Jonathan S. Hack, at The Blogs

Jun 3, 2020, 5:34 AM

Like many, as I reflect on the world and watch the news, I am filled with so many emotions. I am saddened by the lack of vision on the part of our leaders. I am maddened by the absence...

Apr 2, 2020, 4:26 PM

A lonely man of faith

A painting by Chasidic artist Rabbi Zalman Kleinman depicts a Chasid absorbed in prayer. (courtesy)

Although ashamed to admit it, physical distancing has meant more TV time for my children. We have perfected our British accents thanks to Peppa Pig. We have gone on emotional rollercoasters with Daniel Tiger. We've adopted Elsa and Anna...

Mar 17, 2020, 7:53 AM

Dwelling Outside the Community

Words have the power to elicit varying emotions. The choice of words not only convey an idea, but shape how one perceives the meaning behind the idea. As society finds ways to combat the novel Coronavirus, the leading suggested...

Oct 24, 2019, 10:23 PM

As our children grow

Nostalgia is a powerful part of the human experience. At some point we have all longed for that which was; that which may not have materialized; that which we know in our hearts could not be, yet we cannot...

Oct 17, 2019, 5:34 PM

Tactile Transcendence

Research has shown that tactile experiences create lasting impressions. By holding something and interacting with it we take the abstract and make it concrete. In subtle ways Judaism understands this. As Ben Bag-Bag says in Mishna Avot: הפך בה והפך...

Oct 7, 2019, 10:12 PM

Binding the High Holy Days Together

Three times during the Musaf service on Rosh Hashanah we proclaim: היום הרת עולם (today is the birth of the world). Growing up I found it fortuitous coincidence that the school year and the New Year coincided. The act...

About Me

Jonathan S. Hack received his Ph.D. in political science from The George Washington University and rabbinical ordination. He is the Program Officer for the Anxieties of Democracy program at the Social Science Research Council in New York.

Contact Me