The Arabic word for meat is nearly the same as the Hebrew word for bread. The source of the difference reveals much about geography, culture, and human settlement.

The author of a new book arguing that Israel is the lodestar of Jewish life even for Jews in the Diaspora joins us to talk about his argument.

The Hebrew Bible and the Odyssey are both preoccupied by the moral and political consequences of ungoverned sexuality and aggression.

Recent controversies in the French media suggest that wounds opened by the infamous trial over a century ago have yet to heal.

The Jewish philosopher heard in the silence of the Shoah’s victims a voice issuing a 614th commandment to the Jews. Was he right?

Despite extensive similarities, few readers have studied Genesis together with the Odyssey in hopes of illuminating the human condition. What lies waiting to be discovered?

The podcast covered everything from Israeli political challenges to Yiddish education controversies this year. This week, we feature excerpts from some of our favorites.

Four more of our writers pick several favorites each, featuring two Ruths, passengers, Lincoln, Verdun, chief rabbis, Jewish Montreal, sweet spots, a fortress, and more.

Five of our writers pick several favorites each, featuring a duke’s children, Jewish treasures, zealots and emancipators, revolts, dual allegiances, spies, and more.

In some cases, changes were minor. In others, Yiddish phrases were transformed nearly beyond recognition.