Arts & Culture

The eminent writer joins us to reveal the Jewish dimensions of her latest book.

Aug. 13 2021 12:01AM

“The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus and “The Silver Platter” by Natan Alterman distill, reinforce, and hallow what makes each nation distinctive.

June 16 2021 12:01AM

A newly rediscovered 1938 novel offers one man’s examination of how and why the single word “Jew” has come to define him.

May 5 2021 12:01AM

Quite a few masculine and feminine Hebrew words, when pluralized, take the form of the opposite gender. Why?

April 28 2021 12:01AM

Once a month in Manhattan, a small group of committed collectors gather to share their latest finds, identify fakes, pass on knowledge, and share in the arts of material remembering.

April 26 2021 12:50AM

The Jewish Soul: Classics of Yiddish Cinema, a recent collection from a major distributor, adds to the canon of Jewish movies in fascinating new ways.

April 19 2021 12:01AM

Meir Soloveichik explains how the seder’s four cups of wine elevate the holiday, while two enthusiasts recommend their favorite wines from the great regions of Jewish viticulture.

March 22 2021 12:01AM

A set of Torah shields recently exhibited by Sotheby’s isn’t just beautiful—it also contains a hidden biblical portrait of the court Jew’s inner conflict.

Feb. 10 2021 12:01AM

Historian, ambassador, public servant—Oren’s done it all. Now, after the publication of a new book of fiction, he joins us to talk about his multifaceted career.

Jan. 22 2021 12:01AM

The intimate, internal quarrel shows Jews doing what they have always done—but while they’re standing among people who have been dedicated to their murder.

Jan. 20 2021 12:02AM

The author of “My Quarrel with Hersh Rasseyner” was alienated from traditional religion not because of Orthodoxy in general but because of his yeshiva’s misanthropic separatism.

Jan. 20 2021 12:01AM

Some reflections on how we Jews cope with the majority culture around us, provoked by Handel’s beautifully crafted 1741 oratorio.

Dec. 22 2020 12:01AM

Hersh Rasseyner is inescapable. The guy-yelling-at-you figure reappears in each generation, going back to when even Moses pulled a “Hersh” for the entire book of Deuteronomy.

Dec. 21 2020 12:01AM

Five more of our regular writers pick several favorites each, featuring Stalingrad, the master, Margarita, parasitic minds, infectious ideas, dust, heaven, Zoom, traveling light, and more.

Dec. 18 2020 12:01AM