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Sam Lehman-Wilzig

May 8, 2026, 11:26 AM

Israel & the Diaspora Moving Apart: Déjà Vu All Over Again

The relationship between Israel and world Diaspora Jews, especially American Jewry, has been deteriorating these past few years. So what else is new? This is a process that has been going on for the past 2,500 years, ever since the...

Michael J. Brown

Nov 2, 2025, 6:46 PM

Where are the Middle American Chavarot?

Why do Chaverot/Partnership Minyanim flourish in larger Jewish communities, while they are less common in much of Middle America? Many synagogues in the American Midwest have continued to close or merge since the 1990s, as Jewish communities in the Rust...

Golan Altman-Shafer

May 30, 2025, 12:11 PM

The Siddur Spectrum

For a school project, I did a ground-level evaluation of two Siddurim across the religious spectrum to find any interesting similarities or differences between them. Even though I am relatively knowledgeable about the subject, I learned a surprising number...

May 15, 2025, 10:28 PM

Ahavat Hinam: Creating Covenantal Community

How do we encourage a sense of belonging, of being part of a tribe, without descending into tribalism? How do we foster community life that is oriented inward and at the same time open to the wider world? How...

Eric M. Leiderman

Oct 1, 2024, 8:14 AM

Jewish Pride Reborn: A Rosh Hashanah Reflection

Hopeful Renewal: Young Jews Celebrating Identity Proudly

As we stand on the threshold of a new year, the reflective tone of Rosh Hashanah invites us to examine not only our personal lives but also the state of our community, our people, and our future. For me,...

Shawn Aron Weiss

Aug 30, 2024, 11:55 PM

Blessing and Curse

One tree in field

It is said Moshe said to the people that Hashem said: “See, this day I set before you blessing and curse: blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I enjoin upon you this day;...

Dennis C. Sasso

Apr 17, 2024, 11:30 PM

Reconstructionist Judaism’s Unfinished Work

I am a religious naturalist. I do not believe that Judaism is supernaturally revealed. The Torah is not the final word, but the beginning of a conversation that continues even today. Judaism is what the Jewish people do and...

Micah Ben David Naziri

Jun 29, 2023, 8:13 AM

Deconstructing Fundamentalist Homophobia: Biblical Acceptance of Homosexuality

The following article was penned during Pride Month, in 2021, addressing both Biblical acceptance of homosexuality and Islamicate rahab al-mukhanithun, homophobia. In this work, it is demonstrated that discrimination and oppression of LGBT individuals, is borne out of a...

May 21, 2023, 11:49 PM

Depression, Embracing Purpose, Selflessness, and Happiness

Introduction: Depression is a tactic employed by our evil inclination, seeking to lead us astray and prevent self-improvement. However, understanding the root causes of depression and embracing positive qualities such as humility, selflessness, and purpose can empower individuals to overcome...

Feb 22, 2023, 2:27 PM

Are American rabbis giving in to assimilation?

Hebrew College, which houses a rabbinical school that no longer requires its students to marry Jews, in Newton, Massachusetts, 2010. (Wikimedia Commons)

As leaders move away from traditional study and practice, how will their congregants find new Jewish standard-bearers?

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