Letter from Jerusalem, October 29, 2023
Israel’s slogan for this war is Beyachad nenatse’ach—Together we will win. We will all play our part and with God’s help, Israel will do what it has to do.
Min haMuvhar
Nehama Leibowitz and the Paradox of Parshanut
Nehama’s legacy will not be found primarily in her contributions to our understanding of the mefarshim; it is in her peerless ability to use the teachings of our Sages and commentators to guide us lovingly through every nuance of the eternally relevant Torah.
Reflections on Sephardic Education
Sephardic and other non-Ashkenazic traditions should be better represented in Jewish Day Schools and high schools.
The Current State of the Modern Orthodox Community
Conversations, the journal of the Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals, asked Rabbi Zev Eleff to address four questions about the state of Modern Orthodoxy.
Halakhic Thinking re: Mechitsah
Rabbi Alan Yuter discusses halakhic approaches to the Mechitsah separating men and women in Orthodox synagogues.
New Course by Rabbi Hayyim Angel: Book of Kings
Rabbi Hayyim Angel begins a new series on the Book of Kings on Monday, October 16. Classes are held in conjunction with the Beit Midrash of Teaneck. In-person classes are held on Mondays and Wednesdays from 12:00-12:45 pm, at the Teaneck Jewish Center (70 Sterling Place). Classes also are available over Zoom at that time. They also are recorded and available for listening at any time by registered participants.
Torah and Worldly Knowledge: Our Judges, Our Leaders, and Us
We can appreciate how crucial it is for both the leadership and membership of Yisrael to remain sensitive to, and knowledgeable about, the developing world around them. Those who fail to do so are ultimately rejecting God and God’s works, in no uncertain terms
The Two Lives of Sarah: Thoughts for Parashat Hayyei Sarah
If Abraham was going to become a forefather of a great nation as God had promised, it was only through Sarah that this would come to pass.
The Grand Religious Worldview of Rabbi Benzion Uziel
We post this article on the life and thought of Rabbi Benzion Uziel, one of the great religious leaders of the 20th century. When he passed away on September 4, 1953, he was mourned by hundreds of thousands of Sephardim and Ashkenazim, Jews and Arabs. A remarkable personality, Rabbi Uziel proclaimed that Judaism is not a narrow, confined doctrine limited only to a select few individuals. It must thrive with a grand vision, always looking outward.
If Religions Were Stress-Tested Like Banks
One modern technique of responsible stewardship is the “stress test.” This technique forces leaders to consider the effects of undesirable and even unjust possibilities they might otherwise ignore. Can religious ideologies be stress-tested?