Articles

Parashat Va’eira: Anguish of Spirit The Israelites didn’t reject Moses’ promise of freedom – they simply couldn’t process it. Severe scarcity creates cognitive tunnels that block our ability to see possibilities, even when liberation is within reach By Lior Tal Sadeh

Making Room for the Other Léon Askénazi (Manitou) viewed fraternity as humanity’s central moral problem. Through biblical narratives and Jewish history, he explored how siblings – and societies – can create space for one another, with profound implications By Alex Stein

Between West and East: Zionism’s Oriental Turn Early Zionist thinkers grappled with profound questions of belonging: Were Jews Western or Eastern? Dr. Hanan Harif explores forgotten debates about Jewish-Arab kinship and Middle Eastern identity that shaped – and still challenge – Israeli consciousness By Alex Stein

The Girl in Braids Yardena Arazi is coming to Beit Avi Chai and this is an excellent opportunity to look back at her career By BAC Staff

Parashat Shemot: Righteous Women Before Moses, there were the women who defied Pharaoh’s death decree. Midwives, mothers, and a princess who chose compassion over cruelty – their resistance made the Exodus possible By Lior Tal Sadeh

When Homer Met the Mishnah The rabbis of the Mishnah and the Talmud didn’t shut out Greek culture – they engaged with it. Prof. Menachem Hirshman reveals how Greek rhetoric and philosophy shaped Jewish texts in surprising ways By Melody Barron

When Words Falter On the occasion of the opening of Beit Avi Chai’s new exhibition, My Life at the Moment: October 2023–October 2025, CEO David Rozenson introduces When Words Falter, the exhibition’s guiding idea. When language proves inadequate in the face of grief and uncertainty, art gives form to what cannot be spoken, as Jerusalem artists respond to an unresolved present By David Rozenson

Parashat Vayechi: On Reassurance When Joseph reassured his brothers, he offered comfort rooted in faith and purpose. But reassurance and comfort are not one size fits all. The real challenge is knowing what the person in front of us needs to hear By Lior Tal Sadeh

From the Talmud to the Supreme Court: Hebrew Law’s Role in Modern Israel A conversation with Prof. Benny Porat about Hebrew law, welfare law, and the 3,000-year-old library that can assist modern Israeli judges By Noa Sorek

An Inner Growl Jerusalem poet Hedva Harekhavi has passed away. Her extraordinary work preserved what Hebrew poetry almost lost: the free union of music and word creating urgent, uninhibited verse that flowed like ancient tribal song in a modern feminine voice By Noa Sorek

Hidden in Plain Sight: The Story of Ancient Jewish Life in the Golan Archaeological discoveries since 1967 have revealed a thriving Jewish community in the ancient Golan Heights, with over 25 synagogues and extensive trade networks, comfirming the region’s long-overlooked role in Jewish history By Alex Stein

Parashat Vayigash: Framing and Reframing The same reality can be seen as tragedy or providence, depending on how we frame it. Joseph’s reconciliation with his brothers reveals how reframing doesn’t just provide comfort – it’s a tool that shapes our experience and choices By Lior Tal Sadeh

Simon Frug: The Missing Link between Judah Leib Gordon and Bialik He was a revered genius who wrote in Russian, Yiddish, and Hebrew, and had a profound influence on Bialik – yet his name has almost disappeared. Who was that great forgotten poet? An interview with Dr. Velvl Chernin By Noa Sorek

Parashat Miketz: A Life for a Life When is it permissible to sacrifice one life to save many? A tragic shipwreck, an ancient Tosefta, and Joseph’s test of his brothers all converge on one answer By Lior Tal Sadeh

A Jewish Journey Through Hungary While Jewish communities were expelled from Spain and England centuries ago, Hungary’s Jewish presence endured almost without interruption. Historian Dr. Katherine Aron-Beller FRHistS reveals the rich tapestry of bourgeois integration, Hasidic mysticism, and tragic resilience that makes Hungary essential for understanding European Jewish history By Gilad Halpern