It is rare indeed that an impactful social activist changes his stripes to become a serious and respected academic, eschewing action for theory. Such an exception is Ronen Shoval, who, as a … more

After more than a year of bloody conflict in the Middle East sparked by the Hamas pogrom in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, it’s becoming clearer as to which of the multiple parties involved have … more

It didn’t take long after the swift fall of the Assad regime in Syria for the members of America’s foreign-policy establishment to speak up in favor of their default position on just … more

W e live in interesting times that witness murder as state policy and also brazen and often violent religious intolerance. These are also times, by contrast, of religious tolerance in many … more

One of the most challenging experiences I had in the Israeli army had nothing to do with combat or being in the field; it transpired during a moment of relative calm, when things were looking pretty … more

This phrase occurs in the first blessing of the Amidah, the centerpiece of the synagogue prayer. The blessing praises the Patriarchs and calls upon the Almighty to take account of their benevolent … more

As Yaacov Avinu leaves his deceitful father-in-law Lavan and returns to the Holy Land, knowing that he is to encounter his brother Eisav, who has vowed to kill him, Yaacov is understandably filled … more

Why is Jacob the father of our people, the hero of our faith? We are “the congregation of Jacob,” “the children of Israel.” Yet it was Abraham who began the Jewish journey, … more

The olive tree is one of the oldest cultivated trees, existing before there was written language with which to describe it. It originated and flourished in Asia Minor and in Israel. King Solomon and … more

This is adapted from a column published in 2008. I can’t get the Holtzbergs out of my head. Not just because their images are all over the news and on every Jewish web site or because … more