A great many Jewish holidays and practices in their earliest understanding reflect the great innovation of Biblical religion which placed the emphasis on “historic events” in contrast to other ancient Near Eastern religions which stressed nature. As Abraham Joshua Heschel noted, faith is memory....

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The subject of Jewish identity has been a long term interest for me. My thesis at the Siegal College of Judaic Studies was on Jewish identity during the Second Temple period. My dissertation at the Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies was on Iberian Conversos, or Anusim. In either case, what...

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Every scholar has his or her unique story. Few, however, have as fascinating a story as the legendary Geza Vermes. Even fewer can weave their personal stories and transform their struggles as strengths into their professional work. Geza Vermes was one such person. Vermes was from Hungarian...

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One of the premier scholars of the Dead Sea Scrolls is Dr. Lawrence H. Schiffman of New York University. In fact, he remains the premier American scholar on the Dead Sea Scrolls to my knowledge. He taught as Yeshiva University and also served as provost there. One of the first books I read by...

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The process of developing curriculum for Yeshivat Meor Enaim is a slow but steady process. One of the exciting components we are adding is a blog which will highlight articles and recommended books that are critical resources to anyone who is interested in a broad Jewish educaition. Our blog...

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