Book Review | They Don’t Make Jews Like Jesus Anymore
By Pamela Eisenbaum
Daniel Boyarin, professor of Talmudic Culture at the University of California Berkeley, may be the most influential scholar of ancient Judaism today. He...
Ask the Rabbis | Are Jews Still Expecting a Messiah?
INDEPENDENT
Very few of us ever expected the Messiah. We spent most of our history hoping for one. And one day, indeed, the dove will return...
Jewish Word | A Word Fit for a King
By Caitlin Yoshika Kandil
Today, “messiah” usually brings to mind a personal savior, the end of time, the Kingdom of Heaven—or Jesus Christ. This grand, contemporary...
Nathan Guttman: Is the American Right too Right for Israel?
By Nathan Guttman
This election cycle has officially ended the decades-long debate over whether Israel should be an American campaign issue. For better or worse, it...
Eetta Prince-Gibson: Can a “Messiah” Save Israel Now?
By Eetta Prince-Gibson
“The Messiah is not coming. The Messiah is not going to phone, either.”
In a still-popular song from the 1980s, Israeli rock singer Shalom...
Naomi Ragen: The Ultra-Orthodox’ PR Problem
By Naomi Ragen
The cultural divide in Israel between Haredi and secular Jews has reached new extremes. In December, Haredi men spat upon a terrified eight-year-old...
Clifford D. May: Are We Too Fair-minded to Take Our Own Side?
By Clifford D. May
In the 20th century, a war was waged against the Jews of Europe. It culminated in the Holocaust. In the 21st century,...
From The Editor
By Nadine Epstein
Welcome to our Messiah Issue!
The specter of a messiah is alive and well in the 21st century. We may not think of it...
Messiah Mania: A Short History of Four Jews and Their Legacies
Jesus
Simon Bar Kokhba
Shabbtai Tzvi
Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson
No one can verify the exact number, but to date, Judaism has rejected at least 24 Jews claiming to...
What Does the Concept of the Messiah Mean Today?
Amos Oz
I’m a secular Jew. I am in dire need of sober political leadership, not of a messiah. But let me tell you this. In...
The Age-Old New-Age Approach to Judaism
by Kelley Kidd
This morning, I woke up feeling extremely grumpy. Too little sleep the night before combined with looming stress put me in a supremely...
Election News Roundup
By Monika Wysocki
Here's a look at a few religion and politics highlights from this week...
The newest front-runner in the wildly unpredictable GOP primary, former Senator...