Much has been written about most family relationships. There are books about fathers and sons, fathers and daughters, and mothers and sons and daughters. Many volumes have been written about … more

Where I live in Johannesburg there is a famous story from some decades ago about the conductor of a shul choir who was rehearsing with his choristers. In that synagogue, the Berea Shul, the choir … more

The Ten Commandments are the most famous religious and moral code in history. Until recently they adorned American courtrooms. They still adorn most synagogue arks. Rembrandt gave them their … more

BBC Jerusalem correspondent Tom Bateman noted that “the history matters here,” in a report on the Israel Defense Forces operation in the West Bank city of Jenin last Thursday that … more

For the last 11 months, Israel has sought to signal its opposition to Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine while avoiding being dragged into a war that compromises its own security and … more

Opposition to American antisemitism is remarkably situational: •By and large, right-wing antisemites face, as they should, widespread condemnation and ostracism. •Left-wing … more

Teaching young children has always been a joy for me. One of teaching’s special advantages is the clarity that emerges from conversation with people under the age of ten. A cute and oft-told … more

The end of parasha Beshalach focuses on the epic battle between our nascent nation and the marauding desert tribe of Amalek: Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. So Moses said to … more

One of the greatest gifts we have in this world is the ability to make choices in our lives. Though sometimes, we might wish we didn’t have to make those choices. Choices. Sometimes obvious, … more

Aheteronym in the Torah appears in three contexts which have too many parallels to be ignored. The prophetess Miriam (M-R-Y-M) appears on the scene to sing about the splitting of the sea, and then we … more