
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“A Fly Between Two Openings of the Heart”: The Hostage Murders and (not) Feeling the Pain
2 Sep
In this poignant reflection, Shaul Magid addresses the deep sorrow and numbness that accompany the loss of six young individuals, victims of a senseless act ...
2 Sep
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A Book Bound at Both Ends: The Enigmatic Life and Death of Dovid Din
1 Aug
Dovid Din, an enigmatic figure in postwar American kabbalism, died mysteriously in 1987 after teaching Lurianic Kabbalah and Hasidism to a small group of dis...
1 Aug
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Destruction Then, Destruction Now: Mourning the 17th of Tammuz in this Moment
23 Jul
Sam Brody reflects on the juxtaposition of mourning the ancient destruction of Jerusalem during the fast of 17 Tammuz with contemporary events, particularly ...
23 Jul
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Ask What the Text Wonders: A review of _Why Rain Comes from Above: Explorations in Religious Imagination_, by Devora Steinmetz
22 Jul
In "Why Rain Comes from Above: Explorations in Religious Imagination" by Devora Steinmetz, the author intertwines Biblical and Rabbinic texts to nurture read...
22 Jul
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The Knesset Votes for a “One-state [apartheid] Solution”
19 Jul
The Knesset recently voted overwhelmingly in favor of a resolution opposing the establishment of a Palestinian state, with only a few votes opposed, mainly f...
19 Jul
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Guns & Moses and The Myth of Redemptive Violence
25 Jun
The author recounts attending a screening of "Guns & Moses" at the Jewish Film Festival, where the film is marketed as a response to antisemitism, but in rea...
25 Jun
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Revelation and Forgetting: Moshe, Mediation, and the Beginning and End of Torah
6 Jun
The text explores the contrast between the absence of Moshe in the Passover Haggadah and his central role on Shavuot in mediating the giving of the Torah. It...
6 Jun
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Where is the Torah?
6 Jun
The text discusses the significance of Mount Sinai as the location where God gave the Torah to the Israelites, emphasizing its choice as a public and ownerle...
6 Jun
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On Pluralism and the Difference Between Religious Identity and a State: A Response to Columbia’s Hillel Students
9 May
Students affiliated with Columbias Hillel responded to a protest movement on their campus, addressing slogans bordering on antisemitism and calling for respe...
9 May
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Saluting the Students Observing Mitzvot in Campus Encampments for Palestine: My Full Statement to the Chicago Tribune
6 May
The author commends Jewish students observing Shabbat and performing mitzvot at the United for Palestine encampment at the University of Chicago, clarifying ...
6 May
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The Desecration of a Gaza Memorial at Marquette University
23 Apr
The Marquette University chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine set up a memorial for the victims of the Gaza conflict on campus, which was later desec...
23 Apr
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Rest for Radicals: Shabbat HaGadol as General Strike
19 Apr
Raphael Magarik discusses the concept of Shabbat HaGadol as a form of general strike, inspired by Rabbi Joseph di Trani's interpretation. This idea suggests ...
19 Apr
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Let All Who Are Hungry Come and Eat
18 Apr
Rabbi Lara Haft Yom Tov reflects on the traditional Passover declaration "Let all who are hungry come and eat," emphasizing its call to feed the hungry. The ...
18 Apr
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What is liberation this year?
17 Apr
This article reflects on the concept of liberation in the Jewish community this year, particularly transitioning from Purim's themes of threats and instabili...
17 Apr
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“Together We Will”…Speak the Truth. Only Then Can We “Win.”
11 Apr
The text discusses the prevailing slogan in Israel during the military campaign, "Yachad nenatzeach," emphasizing unity and the need to win the war. It highl...
11 Apr
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Quiet – They’re Shooting: The Trouble with “Jewish Unity”
29 Mar
The article discusses the debate within the American Jewish community regarding the criticism of the Israeli government's actions in war, focusing on Senator...
