Posts
Now a Museum, the Synagogue was Meticulously Restored . . .
The synagogue is a mikdash me’at, a little sanctuary or temple. But what really makes a shul holy and how should they be remembered?
Jews and the Ukrainian Question
“After the victory,” he wrote to his friend, “we’ll play music—Jewish music, Ukrainian music, and not only.”
Moisés Ville
A joyful poem about the Jerusalem of Argentina, translated by Ilan Stavans.
Revolution, the Jews, and Hitler’s Munich
How did a Jewish Socialist become the revolutionary leader of the People’s State of Bavaria? And did his brief career provoke the rise of Hitler?
Us or Them
It all started with a tweet: “Curious about your whiteness? Come to our meeting.” Edelman was curious.
The Art of the Dealer
"What would have happened to us," Picasso wondered, " if Kahnweiler had not had a business sense?"
Confirmed as Drowned
Haunting verses from the only living male survivor of the Jewish community of Crete.
The Natural at 70
Bernard Malamud’s 1952 fable has always seemed the most American of Jewish novels and the most Jewish story in American folklore.
Jews in Trench Coats
From mortal risks to the mundane office politics and antisemitic prejudice, Douglas London’s memoir of working for the CIA reveals the inner workings of America’s most secretive agency.
The Bible’s Women in Medieval Ashkenaz
The Bible’s characters were everywhere in medieval Ashkenaz. Jews remembered them when they prayed, attended births and weddings, when they opened a haggada.