Defying the Nazis: The Sharps’ War
In 2006, the State of Israel proclaimed Martha and Waitsill Sharp “Righteous Among the Nations” – an honor bestowed by Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum and memorial in Jerusalem, upon non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. The Sharps became two of only five Americans so recognized.
Moonglow: A Novel
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Chabon is back with a shimmering mirage disguised as a personal history. Moonglow, Chabon's fourteenth novel, was inspired by the week he spent at his dying grandfather's bedside, listening to his life story.
A Horse Walks into a Bar
A snail is attacked by a couple of tortoises. When later questioned by the police, the bewildered mollusk replies, “It all happened so quickly.” Here’s another: There is this man whose parrot is excessively foul-mouthed.
Soviet Daughter: A Graphic Revolution
In her graphic novel, Soviet Daughter: A Graphic Revolution, Julia Alekseyeva uses grey scale watercolor to bring warmth and individuality to an often-harrowing tale of three generations of a Russian immigrant family.
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - Shof’tim: Demanding Justice
At the core of being Jewish is a fundamental demand for justice. Demanding justice involves asking others to work toward a more just world, but it also involves asking ourselves to do that work.
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - Ki Teitzei: The Morality of War
Ki Teitzei translates to “when you go out,” but it doesn’t mean going out to dinner or the movies.
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - Ki Tavo: Spiritual Centering
Hasket, which translates to silence or stillness, is a word that appears in the Torah only once, during this week's Parasha, Ki Tavo.
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - T’tzaveh: Protecting Our Planet and Other Sacred Spaces
In the opening of parashat T’tzaveh, the eternal light reminds us that as we construct our places of worship, we must honor our role as stewards of the earth, and offer a hospitality that allows all of us to participate with dignity. What makes our prayer spaces sacred?
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - Ki Tisa: Are You My Idol?
If you think about idolatry in the Torah, you might think about Parashat Ki Tisa, where in their restlessness, the Israelites built a golden calf.
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - Vayak’heil-P’kudei: What Makes a Space Sacred?
In Parashat Vayak’heil-P’kudei, the Israelites build the tabernacle in the middle of the desert, and because it is built from their heart, with their hands, the presence of God comes to dwell in that space.