People & Places
The Jewish Civil WarThursday, April 4, 2013 by Diane Cole | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
One of the tragedies of the American Civil War was that it pitted friends and family members against one another. American Jews were not immune from the internecine bitterness. A new exhibition tells their story.
The Mad ZionistWednesday, April 3, 2013 by Ran Baratz | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
British Major-General Orde Wingate, who fought in theaters from Palestine to Burma, was a military genius. He was also a Zionist's Zionist. A new Wingate biography tries to explain why.
The OutliersFriday, March 29, 2013 by Allan Arkush | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
Bukharan Jews are often viewed as a group of isolated exotics. In fact, they are not so different that there has ever been much question about their belonging to the Jewish people.
Spinoza in ShtreimelsTuesday, September 4, 2012 by Carlos Fraenkel | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
Philosophy professor Carlos Fraenkel wrote that “the cultural relativism that often underlies Western multicultural agendas [is] a much greater obstacle to a culture of debate than religion.” Today, in an exclusive preview from the Jewish Review of Books, Fraenkel relates how his theory fared among a group of Hasidim.
New York Jews: Growing in Numbers, Growing ApartThursday, July 5, 2012 by Leslie Lenkowsky | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
Ever since the first 23 Jewish settlers arrived in New Amsterdam in 1654, New York City has been the economic, cultural, religious and, not least, demographic center of Jewish life in North America.
Disturbing the UniverseWednesday, June 27, 2012 by Daniel C. Matt | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
Today, in an exclusive preview from the new issue of the Jewish Review of Books, preeminent Kabbalah scholar Daniel Matt steps away from his Zohar translation for the first time in years to review Lawrence Krauss's New Atheist account of the Big Bang and Alan Lightman's quirky novel about creation. Special to Jewish Ideas Daily readers: Click here to receive a free copy of the whole summer issue!
Killing RathenauWednesday, June 20, 2012 by Carole Fink | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
Walther Rathenau was neither a typical German Jew nor a traditional German statesman. Born into a wealthy industrialist family that had disowned its Jewish beliefs and practices and gaining political office late in life, Rathenau was the quintessential outsider.
Brandeis and Zionism, In and Out of LoveTuesday, June 19, 2012 by Evan Moffic | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
The Supreme Court is once again poised to define the role of government in American society; and Louis D. Brandeis, the first Jewish Supreme Court Justice, would have recognized the terms of the debate.
Steal This SiddurWednesday, June 13, 2012 | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
If anyone might be poised to understand how a project of decentralized authority and radically distributive ownership could operate in a market-based economy, it would be the treasurer of a kibbutz.
The Six-Day War: Day SixAfter five days spent battling Arab forces, Israel now faced a new opponent: time. With the Egyptians and Jordanians out of the war, and the Syrians having agreed to a ceasefire, the Security Council was becoming restless.
Editors' Picks
The Schindlers of the Philippines Dan Pines, jweekly.com. The Frieder brothers, Cincinnati Jews, made cigars in Manila and played poker with Dwight D. Eisenhower—and that was how 1,200 Austrian Jews were rescued from Hitler’s Europe.
Everything New Is Old Again Jason Guriel, Parnassus Review. More than 30 years ago, Charles Bernstein and the Language poets tried to startle readers by freeing words from the illusion of meaning. Today’s readers may be less surprised.
Shalit’s Return: Summing Up Up Ben Caspit, Jerusalem Post. “The bottom line is that the soldier came home and started a new life, and Israeli society held firm to the solidarity for which is it famous.”
Memorializing the Rav David Shatz, YU News. On the occasion of Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik's 20th yahrzeit, some thoughts on how his thought will be conveyed to a generation that did not know him.
Somewhere in Africa Curt Brown, Star Tribune. The British tried to convert them to Christianity; Idi Amin forced many to become Muslims. But Uganda’s Jews, though dating back no further than the 20th century, are unmistakably Jewish.
Learning Ladino Elizabeth Bloom, Times of Israel. Ladino, the language of Sephardic Jews, is undergoing something of a revival. But there is only one current example of Ladino journalism—in, of all places, Istanbul, Turkey.
Learning with Harold Bloom Maria Popova, Brain Pickings. Critic Harold Bloom used the structure of the Kabbalah for his book analyzing 100 geniuses. Now an Italian team of artists and graphic designers is translating the book into pictures.
One Jew Too Many Adam Levick, Algemeiner. Libya recently barred Bernard-Henri Levy from visiting because he is Jewish. The Libyans are merely being consistent: by 2004 they had managed to drive out every one of their Jews.
Israel on the Hudson Jenna Weissman Joselit, Jewish Review of Books. Spanning three volumes, City of Promises offers a thorough history of Jewish New York. But “where, oh where, is the expansiveness and, yes, the sheer incommensurability of it all?”
Lost Tribe Finally Found Eetta Prince-Gibson, Tablet. After many years of opposition from the Israeli government, members of the Indian Bnei Menashe tribe have finally been given the green light to make aliyah.