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Jan 26, 2023, 7:19 AM

Hasidic horror film is costume Jewry – and worse

'The Offering' is a Hasidic horror. (Millennium Films via JTA)

Jewish supernatural horror films might seem a redundancy in a world that has plenty of real Jewish horrors, past and present, upon which to dwell. Moreover, they might seem an oxymoron, because supernatural horror generally requires powerful entities—witches, demons,...

Oct 25, 2022, 12:28 AM

Fantastic Jewish beasts and where to find them

The Golem isn't even Judaism's scariest creature. (Golem image from the Wax Museum in Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic, photo by Jerzy Strzelecki, file licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported)

As Halloween sneaks up behind us, why not check out these Jewish things that go bump in the night...if you dare!

May 2, 2022, 11:51 PM

Final Blow: a short story

In a backwater circus, a Russian strongman and a Jewish magician have one thing in common: the magician’s wife

Apr 11, 2022, 12:28 AM

On Pesach, this vegetable monster wants to turn you into a salad

You would think that the ten plagues of Egypt, as you’ve always known them, are terrifying enough. But you’d be wrong. While I wouldn’t wish the plagues, even as we generally understand them, on anyone but an ancient Egyptian,...

Mar 22, 2022, 5:56 AM

For one hundred generations: a short story

A lonely inn on a seldom-traveled road… a strange woman on a stormy night… the time and place for an answered prayer.

Oct 17, 2021, 7:01 AM

Here’s one Hanukkah excursion to book now

Russian / Polish shtetl or Jewish village, Children outside their home, Barefoot. (Photo by History & Art Images via Getty Images)

Read 'Winter Blessings' and encounter a European village that reminds us of our own priorities: family, friends, food, fire, and the stories we tell each other

Mar 2, 2021, 8:21 AM

Jewish supernatural horror: Oxymoron? Discuss

A new movie and a Maimonidean legend raise questions about the root of Jewish evil

Jan 25, 2021, 10:11 AM

The young woman of Prague: A short story

A spiritual disturbance… a woman in torment… what kind of world is this?

Dec 22, 2020, 7:14 AM

Teach ‘A Christmas Carol’ in yeshiva. Really.

Screen shot from Disney's 'A Christmas Carol'

Dickens’ immortal tale of Ebenezer Scrooge perfectly reflects Jewish teachings that frame repentance as a return to a moral life

Nov 28, 2020, 11:15 AM

The stupid, greedy, filthy role model

The ancient Israelites didn’t think much of dogs, which is a shame because they do seem to have thought much about them. Think of an epithet you wouldn’t want to have hurled at you, and some prophet or psalmist...

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About Me

Mark Levenson is a novelist. His new work of Jewish fantasy is The Hidden Saint (Level Best Books, 2022). Learn more at www.marklevensonbooks.com.

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