The first pasuk of our parasha, Yitro, states, “Now Moshe’ father-in-law, Yitro, the chieftain of Midian, heard all that G-d had done for Moshe and for Israel His … more

The first American Jew appointed to the Supreme Court, Justice Louis Brandeis, famously said, “Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.” Two months ago, one of the … more

They used to call them “pea-soupers:” dense, choking fogs caused by smoke from burning coal that frequently enveloped London until the middle of the last century, leaving a person … more

Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) is the poster child for the Republican Party’s problem with right-wing extremism. His fate also provides an object lesson in how American democracy … more

One of the most dramatic and visual scenes in the Torah is that of the splitting of the Red Sea. To see nature reverse its natural course — rupturing a natural pattern of flowing water, … more

In the years since the Arab Spring’s eruption, Qatari news network Al Jazeera has successfully positioned itself as an authoritative news source on Muslim world matters. It has thus become … more

A Talmudic passage (Sotah 11a) offers a scenario relating to Pharaoh’s decision to enslave the Israelites and murder their male babies. “Said Rabbi Chiya son of Abba in the name … more

At the recent wedding of the daughter of very old friends, I was enjoying the palpable joy at the tisch when the father of the bride asked me to lead Maariv.  I had a moment of angst as I … more

This week marks the shloshim commemorating the passing of one of our community’s leading scholars of the Jewish literary tradition, and one of the leading Jewish book dealers in New York, … more

It may be that supporters of President Donald Trump and those who back the Israeli government led by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are now so … more