יום ראשון, י״ג תמוז תשפ״וSunday, June 28, 2026
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Baruch Hashem, we live in a world where many people desire to be exposed to the depths of the Torah. But there is a difficulty to surmount. How do you teach deep concepts to a student who does not yet have the background as a foundation to understand them?
I particularly liked how Ciment addresses hardships. He explains that setbacks are actually set ups for something way better.
Quirks of Hebrew language, prayer and the festivals are opened up to reveal much more to us than we might have originally thought.
One can only be a strong and effective team player to the extent that one has worked on oneself.
How much privacy is warranted once the information becomes public? What can everyone do when all the girls are talking about it among themselves?
By Yael Zoldan
Shoyer elevates pressure cooking from the tired stews and stringy, boiled chicken of the 50s to a more contemporary cuisine.
The author shows that when it comes to Jewish involvement in theft, the Jews themselves were not typically the ones engaged in stealing or robbing. Rather, they often served as fences, acting as middlemen between thieves and the eventual buyers of stolen goods.
With some exceptions, Talmudists had little in-depth knowledge of the Rav’s philosophical output, while his Talmudics were off the radar for philosophers.
Once the general parameters of antisemitism have been defined for the purposes of the book, the authors of the articles are free to discuss contemporary antisemitism in the three remaining sections.
Shortly before the diagnosis takes place, Esti becomes friends with Goldie, a woman raising three children by herself while her husband battles severe mental illness.
By Bennett Ruda
Protocols: Exposing Modern Antisemtism demonstrates in chapter after chapter that many of the claims against Israel by supposed objective authorities is in reality biased and error-ridden demonization.
By Eli Berger
We find perspective on the precious world around us, our own observance, and the vicissitudes of human experience.
It is so rare to find a Jewish book in which you feel sincerity and faith, and appreciate consistently excellent writing.
By Matt Lubin
Pandemics and even epidemics (localized disease outbreaks) have become increasingly rare over the past century, thank G-d, with the result that many people have become panicked or frightened by what they believe to be “unprecedented times.”
The book’s distinctive spiral binding and two-page-spread-per-case design allows a teacher, parent or grandparent to introduce the case in a classroom, at a Shabbat table or other gathering while retaining access to the deeper discussion on the other side.
Are Orthodox Jews really done with finding meaning and relevance in Jewish life? Or could we benefit from a perspective that doesn’t take anything for granted?
The vast majority of violations identified have a rabbinic resolution, often with more than one way to explain the situation.
Because the intent is for each chapter to stand on its own and enable quick reading, a few sections stand out for slightly more in-depth analysis.
Throughout this sefer the insight of the Vilna Gaon is joined with the Torah of R’ Tzadok and the Ramchal.
For the Arabs and their supports throughout the world, Deir Yassin has become a rallying cry against the state of Israel.
You will find commentary on the Torah explaining key takeaways from Avraham’s mission to leave his household, and taamei hamitzvot, explanations of the commandments... Yet you will also learn from G.I. Joe: “Knowing is half the battle.”
By Ben Rothke
The book's purpose is to lay out the legal claim to the territory formerly known as Mandatory Palestine.
By Naomi Gross
As Racheli gets swept up into his distorted vision, their downward trajectory takes on a disturbing life of its own, irrevocably spinning out of control.
The book demonstrates that various literary motifs were heavily influenced or established by Jewish writers, including time travel, alternative history, utopia/dystopia, and – of course – comedy.
Deir Yassin “was not the peaceful village many later claimed it to be.”
Pomerantz’s character modeled how to be sensible, intelligent, strategic, kind, firm, courageous and principled.
The Soul of the Mishna is a masterwork on teaching us how to see what was always there in front of our eyes the whole time.
Having been instrumental in rushing a secret power out of the Temple before it burned, Elazer ben Yair is in charge of the rebels and families holed up on Masada.
I'd like Here I Am to inspire kids, says Ungar, to show them how much a single person can accomplish, with Hashem's help.
While halacha is often determined by rabbinic consensus, spirituality is personal.
