It may seem odd to outsiders that in the middle of the last century, seating arrangements in synagogues were the most prominent marker of the division between American Orthodox Judaism and the other American Jewish religious movements. Orthodoxy maintained separate seating for men and women and the . . . . Continue Reading »
Secular society sees religion—and public worship in particular—as little more than a cultural expression or a lifestyle choice. Continue Reading »
Nathan Alterman (1910–1970) was the most important Hebrew poet of his generation. He was popular with readers of poetry and continues to be much-studied. Side by side with the major modernist works that established his reputation, Alterman was also a prolific producer of occasional verse on . . . . Continue Reading »
God’s deliverance of his people from the dominion of Pharaoh is a raising of Israel from the dead. Continue Reading »
Israelis are praying and loving and studying at home, the true center of Jewish life. Continue Reading »
A flame goes up from each home, each place of isolation: the flame of the human spirit. Continue Reading »
Among the blessings of modern living, we routinely count standard vaccinations for adults and children. Scourges such as smallpox have been eradicated, due in part to mandatory vaccinations that ensure immunity in entire populations. When I heard that a significant number of parents, including some . . . . Continue Reading »
In some ways, Christians this Lent are like Israel in Babylonian exile, bereft of land and temple. Continue Reading »
Once we start thinking about baptism in the matrix between old and new, our horizon broadens. Continue Reading »
Prayer is, most fundamentally, a matter of heeding a call and showing up. Continue Reading »
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