A story is told of the great Hassidic master, Rabbi Levi Yitzhak of Berdichev. He had been visiting a town and attended prayer services in the local synagogue. One day, he stopped at the … more

Holocaust Remembrance Day is observed in Israel just a week before Independence Day, and for Israelis, those days are thematically as well as temporally connected … more

That so many Jews care so deeply about what an actress has to say about the State of Israel and its prime minister tells us a lot about Jewish insecurity in 2018. But while this isn’t the … more

Amid all the diplomatic maneuverings in the months that led up to the creation of the State of Israel 70 years ago, none are more curious than those undertaken by the Soviet Union. It’s fair … more

Not too far off, I hope to live the words of hashiveini v’ashuva el ha-aretz ha-tova, a phrase from Naomi Shemer’s song, “Al Kol Eleh,” that I think of often. “Bring me … more

Parashat Kedoshim’s verse, “And the L-rd spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the entire congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them, “You shall be holy (kedoshim), … more

The eggplant — a beautiful berry — is so popular that its iconic color is instantly recognizable far beyond the food, in paint and fabric and more. My eyeglasses are eggplant as is a … more

Rabbi Hayyim Angel is one of my favorite authors on the deeper meaning of Tanakh text and commentary. In this week’s column, Rabbi Yaakov Beasley, Tanakh coordinator at Yeshivat Lev haTorah who … more

All too often, when I ask campus organizations that are pro-Israel and deeply Zionist why they avoid using the “Z-word” in their messaging and literature, I’m … more

Salad days are really and truly here. We have survived another winter, made it through snowstorms and frigid temperatures, viruses, a bad flu epidemic and more. We ate heartily and filled our bodies … more