Jewish Literature
The Dangers of Favoring One Child Over Another
I've always seen the biblical Jacob as characterized by two central yet seemingly contradictory facets. On the one hand he is the patriarch who...
The Greatness of Growth and Change
The sequence from Bereishit (Genesis) 37 to 50 is the longest unbroken narrative in the Torah (Bible), and there can be no doubt who its hero is: Joseph. The story begins and ends with him....
Disguise and the Mending of Identity
Joseph is now the ruler of Egypt. The famine he predicted has come to pass. It extends beyond Egypt to the land of Canaan. Seeking to buy food, Joseph's brothers make the journey to Egypt....
The Jewish Refusal to be Comforted
The deception has taken place. Joseph has been sold into slavery. His brothers have dipped his coat in blood. They bring it back to their father, saying: "Look what we have found. Do you recognize it? Is...
A People Capable of Feeling Distress, Even in Victory
Jacob and Esau are about to meet again after a separation of twenty two years....
On Relationships: W.H. Auden vs. Amos the Prophet
"We will buy the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of...
Reinterpreting Bible Scenes Illuminates New Meanings
It is one of the most famous scenes in the Bible. Abraham is sitting...
Parenting in Judaism: Learning from Abraham
The call to Abraham, with which (the Bible portion of) Lech Lecha begins, seems to...
Unchosen: Memoirs of a Philosemite
I co-wrote a book with Julie Burchill a few years ago. It's called Not In My...
The Dangers of Favoring One Child Over Another
I've always seen the biblical Jacob as characterized by two central yet seemingly contradictory facets. On the one hand he is the patriarch who is...
The Greatness of Growth and Change
The sequence from Bereishit (Genesis) 37 to 50 is the longest unbroken narrative in the Torah (Bible), and there can be no doubt who its...
Disguise and the Mending of Identity
Joseph is now the ruler of Egypt. The famine he predicted has come to pass. It extends beyond Egypt to the land of Canaan. Seeking...
The Jewish Refusal to be Comforted
The deception has taken place. Joseph has been sold into slavery. His brothers have dipped his coat in blood. They bring it back to their...
A People Capable of Feeling Distress, Even in Victory
Jacob and Esau are about to meet again after a separation of twenty two years. It is a fraught encounter. Once, Esau had sworn to...
On Relationships: W.H. Auden vs. Amos the Prophet
"We will buy the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of shoes." (Amos 8:6) W.H. Auden once wrote, "Almost all of our...
Reinterpreting Bible Scenes Illuminates New Meanings
It is one of the most famous scenes in the Bible. Abraham is sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat...
Parenting in Judaism: Learning from Abraham
The call to Abraham, with which (the Bible portion of) Lech Lecha begins, seems to come from nowhere: "Leave your land, your birthplace, and your father's...
Unchosen: Memoirs of a Philosemite
I co-wrote a book with Julie Burchill a few years ago. It's called Not In My Name: A Compendium of Modern Hypocrisy, and we had fine old...
Genesis: Ideological Calendars and the Land of Israel
Everyone is conditioned culturally to think in specific ways and to adopt specific timelines. Christians think in terms of Before Christ and After Christ. Never mind...
The Shadow of a Great Rock: A Literary Appreciation of the King James Bible (REVIEW)
The Shadow of a Great Rock: A Literary Appreciation of the King James Bible, by Harold Bloom (New Haven: Yale University Press. 2011) Anniversaries generate...
Jewish Fiction Finds a New Home on the Internet
Speaking over lively klezmer music in a Krakow café, Canadian author and freelance journalist Menachem Kaiser wonders if Jewish readers are comfortable with the term...
The State of the Jews: A Critical Appraisal (REVIEW)
The State of the Jews A Critical Appraisal by Edward Alexander Transaction Publishers, 2012. $35 pp. 264 As anti-Zionism/anti-Semitism have become more acceptable as "genuine" criticism within...
Approaching the High Holy Days as Jews…or as People
The start of the Jewish New Year, the month of Tishrei, is filled with holy days, among them four foundational celebrations: Rosh haShanah, Yom haKippurim,...
