Article Archives

Judaism and the Meaning of Life

Emil Fackenheim is often remembered only for his Holocaust theology.  This 1965 Commentary essay reminds us of his understanding of the covenantal relationship between God and man.

Knowing When It’s Time to Go

The Talmud states, "The older Torah scholars become, the greater wisdom increases within them."  Yet the Torah imposes an age limit on spiritual leadership.

World War II and the Impossibility of Polish History

Must any history of Poland in the Second World War therefore put the Jews and the Holocaust at the center? If it does not, is that originality or revisionism?

The Portuguese Phoenix

Founded to resurrect Portuguese Judaism 75 years ago, Kadoorie Mekor Haim synagogue in Porto remains a symbol of Jewish resilience, faith, and conviction. 

Go to Ammon and Moab

Imagining themselves to be the wise men consulted on Vashti’s fate, the Rabbis deferred to the Jews’ enemies, saying, “from the day when we were exiled from our land, wisdom has been taken from us."

Purim in a New York Taxi

In reading the megillah together, my brother and I share a special bond of experience, family history played out against the rich backdrop of our people’s history.

The Covenantal Thought of David Hartman

By treating the covenant between God and the Jewish people as a partnership, David Hartman found room for autonomy alongside halakhic observance.

Opening the Gates of Judaism

Given the demographic and spiritual decline among “biological” Jews in America, if we want to keep Judaism alive, we must do something that we haven't done for 2000 years: proselytize.

Yair Lapid’s Religion

In a speech to haredi students last year, Yair Lapid advocated a shared public sphere in Israel that is neutral on questions of religion.  Does he now have the chance to implement his vision?

The Fool and the Assassin

Most movie stars don’t act, they play themselves.  Danny Kaye, the biggest star of all in the 1940s and 1950s, who would have been 100 last month, was different.