July 6, 2023
Published by Tradition Online at July 6, 2023
For today’s fast of 17th Tammuz, Yitzchak Blau discusses the affecting Israeli film “Agadat Hurban” (Legends of Destruction), which captivated audiences with its release two years ago. Aside from its appropriateness as we commence the Three Weeks, Blau argues that it is even timelier in light of current civil strife in the Jewish State.
July 3, 2023
Published by Tradition Online at July 3, 2023
For Independence Day let us consider what is the halakhic obligation for our community to take responsibility for strengthening the bonds of democratic community as such. Alex S. Ozar takes up this task in “Towards a Jewish Theology of Democratic Citizenship,” TRADITION Winter 2023 – now open access.
June 29, 2023
Published by Tradition Online at June 29, 2023
TRADITION concludes this year’s installment of our Editorial Board’s selections for recommended summer reading. Read the second round of recommendations and peruse previous lists of TRADITION’s Summer Book Endorsements for 2020, 2021, and 2022. Congratulations to Sammy Groner of Yonkers, NY, for first correctly predicting the highest number of books to appear on this year’s list.
June 26, 2023
Published by Tradition Online at June 26, 2023
TRADITION continues its yearly tradition of turning to our esteemed editorial board for endorsements for summer reading. Some of the picks could easily be predicted, others are quite surprising, all are worthy of your attention. Read the first of two installments.
June 22, 2023
Published by Tradition Online at June 22, 2023
Chaim Strauchler calls for more halakhic questions on gun ownership as he discusses the emergence of Jewish gun clubs and their roots in Jewish thought—this week in Tradition Questions.
June 20, 2023
Published by Jeffrey Saks at June 20, 2023
Israeli illustrator Shay Charka explains how Art Spiegelman’s “Maus” liberated Jewish culture by appropriating anti-Semitic stereotypes: “Spiegelman’s most significant contribution to the rehabilitation of the Jewish spirit after millennia of persecution culminating in the Holocaust is specifically through his depictions of Jews as mice.” While a Missouri School Board debates banning "Maus," we revisit this post which originally appeared in TraditionOnline's "The BEST" series.
June 19, 2023
Published by Tradition Online at June 19, 2023
We are surrounded by irritants and triggers that fracture our attention; along with information overload, we are overwhelmed with pings, lights, and other technological spears that goad us to pay them mind. This is a serious challenge for the life of the spirit, which demands focus and kavvana. A new book about Christian monks in late Antiquity and medieval times argues that these hermits and seekers were obsessed with the issue of distraction. Ariel Evan Mayse demands we pay attention, to this new book, “The Wandering Mind,” and helps us focus on parallel teachings in our own tradition, from Hasidism and mysticism, that may help our minds wonder more and wander less.
June 15, 2023
Published by Tradition Online at June 15, 2023
R. Ilay Ofran of Kibbutz Yavneh, head of the mekhina Ruah haSadeh, and a psychologist, has become an important voice in the Religious Zionist community. His recent book, profiled by Yitzchak Blau in this week’s Alt+SHIFT, addresses the challenges involved in maintaining our religious tradition in the contemporary world.
June 13, 2023
Published by Jeffrey Saks at June 13, 2023
Before the launch of this year’s TRADITION editorial board summer book endorsements, enter our contest to predict the titles to appear and WIN A YEAR'S SUBSCRIPTION to our print journal for yourself as a new or renewing subscriber, or to gift to someone else.