Articles

On the Threshold of Endings and Beginnings Hoshana Rabbah is one of the most mystical and fascinating days of the Jewish year. With its striking rituals, it carries echoes of ancient Temple rites and the secrets of Kabbalah. In this conversation, Kabbalah scholar Dr. Melila Hellner-Eshed reveals the layers of meaning behind “the day of the final judgment” and explores why thresholds, transitions, and the hope for life make Hoshana Rabbah so unique By Noa Sorek

Parashat Vayelech: The Art of Letting Go Moses faced every leader’s ultimate test: stepping down gracefully. He chose radical honesty about his limitations, prepared his successor, and created institutions that outlasted empires, transforming potential failure into enduring legacy By Lior Tal Sadeh

Parashat Nitzavim: It Is Not in the Heavens As Rosh Hashanah approaches, Moses’ counterintuitive teaching becomes urgent: the ability to change isn’t rare like gold but accessible like water. Repentance requires no extraordinary effort – only recognition of our natural capacity for renewal By Lior Tal Sadeh

Rosh Hashanah, But Not What You Thought: Ten Facts About the Holiday Where did the name Rosh Hashanah first appear? Why was it once celebrated for only a single day? Should it be observed with joyful celebration or with concern for the Day of Judgment? When did the custom of dipping apples in honey begin? Ten facts about the first holiday of the Jewish year By Dudu Cohen

Parashat Ki Tavo: The Crisis of Liberalism An ancient harvest ritual reminds us that rights alone are not enough – we need shared stories and responsibilities to sustain identity and community By Lior Tal Sadeh

Judaism’s Liminal Spaces Between Memory and Modernity: Jeffrey Saks discusses how S.Y. Agnon bridged the gap between the High Holidays and modern literature By Alex Stein

Sasha Argov: The Master of Melody This September marks 30 years since the passing of one of Israel’s most revered composers, whose songs achieved canonical status in Hebrew music. Ten facts about Sasha Argov By BAC Staff

Parashat Ki Teitzei: Snakebite When debt feels like venom, the Torah offers a cure: lending without profit, rooted in love and mutual responsibility. A timeless vision of brotherhood in an age of business By Lior Tal Sadeh

From Jerusalem Hills to Devon Fields On the 25th anniversary of Yehuda Amichai’s death, we look back at the close, long-lasting friendship between the Israeli poet and the English poet Ted Hughes, as remembered by Amchai’s son David By David Amichai

From the Ancient World to the New Age, From Demons to Gift Shops Medieval demon-summoning ritual objects became today’s New Age trinkets: Dr. Gal Sofer reveals how Solomon’s magical seals transformed across two millennia of religious and cultural boundaries By Alex Stein

Parashat Shoftim: Society Bears Responsibility When violence strikes, we blame individuals. But what if society bears responsibility? Through ancient biblical wisdom and a shocking Temple murder, we explore our collective accountability for bloodshed – forcing the question: Can we honestly say “our hands are clean”? By Lior Tal Sadeh

Parashat Re’eh: The Question of Vegetarianism Why does Jewish law emphasize separating meat and milk but permit eating animals? HaRav Kook’s controversial answer challenges everything vegetarians believe about ethics By Lior Tal Sadeh

Painting with the Rabbis Among other subjects, Pinchas Litvinovsky painted many rabbinical portraits, but they were nothing like the sacred portraits we know from Christianity By Gilad Halpern

Daughter of Artists, Mother of Change The daughter of renowned artist Israel Zohar and stepdaughter of Shir LaShalom songwriter Yankele Rotblit, Jerusalem-born singer-songwriter Alma Zohar carved her own path from carpenter to acclaimed musician. Now she’s expanded into children’s literature, poetry, and therapeutic workshops while maintaining her commitment to social justice

A Scholarly Whodunit For centuries, the Targum Yonatan has been attributed to an ancient sage who studied under Hillel the Elder. But Dr. Leeor Gottlieb’s groundbreaking research reveals a surprising truth: this “ancient” text was actually composed in XII-century Italy. Through literary detective work, he’s unravelling a mystery that challenges everything scholars thought they knew about this enigmatic biblical translation By Alex Stein