Follow Us
Twitter Feed
Past Issues (PDF)
22. Jewish Leadership
21. The Year in Israel
20. Halakhah and Minhag
19. Torah, Literature, and the Arts
18. Kol Hamishtakker (Part I, Part II)
17. Jewish Denominations and Sects
16. Academic Jewish Studies
15. Family and Community
14. Musar and Jewish Ethics
13. Orthodoxy in the 21st Century
12. Jewish Philosophy
11. Qol Hamevaser
10. Jewish Education
9. Politics and Leadership
8. Spirituality: Teshuva and Tefillah
7. Israel at 60
6. Emunah
5. Torah U’Madda
4. A Nation Unto Itself?
3. Derekh Ha-Limmud
2. Judaism and Pop Culture
1. Religious Growth & Change-
Popular Articles
- Orthodox Forum 2.0: Thoughts on the future of the Orthodox Forum
- A Burning Fire and a River of Tears
- A Crisis Deeper than Just Tuition
- Truth And Consequences
- “A Tree Planted on Many Waters”: Something About R. Aaron Levine z”l
- Strictly Kosher: How Haredi Literature Reflects and Influences Haredi Culture
- The Orthodox Forum: What and Why
- About Us
- An Interview with Rabbi Yosef Adler
- Single-Sex Education: Still Le-ka-tehillah
Latest Articles
The Daughters of Tselofhad and Halakhic Progressivism
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 →
An Interview with President Richard M. Joel
SZ: Can you describe your career trajectory- how you went from a career in law to a career in Jewish leadership? RJ: I can’t really say whether I ever had a career trajectory, and I’m not sure if I have a career in Jewish leadership. I often tell people that I am in no way [...]
Tirha de-Tsibbura and the Modern Synagogue
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
[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
“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
[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
[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
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
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 →
An Interview with Mrs. Mali Brofsky
What would you say are the basic goals of the shanah ba-arets for American students? I think the age at which people embark on this shanah alef experience is really a time of self-development and identity formation, and the year gives people an opportunity to think seriously about the ... Read more →
Shanah ba-Arets: Bridging the Gap
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 →
An Interview with R. Daniel Rapp
In your opinion, what is the most important impact that the year in Israel has had on the Jewish community in the Diaspora? In my opinion, the biggest impact is that members of our community recognize the value of full-time learning. I think the key to the year in Israel is that we ... Read more →
Now in the Five Towns: Chronicling the Year in Israel
“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 →
Israel, Judaism, and the Treatment of Minorities