All Articles

The Daughters of Tselofhad and Halakhic Progressivism

By Toviah Moldwin | Comment ()
In recent years, there has been a significant amount of dialogue within the Orthodox community, particularly among the left-wing Modern Orthodox, over issues of halakhic progressivism, or the attempt to consciously change Halakhah to conform to a standard more in line with our modern values and ... Read more →

Tirha de-Tsibbura and the Modern Synagogue

By Toviah Moldwin | Comment ()
For centuries, if not millennia, the synagogue, as the locus of Jewish communal prayer, has served as the primary focal point of Jewish communal and religious activity. Communal prayer brings together Jews of all different ages, religious backgrounds, and professions to unite with the common ... Read more →

Communal Obligation and the Right to Strike

By Dani Lent | Comment ()
[i] Strikes, in the conception of many Jews today, have a clear association with Israeli society. They are what cause disruptions to travel plans, cancellations of soccer games, and the boredom of thousands of schoolchildren. Whereas the international trend over the past few decades has been a ... Read more →

David, Son of Jesse

By Chesky Kopel | Comment ()
“And I will dishonor myself even more, and be low in my own esteem…” (King David) [i] It was a momentous celebration in the City of David. The Ark of God had been rescued from captivity, and throngs of people paraded it through the streets, rejoicing as they had never done before. Young ... Read more →

Women’s Zimmun: It’s Just Not that Radical

By Gabrielle Hiller | Comment ()
[i] It is a classic picture: A family joined together for their Shabbat meal, enjoying delicious food, speaking divrei Torah, and singing zemirot (songs).  Finally, the meal concludes with zimmun (the invitation to bless) and birkat ha-mazon (blessing after the meal).  Many of you might have ... Read more →

Rav Lakhen Benot Yisrael: Humility and Rabba-nut

By Ariel Caplan | Comment ()
[i] The major problem—one of the major problems, for there are several—one of the many major problems with governing people is that of whom you get to do it; or rather of who manages to get people to let them do it to them.  To summarize: it is a well-known fact that those people who ... Read more →

The Year in Israel: An Introduction to the Shanah ba-Arets

By Ilana Gadish | Comment ()
The year in Israel has become a widespread social phenomenon, to the point that, as many of the writers in this issue note, students finishing their yeshivah or day school educations are almost expected to continue their study with a year in Israel. This year is seen as a unique opportunity to ... Read more →

A Spectrum of Rabbi-Student Relationships in Light of the Year in Israel

By Talya Laufer | Comment ()
The Gemara in Berakhot 62a relates a series of anecdotes about two Tanna’im and an Amora and the extremes to which each of them went in order to learn from his teacher. R. Akiva and Ben Azzai followed their mentors to the bathroom, while R. Kahana lay hidden under the marital bed of his ... Read more →

Shanah ba-Arets: Bridging the Gap

By Fran Tanner | Comment ()
The year spent in Israel is often referred to as “the gap year,” a term that is quite problematic.  A gap implies a hole, a break between two parts.  This terminology encourages us to view the time spent studying in Israel as a break from the “real life” which comes before and after ... Read more →

Now in the Five Towns: Chronicling the Year in Israel

By Chesky Kopel | Comment ()
“The year in Israel is a relatively secretive phenomenon, a closely guarded mystery whose inner workings are known only to the students who have already experienced it.”[1] The year in Israel experience has become a centerpiece of the Torah education process in many of our communities, ... Read more →

Truly Once in a Lifetime? An Approach to Maximizing the Israel Gap Year Experience

By Tammie Senders | Comment ()
It is almost de rigueur for Modern Orthodox Jewish teenagers to spend a gap year in Israel following completion of high school.  For some, it is the experience of a lifetime, a Camelot in Jerusalem.  For others, it is a disillusioning journey in a foreign land with a different culture and ... Read more →

After Israel: Potential and Pitfalls on Campus

By Naomi Berman | Comment ()
I come to the discussion about the year in Israel experience from the particular vantage point of someone who has been involved in shanah ba-arets programs as well as the Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus (JLIC) in the United States.[1]  My husband and I were the dorm parents and Ra”mim ... Read more →

Eved Kena’ani: The Other Jewish Slave

By Chana Cooper | Comment ()
Throughout history, Jews have contemplated the practical and ethical implications of the biblical injunction of slavery. As recently as the 19th century, the discussion of biblical slavery was of practical interest. During the American Civil War, a public and heated dialogue about the ... Read more →

Derekh Ha-Limmud

Comment ()
The Long-awaited issue on Derekh Ha-Limmud & Talmud Torah is finally out! Below are all the articles from the issue.  You can also view the full PDF here. Derekh ha-Limmud: The Means, Modes, and Methodologies of Jewish Learning - Editor’s introduction with an overview of the ... Read more →