European Maccabi Games Come to Berlin
The symbolism of holding an international Jewish sporting event at Berlin’s Olympic Park—built by the National Socialists for the 1936 Olympics, from which Jewish athletes were excluded—was lost on no one.
Edward Hirsch — Poet Laureate of Grief
As Hurricane Irene descended on New York City in 2011, acclaimed poet Edward Hirsch received a text message from his only son Gabriel that he would be home in an hour. That was the last time he would hear from him.
Speaking Volumes // Austin Ratner on E.L. Doctorow
Many writers seem daunted by the autobiographical novel—ashamed to write of themselves, as if that were either self-indulgence or exploitation. And of course with James Joyce and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man as a paragon, many do not even dare to try. But Joyce didn’t frighten off E.L. Doctorow, who mined his own Depression-era childhood in New York for the 1986 National Book Award-winning World’s Fair.
Book Review // Léon Blum: Prime Minister, Socialist, Zionist
In November 1938, as Hitler was preaching his gospel of hate, French Prime Minister Léon Blum delivered a speech to the International League Against Anti-Semitism about “the tragic Jewish question.” Urging European nations to open their doors to the growing number of Jewish refugees who had been condemned “to a bitter and unfortunate fate,” he left no doubt about his identity…
Book Review // The Pawnbroker’s Daughter: A Memoir
The recently published posthumous publication, The Pawnbroker’s Daughter: A Memoir, draws attention to the powers of endurance of the American Jewish poet Maxine Kumin (1925-2014). The Yiddish word for strength, koyach, might have been the middle name of Kumin, a skilled swimmer and horsewoman who battled back after a near-fatal carriage-driving accident at age 73
Book Review // Ally
Ally would have been a more effective book if Oren had taken the time to consider the impact of his take-no-prisoners approach, writes Glenn Frankel.
The Bedouin Dilemma
Struggles over land & identity are at the heart of growing tensions between the Israeli government & its once-nomadic citizens.
Talk of the Table // Shakshuka
For years, falafel was Israel’s iconic food, its global culinary ambassador. But in recent years, another Israeli dish with working-class roots has become a major player in the game of street-food diplomacy: the savory tomato and egg mixture called shakshuka.
Opinion // Stop the Destruction of Palestinian Olive Groves
Trees matter, and Israelis, of all people, should understand why.
A Jewish Take on Caitlyn Jenner
by Amara McLaughlin Five years before Vanity Fair unveiled Caitlyn Jenner on their front cover, Joy Ladin’s story made headlines
40th Anniversary Symposium: Wisdom for the Next Generation
with Robert Aumann, Theodore Bikel, Leon Fleisher, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Jerome Groopman, Ruth Gruber, Fanya Heller, Madeleine Kunin, Walter Laqueur,