Meni Even-Israel, at The Blogs

Sep 27, 2020, 3:53 PM

Religious Jews enter the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem on their way to the Western Wall on Yom Kippur. (Sliman Khader/Flash90)

I might wish I had more beautiful, nicer relatives, but they are all still my own bone and flesh and blood

Jun 6, 2019, 12:29 PM

Cheesecake for the soul: Finding our perfect slice of Torah

Over the last several decades, it has become a tradition to eat cheesecake on Shavuot. While there is much speculation as to how the holiday commemorating the giving of the Torah became entwined with a decadent dairy dessert, the...

Jan 15, 2019, 6:34 PM

Hidden Value: The Importance of Bible Study

Throughout our history, Jewish leaders of every stripe have underscored the importance of Bible study. More than an examination of our birthright or an analysis of our history, our most prominent figures have regarded Bible study as the tie...

Oct 18, 2018, 10:00 AM

Winter Is Coming: Embracing the Jewish “Off Season”

In biblical Israel, Jewish life was tethered to the agricultural seasons. Sukkot, the “Feast of Tabernacles,” was also known as Chag Ha’Asif, literally the "Feast of Ingathering," and marked the year-end harvest festival. In addition to commemorating the end of...

Jul 29, 2018, 11:18 PM

Inflexibility: The Death of Judaism

Throughout the Tanakh, God models extraordinary behavior and spotlights key virtues for the benefit of humankind, simultaneously sparing us pain and setting an example worth following. In fact, from the very first interaction with man, God establishes a precedent...

May 15, 2018, 2:25 PM

Knowledge: The key to Jewish survival

Throughout my childhood, and well into my adulthood, my father, Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz, constantly reminded me of our family adage: “It is better to be a heretic (apikorus) than an ignoramus (am ha’aretz).” This guiding principle and core...

About Me

Rabbi Meni Even-Israel, is the Executive Director of the Steinsaltz Center, a unique pedagogical accelerator that develops tools and programming that encourages creative engagement with the texts and makes the world of Jewish knowledge accessible to all.