Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik is Orthodoxy's most eloquent response to the challenges of modernity and to the critics of Modern Orthodoxy. A Torah giant of the highest caliber, the Rav was also a world-class philosopher. In his studies in Lithuania, he attained the stature of a rabbinic luminary. At the University of Berlin, he achieved the erudition of a philosophical prodigy. He passed away April 9, 1993.
The Omer period is an appropriate time to remind ourselves of the importance of each day. We can make each day count by devoting proper time to our loved ones, to our friends and neighbors, to those activities that strengthen ourselves and our society. Don't wait for tomorrow or next week or next year. Life must be lived and renewed each day.
Rabbi Dr. Eugene Korn addresses significant issues in his book "Israel and the Nations: The Bible, the Rabbis and Jewish-Gentile Relations" (Academic Studies Press, Boston, 2023). Dr. Korn has devoted many years to interfaith work and is one of the most thoughtful Orthodox Jewish voices in this field.
In vitro fertilization has produced millions of viable babies. The ruling that greatly restricts this procedure is problematic on many levels--including halakhic.
The Bible has a singular vision for Jews and humanity. Beginning with the unprecedented declaration in the first chapter of Genesis that all people are created in God’s Image (Genesis 1:26–27), the Torah and prophets present a program for Israel and humanity that can bring about a redeemed, harmonious, religious-ethical world.
In his over 10 years of service to our Institute, Rabbi Hayyim Angel has reached thousands of people through his classes, publications, YouTube programs and more. In celebration of the occasion, the autumn 2024 issue of Conversations will include a collection of his articles. Please join in honoring Rabbi Hayyim Angel by contributing to a Scroll of Honor that will be included in this special issue of Conversations.
It has become common for Jewish students attending American institutions of high education to feel bullied, threatened, intimidated or silenced. What should be done? What can be done?
This article by Rabbi Marc D. Angel appeared in the Jewish Journal of Los Angeles, March 13, 2024.
This Op Ed by Rabbi Marc D. Angel appeared in the Jewish Link, April 11, 2024.
Miri Freud-Kandel has written an important book that not only sheds light on the thinking of Louis Jacobs but helps readers gain a deeper understanding of what is at stake when traditional Jewish faith comes into relationship with modern and post-modern challenges.