Editor’s note: With life in Russia increasingly under the gun, and with its Jews again in the crosshairs, we revisit this column from 2013. How ironic that a published history of the … more

It is not unusual for a book’s title to include a year. 1776 and 1912 are among my favorites. They resonate deep meaning and so does the year 1492. “1492,” subtitled … more

Perhaps the two most popular literary works on the Jewish calendar are the Megillah and the Haggadah. Here are two unusual commentaries that pull together ancient pshat and drash in a modern lingo … more

Rabbi Berel Wein, in his introduction to a translation of the Kli Yakar by his friend, Elihu Levine, said in regard to the art of translation: “To be truly faithful to the original, the … more

You shouldn’t judge Soviet Jewish homes by their book covers, yet their bookshelves often contained the only clues that they were Jewish homes. The overwhelming majority … more

Rabbi Daniel Rose wrote the following that will serve as the keynote to this week’s essay: “These days of Purim,” the Book of Esther says, “should be remembered and … more

At over 1,000 pages, “A Lethal Obsession: Anti-Semitism from Antiquity to the Global Jihad” (Random House, 2010) does not lend itself to a quick read. Nevertheless, due to this large … more

Purim is now behind us and the next time we are going to witness a full moon is exactly one month from now, Pesach. With that exciting thought in mind, I was taken by an essay by Dr. Adele Berlin in … more

Next Thursday, Jan. 25, in the midst of winter, we celebrate Tu B’Shvat, the beginning of spring — albeit a spiritual spring — on the Jewish calendar. This week I will present … more

Here we are, on the cusp of the holiday of Pesach that in every manner of theme and observance surely defines us as a people. To help us prepare to respond to our children who may questions the … more