February 18, 2024
Published by Tradition Online at February 18, 2024
Yisroel Ben-Porat’s recent TRADITION essay offered an historical investigation of an enigmatic 18th-century figure, “Rabbi” Judah Monis—the first Jewish-born faculty member at Harvard, where he taught Hebrew for almost four decades. Monis converted in advance of his appointment, but seems to have maintained a complicated relationship with the Judaism he tried to leave behind. The Tradition Podcast spoke with Ben-Porat about this little-known chapter which opens very many questions about early (and contemporary) American Jewish identity.
February 15, 2024
Published by Tradition Online at February 15, 2024
In the long annals of TRADITION (and upon the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field), never have the words “Super Bowl” appeared. Chaim Strauchler introduces the phrase into one of these sacred canons to probe the moving lines between sports culture and religious stricture. Seeing the resilience of Orthodoxy’s connection to popular culture in a yeshiva’s Super Seder, Strauchler asks how rising antisemitism affects the community’s feelings of apartness and “a part”-ness in the sports arena and beyond.
February 12, 2024
Published by Tradition Online at February 12, 2024
Sarah Rindner, reviewing the much-discussed “Reclaiming Dignity: A Guide to Tzniut for Men and Women” by Bracha Poliakoff and Anthony Manning (Mosaica Press), suggest the book prods one to observe that tzniut is something of a paradox. It testifies to the power of outer appearances while also insisting on the importance of the internal, objectifying women and also emphasizing their inner worth. Its excess is problematic just as is its absence. Read Rindner review from TRADITION’s recent issue.
February 8, 2024
Published by Tradition Online at February 8, 2024
Prof. Benjamin Brown surveys both the history and contemporary role of Haredi society. In a comprehensive and sweeping volume, he provides chapters on Mitnagdim, Hasidim, and Sefardim, and also draws distinctions between mainstream Haredim, moderates, and extremists. Yitzchak Blau, suggests that although some of the material may be well-known to followers of the Haredi world, Brown adds new details and fresh insights.
February 5, 2024
Published by Tradition Online at February 5, 2024
TRADITION vol. 56 no. 1 (Winter 2024) has arrived with a special section of reflective essays on the current crisis in Israel and the Jewish world. Subscribers will soon receive their issue in the post and have full access to content online. See the issue highlights and access some open-access content.
February 1, 2024
Published by Tradition Online at February 1, 2024
Bar and Bat Mitzva celebrations now include custom-designed logos that families splash across invitations, party décor, and swag. While past celebrations might have reached back to childhood, today’s logos often evoke consumer brands and corporate culture. Chaim Strauchler asks about what messages this sends to our children in these critical moments of spiritual and cultural transmission?
January 30, 2024
Published by Tradition Online at January 30, 2024
TRADITION and Hakirah are proud to partner in publishing “The Jewish Religious Experience from Halakhah, Aggadah and Kabbalah: Two Series of Lectures by Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik,” based on the notes of Rabbis Robert Blau and Yaakov Homnick. Click here for more info and to order your print copy.
January 28, 2024
Published by Tradition Online at January 28, 2024
Writing from Israel, our editor Jeffrey Saks considers the war’s challenges for our religious community, the heartening reality of Jewish unity, and some sharp questions it all poses for our way forward. Listen to this Audio Editor’s Note accompanying TRADITION’s forthcoming Winter 2024 issue, with special content related to the ongoing war in Gaza.
January 25, 2024
Published by Tradition Online at January 25, 2024
Yonatan Feintuch’s “Panim el Panim” makes a major contribution to the growing world of aggadic study. He shows how paying attention to halakhic and aggadic context enhances aggadic interpretation and reveals that literary sensitivity to intertextuality, leitwort, and word-plays enriches our reading. Beyond a literary reading, Feintuch outlines varying models for how an aggadic text can impact on the legal discussions in the Talmud.