Lessons From a Murderer

September 29, 2021

What does it take in today's day and age to live in harmony with the universe?

David and Goliath: On the modern state of Israel

May 25, 2021

We are precariously perched among stronger, richer nations sworn to destroy us. So we wield power, and curb it, and worry about our national body and soul

Underdogs

May 9, 2021

What does it take for those 'least likely to succeed' to achieve greatness? Maybe it's divine intervention; maybe it's something more

We are Moses

March 18, 2021

We have been strangers everywhere that we have been. We have tried, and failed, and fled, and found refuge, and fled again. And then the sea of exile split for a second time

Go, and know…

October 25, 2020

When the world has grown small, and yet family feels farther away than ever, here's a moment to pause, with a sense of pride, and an awareness of destiny (Lech Lecha)

The Birthplace of Infertility

September 16, 2020

Navigating the precarious journey from conception to birth is both universal and timeless, and we are living in unprecedented times.

Shattered Symbols

July 27, 2020

Can we live up to the indestructible chain of Jewish history that the Israeli menorah represents, in the face of our heritage of severe infighting?

The Jewish Woman’s Bible

February 6, 2020

A millennia-old book of the Bible demonstrates just how warped society can get without women's active participation

The Books of Maccabees: A tale of two stories

December 25, 2019

Imagine if Antiochus had written the story of Hanukkah... or if Judah Maccabee's mother had. Every account reflects its author's background, including the ones we have

Does the Book of Esther belong in the Bible?

March 20, 2019

'Write my story down for the generations to come,' demanded Esther. But would the sages do it? (Historical fiction)

Blame Tamar, the killer-wife (or not)

December 7, 2018

The very mistakes our ancestors made when bowing to convention become the Torah's way of teaching unconventional truths.

Voices to Listen for in 2019

January 17, 2019

In 2019 we are frantically searching for answers, but the noise generated by that search runs the risk of drowning out essential voices. 

Twinkle, twinkle, burnt-out star

September 3, 2018

The Days of Awe force us to seek balance between wonderment at God’s universe and finding a meaningful place within it

If hills could speak

July 15, 2018

Jewish history has taught us that survival is less fragile than we have been led to believe. (poetry)