Esther Sperber, at The Blogs

Apr 1, 2025, 7:25 PM

Smol Emuni US Conference – Opening Speech

הִגִּ֥יד לְךָ֛ אָדָ֖ם מַה־טּ֑וֹב וּמָֽה־יְהֹוָ֞ה דּוֹרֵ֣שׁ מִמְּךָ֗ כִּ֣י אִם־עֲשׂ֤וֹת מִשְׁפָּט֙ וְאַ֣הֲבַת חֶ֔סֶד וְהַצְנֵ֥עַ לֶ֖כֶת עִם־אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃ You have been told, human, what is good and what God asks of you: Only to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly...

Oct 23, 2024, 1:22 PM

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Hostages NOW: The infinite value of life even during war

Vigil in New York after the six hostages were murdered. (Liri Agami and Dani Tenenbaum)

The horrors of battle, the numbers, shifting focus to the north - too many factors chip away at our sense of urgency to bring our captives home from Gaza

Oct 22, 2024, 7:10 PM

Israeli-Americans for Kamala Initiative Expands Rapidly

Israeli Americans for Kamala is a fast-growing group, representing a majority of Israeli Americans who wholeheartedly endorse Kamala Harris as the next President of the United States. Our community includes people with a wide range of life experiences and...

Sep 20, 2024, 12:05 AM

Laws of War: September 18, 2024, Ki Tetze

I have no idea how to win a war. Not the war in Gaza nor the war in Lebanon, nor the West Bank... Is this war just? Is it necessary? What I do know is that children should not...

Jun 4, 2024, 1:47 PM

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The ‘religious’ activists who desecrate God’s name

A truck is seen on fire after being torched by far-right rioters in the central West Bank, March 17, 2024 (Video screenshot; used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Blocking humanitarian aid to Gazans is a perversion of Jewish values -- Orthodox Jews should condemn it loudly and clearly

Sep 27, 2023, 6:23 PM

Friday’s Protest for Democracy in Israel at the UN was Historic

Nobel Laureate Prof. Daniel Kahneman (Screenshot from a video by USA for Israeli Democracy)

On Friday thousands of American Jews and Israelis protested to support Israeli democracy. The protest took place outside the UN headquarters, while Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the General Assembly. It was a historic event, and as one of the organizers,...

Jun 2, 2023, 1:22 PM

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An Israeli in NY for 25 years, it’s my first march in the Israel Day Parade

I'll be there on Sunday to stand up in support of our Jewish homeland, because I fear Israel has lost its way

May 11, 2023, 10:08 PM

Is Your Building Immoral?

Rendering of lobby for Studio ST Architects' renovation of Ansche Chesed Synagogue. (courtesy)

Is your building immoral? You are probably thinking that this is a silly question; buildings are inanimate structures and morality is the uniquely human capacity for judgment and empathy. How could a building be measured by moral standards? How could...

Apr 18, 2023, 12:26 AM

Synagogue renovations – ethics and aesthetics

“I’m not sure we should be spending so much on aesthetics. There is so much need and we should be focusing our efforts on ethics.” These were the words of Rabbi Ari Hart, the beloved and committed leader of...

Mar 27, 2023, 12:47 PM

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I worry for my family. Jews in America must speak up!

Esther Sperber addressing a rally in support of Israeli democracy in Washington Square Park, New York, March 26, 2023 (Oz Benamram)

This is not a time to be polite or deferential. We Jews in the US who love Israel should be proud of our values and speak up clearly

About Me

Esther Sperber is an architect, founder of Studio ST Architects. Born and raised in Israel, she has been living in New York for 25 years. She writes and lectures about architecture, culture, religion and psychoanalysis. Her work has been published in the New York Times, The Huffington Post, Lilith, the Jewish Week, TOI the Forward as well as many academic journals. She is one of the leaders of Hostages' Family Forum in NY and the pro democracy protests.

Contact Me