Torah and Western Thought: Jewish and Western Texts in Conversation
Beyond Purim: Power, Faith, and Freedom
Purim 2025
The biblical Book of Esther and Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice are opposites. One describes the Jewish triumph over anti-Semitism, the other the anti-Semite’s triumph over the Jew. READ MORE
Faith in the Festival of Lights
Chanukah 2024
The menorah borne aloft to Rome ultimately disappeared when the city was sacked by the Vandals, but it was remembered in lamps relit in Jewish homes throughout the centuries, as it will be this and every year at Hanukkah. READ MORE
Gratitude In Challenging Times
Thanksgiving 2024
The Thanksgiving we celebrate today evolved during periods of material struggle, political division and terrible loss. The lesson of American history is that national difficulties don’t detract from the meaning of Thanksgiving; they are the very grounding of gratitude. READ MORE
Jonah's Journey
Yom Kippur 2024
Read in its entirety in the synagogue on the afternoon of Yom Kippur, Jonah is the only multi-chapter book of the Bible to be so honored. What, then, makes it so significant, and what lesson does it teach about Yom Kippur? READ MORE
Love and the Law
Shavuot 2024
The Torah—a rigorous and complex code containing 613 commandments, to which the rabbis later added a myriad of further prohibitions and obligations—is for Jews an exquisite source of happiness, the ultimate embodiment of the Almighty’s love, and God’s greatest gift. READ MORE
The Drops of Wine
Passover 2024
One of the most renowned and venerable traditions of the evening, unmentioned in the Talmud but perpetuated for centuries, is the removal of a bit of wine from one’s goblet at the mention of each of the ten plagues, the divine wrath wreaked upon Egypt. READ MORE
Queen Esther, a Hero for Our Time
Purim 2024
A perplexing paradox lies at the heart of Purim, the holiday celebrated this week by Jews around the world. No day is more associated with Jewish joy; yet rightly understood the scriptural source of our celebration—the biblical book of Esther— proclaims a terrifying teaching. READ MORE
What We Ought to Say at the Seder
Passover 2023
From the very young to the hard-wisdom won, the participants at the Seder present a range of ages, abilities, and attention spans. And with great blessing comes the great responsibility of handling the complexities of intergenerational communication with care. One of the most devastating stories of a mismanaged parent-child relationship is captured in Shakespeare’s King Lear. READ MORE
From Generation to Generation: Passover and the Yearning for Freedom
March/April 2022
On the cusp of political liberation, one would expect Moses to speak to the nation of Israel about politics, law, or nationalism. But, as the late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks notes, Moses instead speaks about family—parents and children. "And thou shalt tell thy son in that day saying: It is because of that which the Lord did for me when I came forth out of Egypt." Passover teaches us that it is the transmission of history, of the ideas of the past—no matter how obscure or seemingly forgotten—that forge a nation and keep it healthy. READ MORE
Land and Literature: Rediscovering Our Humanity
January/February 2022
In a world so focused on individual identity and personalized experiences, it can be difficult to remember that we all breathe the same air and bleed the same blood. So it is vital we look to teachings that preach unity, camaraderie, and common humanity, whether they come from the Hebrew Bible's laws regarding the sabbatical year or the Christian poem, Dante's Inferno. READ MORE
Shavuot: Tales of Love and Friendship
May 2021
The biblical figure of Ruth means many things to many different people. To some, she is a symbol of conversion and acceptance. To others, an example of familial loyalty. Yet, in the text itself, Ruth serves as a model for the two most fundamental and critical relationships necessary for humanity to thrive: friendship and love. READ MORE
From Brisk to Jerusalem: The Triumph of Menachem Begin
April 2021
Menachem Begin, while not perfect, as all political leaders fail to be, was one of the most successful prime ministers the State of Israel has ever seen. Yet, with all his success, he understood that freedom and security come at a price. He was not afraid to remind the Jewish people of the hardships of their past and rebuke them when they let fear and uncertainty take hold of what he saw as Israel's destiny. However, along with this rebuke, Begin always offered a course of redemption, reminding his people that "The future is radically open." READ MORE
Pesach: From the Shakespearean Stage to the Shores of America
March 2021
The story of Pesach and the Exodus from Egypt is a tale of freedom and peoplehood that has served as an inspiration for millions across the ages. From the stages of Shakespeare to the halls of the Continental Congress to the streets of the Civil Rights movement, Pesach has provided—and continues to provide—a timeless and timely source of spiritual sustenance. READ MORE
Beauty and Statesmanship in the Book of Esther
February 2021
Esther is last in a long line of biblical beauties—characters who are labeled yafeh (beautiful) by the text—including Rebecca, Rachel, Tamar, Joseph and David. And while Esther's bravery and piety no doubt led to her victory over the wicked Haman, her beauty also played a role, allowing her to capture Ahasuerus' attention and find favor in his eyes. But those traits alone were not enough to save her people. Esther was also a tactician, a political genius who—with guidance from Mordecai—acted with patience and care, waiting for the right moment to take action. READ MORE
From Plymouth to Pennsylvania Avenue: America and the Hebrew Bible
January 2021
America is often described as a Judeo-Christian nation. Yet, for many American Jews, it can be difficult to decipher the particular Jewish influence on the republic. However, if one looks deep enough, it becomes apparent that the Hebrew Bible binds everything from the Mayflower Compact to Lincoln's second inaugural address. Ideas of covenants, not social contracts, rooted themselves into the land's fertile theological soil at its founding, while heroes like Esther still resonate today. The result is a rich American tradition and culture that all people can enjoy freely. READ MORE
Flames of Dignity and Resilience
December 2020
The story of Chanukah features two miracles, one physical and one spiritual, each with its own distinct legacy. On the one hand, as Straus Center Director Rabbi Dr. Meir Soloveichik writes, the victory of the Maccabees over their Greek oppressors is a symbol of the Jewish people's resilience, a resilience that British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill looked to for inspiration when rallying his people against the Nazis. On the other hand, as Straus Center Resident Scholar Rabbi Dov Lerner notes, the miracle of the flames represents the inner dignity of each individual, teaching us, just as we do with the candles, to look beyond utility and see everyone for who they are. READ MORE