Kol Nidre with Dragons
One of the most spectacular books of medieval Ashkenaz, the Leipzig Mahzor, contains a stunning illumination for the opening of Yom Kippur.
The Day Turned
One of Lea Goldberg’s last poems was inspired by a prayer from the Yom Kippur liturgy.
Awe and Joy
S. Y. Agnon curated a stunning anthology of Jewish texts, published later in English as Days of Awe. In his introduction to the anthology, the eminent scholar Judah Goldin grappled with the idea of awe—and so does this author.
“When Orchards Burn Their Lamps of Fiery Gold”
Emma Lazarus’s 1882 poem for Rosh Hashanah responded to the crises of her day, foreshadowed “The New Colossus,” and resonates today.
The Jewish Preview of Books—September 2018
A quick look at Jewish books being published this month.
Jewish Acculturation in America: A Symposium
Five leading Jewish thinkers discuss the continuing impact of the American melting pot.
Stirring the Pot
A rejoinder to Jack Wertheimer, David Biale, Edieal Pinker, and Erica Brown.
The Burnt Pot
Response #4: “On the bottom of the pot live Jewish clichés, nostalgia, kitschiness, and an uninformed Jewish pride.”
The Future Is Now
Response #3: Edieal Pinker argues from statistics that American Jewry is at an inflection point containing the seeds of a revival.
Looking Backward and Forward
Response #2: David Biale revisits his provocative 1998 essay on Jewish assimilation.