Letter from Neukölln, Berlin
"Although the warning to hide invoked memories from Berlin in its darkest days, we refused to be afraid of who we are."
Unfinished Rock
Why is the last stanza of Ma'oz Tzur unlike all other stanzas?
Finding Gold
Herbert Gold spoke quickly, telling ancient stories of friendship with Saul Bellow and run ins with Philip Roth. Between gusts of conversation, he ambled around, wielding his walker so nimbly that it seemed like a form of exercise.
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef and the Halakhot of Hostages: Part III
When Israeli citizens were taken hostage in Entebbe in 1976, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef was asked if hostages could be exchanged for terrorists. What can his towering responsum teach us about the current moment?
Letters, Spring 2013
Letters from Henry Kissinger and other readers.
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef and the Halakhot of Hostages: Part II
When Israeli citizens were taken hostage in Entebbe in 1976, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef was asked if hostages could be exchanged for terrorists. What can his towering responsum teach us about the current moment?
Wars and Peace: Memoirs of a Conflict
Decades ago, Israelis would stroll peacefully through Gaza on shopping trips. How did a fragile peace evolve into terrifying war?
Sisters of Iron and Coders in Black Hats: Haredi Integration and the War Against Hamas
As Haredi men tie tzitzit for the IDF, and Haredi women volunteer to help soldiers, does their response to October 7th mark a turning point of integration?
What Goes Into Survival: A Report from the Washington Rally
People came by the hundreds of thousands, schlepping by train, chartered bus, overnight flight. Students raised money from relatives. Federations funded last-minute airfare. It was a rally for people who don’t attend rallies.
Then and Now: Two Wars
Allan Arkush spent the Yom Kippur War delivering medical supplies in Israel. Fifty years later, he finds uncanny comparisons between the current war and World War I.