29 Mar
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Purim: On Excess
22 Mar
In this insightful piece by Sara Klugman, Purim is explored in the context of current conflicts, particularly the situation in Gaza. Klugman highlights the d...
22 Mar
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Ahasuerus’s Clothes
22 Mar
The article explores the midrashic interpretation of King Ahasuerus wearing the Jewish priestly garments during his banquet in the Book of Esther. This act i...
22 Mar
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Discarding Haman’s Garb: Refusing the Roles of Empire
21 Mar
The essay "Discarding Haman's Garb: Refusing the Roles of Empire" discusses Purim through a critical lens, highlighting how Haman, representing the threat to...
21 Mar
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This Purim, Let’s Tell a New Jewish Story
21 Mar
In the article, Zev Mishell discusses the ongoing conflict in Gaza and criticizes liberal Zionist leaders for justifying the violence and destruction there. ...
21 Mar
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President Biden Is Letting Gaza Bleed While Perpetuating an Antisemitic Trope. And, Yes, I Will Vote For Him To Stop Trump
20 Mar
Rabbi Robin Podolsky criticizes President Biden for not taking decisive action to stop the suffering in Gaza, arguing that he has the power to do so by press...
20 Mar
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The Day After for the American Jewish Community
13 Mar
The article discusses the challenges facing the American Jewish community in the aftermath of the conflict in Gaza. It highlights the response of various Jew...
13 Mar
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Zionism’s Jewish Nostalgia Trap: A Rebuttal of Franklin Foer
12 Mar
The article challenges Franklin Foer's assertion in The Atlantic that the Golden Age of American Jews is ending due to a supposed rise in antisemitism and cr...
12 Mar
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The Rabbi Calling for Total Annihilation of Gazans is One of Us: How Do We Take Responsibility?
8 Mar
Dr. Elana Sztokman highlights Rabbi Eliyahu Mali's call for the annihilation of all people in Gaza, including babies, and the lack of action to address or co...
8 Mar
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A note on the massacre at the end of the Megillah
6 Mar
In a discussion about the ending of the book of Esther, the focus is on the distinction between self-defense and massacre in the text. While Esther 9:16 desc...
6 Mar
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Interview with Tova Hopemark, Director of “ALRIGHT ROBOT”
6 Mar
Tova Hopemark, the director of the award-winning film "ALRIGHT ROBOT," discusses her inspiration for the comedy about depression featuring a lonely Jewish mi...
6 Mar
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You See Me: A Poem, by Gen Xia Ye Slosberg
5 Mar
Gen Xia Ye Slosberg's poem "You See Me" explores the dehumanizing stereotypes faced by Asians, Latinx, and Black individuals in a white supremacist society a...
5 Mar
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Was Moshe’s Violence in Egypt Justified? On War, Violence, and Freedom
21 Feb
Aaron Samuel Tamares, a lesser-known Jewish thinker, explored themes of pacifism and violence in his essay "Herut" (Liberation), focusing on the biblical sto...
21 Feb
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Ancestors, Here: Two Gaza Actions at the Oakland, CA Federal Building
19 Feb
The text discusses the author's participation in two actions at the Oakland Federal Building calling for an Israel-Gaza ceasefire, reflecting on Jewish ident...
19 Feb
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A “Moral War” in Gaza Has Always Been a Fantasy
8 Feb
This article criticizes the notion of a "moral war" in the context of Israel's military actions in Gaza. The author argues that Israel's previous actions, su...
8 Feb
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Brief Thoughts on Religion and Politics: on Humility and Arrogance
6 Feb
In this thought-provoking piece, the author reflects on the disparity between the language of Jewish prayer and the attitudes of the Jewish people. The suppl...
6 Feb
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War Anywhere is a Local Crisis
21 Dec 2023
In observance of Asarah b'Tevet, a minor fast day, Jews commemorate the beginning of the Babylonian siege on Jerusalem and the subsequent destruction of the ...
