Sample Sources
The sources below are those contained in our three curated collections—covering themes of Passover, Gender Roles, and Holocaust Resistance. They represent a fraction of the thousands of sources that will be available when the full site launches in 2024.
Creating God’s Presence in One’s Consciousness
“I am the Lord your God” [the first of the 10 commandments, namely, to believe in God] precedes [the second commandment] “You shall have no other Gods,” for through complete contemplation of “I am the…
A Son of the Ancient Race
A Son of the Ancient Race is one of the few paintings with Jewish themes made by Jozef Israëls. It is from a series of paintings and drawings of secondhand clothing peddlers in Amsterdam’s Jewish…
The Hand of Man
The Hand of Man appeared in the first issue of Alfred Stieglitz’s journal, Camera Work. Its title alludes both to the transformation of the natural world by humans and the capacity of humans to create…
The Traveler
The Traveler was painted soon after the Russian Revolution, around the time that Marc Chagall was appointed commissar of the arts for Vitebsk, the site of Yehudah Pen’s academy, where Chagall had…
Jewish Customs
An Addendum to the History of R. Moses Isserles
Rabbinic literature assigns to customs (minhag) an extensive and highly prominent role. In fact, the talmudic sages always looked upon customs with…
The Wars of the Lord
10. And now, with the Lord’s help, we will return to our primary question: We asked you to tell us, according to the opinion of the kabbalists, to whom do we say our prayers, and make all of our…
If I Forget Thee (Tsiyon tamati)
Zion my innocent one, Zion my desired,
To thee my soul yearns from far away;
May I forget my right hand should I forget thee, my beauty,
Until my grave is sealed upon me . . .
May my tongue cleave…
When to Sound an Alarm for Jews Abroad?
When should Jews in one country start protesting about what they perceive as the peril of Jews in another country?
To answer the question, we must first analyze the specific conditions of the…
Chosen Voices: The Story of the American Cantorate
Twenty-three Jews came to America in 1654 and some five million live in the United States today. Though this seems like a long story, it is but a short chapter in the history of Judaism. Anything…
Remarks at Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Swearing-In Ceremony
Thank you, Chief Justice. Mr. President, distinguished guests, colleagues, and friends. Not yet two months ago, President Clinton announced his intention to nominate me as Associate Justice of the…
Jerusalem and Athens: The Congruity of Talmudic and Classical Philosophy
The Talmud is one of the great, classical writings of human civilization—enduring, influential, nourishing. It claims its place among the most successful pieces of writing in the history of humanity…