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Sharona Margolin Halickman

Jul 23, 2026, 10:28 PM

Bringing good news to Jerusalem

In the Haftara for Shabbat Nachamu (Yishayahu 40:1-26) we find four voices of comfort. The fourth voice, the voice of Mevaseret Zion, the female bearer of good tidings, is found in verses 9-11: Ascend the high mountain, you who bear...

Jul 21, 2026, 6:56 AM

The Courtyard Stands Open: Why Jews Must Teach the Nations Now

In the days when the Temple stood in Jerusalem, a vast Court of the Gentiles welcomed those drawn from the nations. This outer courtyard formed part of Hashem's design. Sincere seekers could bring offerings to any Israelite citizen standing...

Jul 19, 2026, 6:38 PM

The Second Question

Eugène Delacroix, Liberty Leading the People (1830). Public domain. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AEug%C3%A8ne_Delacroix_-_Liberty_Leading_the_People.jpeg

The Times of Israel recently interviewed Darializa Avila Chevalier, the Democratic nominee for a congressional district in New York City. Much of the coverage focused on her attendance at a pro-Palestinian rally on October 8, 2023, one day after...

Jul 16, 2026, 3:27 PM

The Destruction of the Temple and Israel’s Government of Destruction

The opening words of this week’s haftarah are among the most shocking in the Bible: “Hear the word of the Lord, rulers of Sodom; give ear to the teaching of our God, people of Gomorrah.” Isaiah is not addressing Sodom and Gomorrah....

Jul 13, 2026, 11:00 PM

History After Prophecy

Esther before Ahasuerus by Rembrandt van Rijn. Public domain image via Wikimedia Commons.

The Meme That Started My Thinking A few years ago, I came across one of those ubiquitous internet memes: Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. Weak men create hard times. Something about it bothered me. Not because...

Chavi Eisenberg

Jul 9, 2026, 10:22 PM

Feeling at Home in Torah

"I'm sorry if this is a stupid question..." I hear some version of that sentence almost every time I teach. Before my students can finish apologizing, I usually stop them. "There are no stupid questions." Over the years, I've realized that I don't...

Jun 11, 2026, 1:41 PM

Korach: Unholy Coalitions Cloaked in Holiness

One of the most remarkable features of Korach’s rebellion is the extraordinary coalition he manages to assemble. At first glance, the various groups that join him seem to have little in common. Korach himself is a Levite whose grievance appears...

Jun 5, 2026, 6:32 AM

The Sin of Jeroboam and the Tragedy of Big Boss

One of the recurring refrains in the books of Kings is that later rulers of Israel “walked in the sins of Jeroboam.” The phrase appears so often that it becomes almost liturgical. Jeroboam’s actions are not treated merely as...

May 29, 2026, 7:58 PM

When Nations Set the Terms Israel Chooses Tolerance Over Temple Restoration

Israeli police arrested 21 Jewish activists in May 2026 as they tried to bring a young goat onto the Temple Mount for a korban Pesach offering during Pesach Sheni. Officers stopped the group at the gate and detained them...

May 24, 2026, 11:53 PM

Beyond Fairness

Rembrandt's 'Jeremiah.'

Entering Other Moral Worlds A friend recently sent me an article on the history of fairness. What struck me immediately was not simply the argument itself, but the method behind it. The author attempted something modern people often struggle to...

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