21 Dec 2023
17 Dec 2023
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“We Do Not Immortalize a Catastrophe”: On Chanukah, Violence, and History
14 Dec 2023
In this essay, Rabbi Aron Wander explores the historical and moral implications of the Hanukkah story. He discusses the perspective of Rabbi Avraham Chein, w...
14 Dec 2023
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Exile in the Land
14 Dec 2023
In this essay by Maya Rosen, it is explored what it means to be in exile from a Jewish perspective. The midrash in Breishit Rabbah connects different moments...
14 Dec 2023
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“Many do not know / That their enemy is marching at their head”: Thoughts on the Maccabees and Assimilation
12 Dec 2023
The article discusses the idea that the story of Hanukkah and the Maccabees is often seen as a fight against assimilation, but a closer reading of the book o...
12 Dec 2023
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Do Not Walk In Their Ways
11 Dec 2023
This article explores the meaning of certain passages in the Torah that command Jews not to follow the ways of non-Jews in the land of Canaan. The author con...
11 Dec 2023
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Renewing Our Faith that the Few Can Win Over the Many
8 Dec 2023
In this essay, Rabbi Arik Ascherman reflects on the current state of Israel and the challenges faced by those who oppose the occupation and advocate for just...
8 Dec 2023
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Hannukah is the Holiday of Dispute
7 Dec 2023
The author reflects on the multiple perspectives and contradictions surrounding the holiday of Hanukkah. They note that the two books of Maccabees, written i...
7 Dec 2023
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Loving and Organizing Your Family and Friends This Thanksgiving
21 Nov 2023
This article offers strategies for navigating conversations about the Israel/Palestine conflict with family and friends during Thanksgiving. It emphasizes th...
21 Nov 2023
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The Season of Nuance
17 Nov 2023
The author emphasizes the importance of understanding different viewpoints while still rejecting actions such as the recent kidnappings. They reference the T...
17 Nov 2023
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Jerusalem Was Destroyed Because People Loved Money and Hated People
26 Jul 2023
According to the Rabbinic source, Tosefta Menachot 13:22, the reason Jerusalem was destroyed the second time is attributed to the combination of love of mone...
26 Jul 2023
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Visiting Israel? Visit Palestine, too.
6 Jul 2023
The author reflects on their experience visiting Israel and Palestine as an American Jew. They express their struggle to reconcile their Jewish values of lov...
6 Jul 2023
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A Pathway to JEDI work for Jewish Institutions and Communities: Reflections from a Jewish DEI consultant and a Rabbinic student activist
27 Jun 2023
This article discusses the launch of the first-ever Jewish justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) certificate program at the University of San Fran...
27 Jun 2023
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The Sacred Joy of Solidarity: A Meditation on an Act of Civil Disobedience
26 Jun 2023
This article reflects on an act of civil disobedience in the context of a labor dispute in Los Angeles. The author draws a parallel between this protest and ...
26 Jun 2023
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“Ordered in Your Limbs:” Halacha and Queer Women’s Sexuality
19 Jun 2023
Rav Jeff Fox's teshuva on queer women's sexuality is an important contribution to the world of Torah, as it challenges the default stance of condemnation and...
19 Jun 2023
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A Dream of Flight: Fleeing the Onslaught/Never Again
3 May 2023
The author recalls a dream they had about leaving their country for good due to the danger faced by teachers. They connect this dream to the Jewish history o...
3 May 2023
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Why the Erev Rav Were Essential for the Successful Exodus from Egypt
3 Apr 2023
The article explores the role of the erev rav (mixed multitude) in the Exodus story and argues that they were essential for the Israelites to succeed and mer...
3 Apr 2023
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The Seder of an Alternative Future
2 Apr 2023
This article explores the concept of different categories in Judaism, such as man, woman, Jew, non-Jew, slave, poor person, and rich person. The author quest...
2 Apr 2023