I believe that exposure to many of the concepts of Kabbalah would quell the questions of many of our youngsters and quench their thirst for something more spiritual.
The work represents another valuable addition to contemporary Torah study and an enriching commentary for both the scholar and novice alike.
By Zachary Beer
These topics lead to a sizable 600-plus page volume, but the book is incredibly well organized, allowing ease of reading for one who is studying the topic for a quick search for a particular halacha.
Convinced that her daily affirmations were reaching people and offering them a shot of positivity to get through their day, Betesh created Thank You, Hashem.
This is not a book for light armchair reading or one you can read in one sitting. It is an undertaking that can change your life and how you see the world.
The purpose of Mussar is to work on one’s own growth and not to attempt to fix others.
These differences are what makes Rabbi Adler’s new book so significant: He knew the Rav both in the classroom and in person. Even those of us who had the privilege of attending The Rav’s shiur had only an occasional glimpse from the vantage point Rabbi Adler offers us.
Avraham would never have been told by Hashem, ‘Lech Lecha,’ had Avraham not first passed through the obliterating crucible of Nimrod’s furnace.
Kids will relate to Yitzy’s struggles to do something grown-up and important while they are physically too small to accomplish it.
By Sandy Eller
There is something magical about being able to touch physical pages and turn them one by one as a narrative unfolds.
This story inspired my parents to name me Rachel; they too had to wait for years to be reunited while my father, Natan Sharansky, was imprisoned in the Soviet gulag.
By Ben Rothke
The authors have isolated these principles, namely: respect for tradition while encouraging independent thinking; a precise system of logical reasoning in pursuit of the truth; and a universal and never-ending education.
Day and night, Reb Schuster was at the Kotel, there at the right time to answer a young person’s heartfelt prayer for guidance.
It is often a challenge when the story told by Chazal is at odds with modern scholarship.
The Rebbe’s suggestion – just combine the shuls! Never mind the significant ideological differences and different nusach.
With the easy-reading quality of the book and the tradition of Brisker Chasidic scholars being devoted to studying the laws of korbanot, the title of the book was born.
The Oral Law helps in the proper understanding of the Written Law and the Written Law helps in the understanding of the Oral Law.
By dvora
She writes about the stigma and fear associated with dementia and the failure of religious communities, ordinarily admirable in their outreach to the sick and the needy, to step up to the plate.
By Tatum Stern
Unfortunately, now our generation is drowning in unhealthy food choices. For this, we and our children need navigation and inspiration to make healthy food choices.
Nowhere is the fragmentation of Rav Kook’s literary estate felt more keenly than in the great divide between the yeshiva and the academy.
By Ross Singer
Believing that the local Arab culture was backward and that they were the harbingers of progress, the Zionist pioneers were sure their endeavors would ultimately be embraced.
In his immigrant social circles, he hadn’t even known anyone who went to college, as finishing high school was considered the highest possible achievement for his peers.
Is she Israeli? Is she American? She feels out of place in the country of her birth, and unable to return to the homeland of her choosing.
By Yosef Linzer
This book completely changed the way I view my life and my avodas Hashem.
In contrast to the Chafetz Chaim, Rabbi Epstein returns to the Talmud and commentaries to analyze which ones seem to offer the most accurate interpretation of the Talmud text.
We get the opportunity to understand some of Rav Yoel’s methodology, and to experience his Shabbos table.
Some teachings and stories will leave you smiling, while others will simply take your breath away.
The ambitious collaborative effort that produced this new Koren translation with its vocabulary, syntax, commitment to elegance and readability emanates from Rabbi Sacks’s inspired vision and legacy.
Dr. Schipper set out to tackle a topic that has baffled science and philosophy for centuries – the nature of consciousness.
In many cases, it turns out that neurological diagnoses like dyslexia and ADHD are actually cases of Irlen Syndrome masquerading as a different disorder.
By Yael Zoldan
Many of the recipes are suitable for a simple family dinner but can also be dressed up for guests or holiday meals.
By Rabbi Dr. Mordechai Schiffman
Direct and indirect references to his previous works provide brief insights into his ideas about happiness, meaning, materialism, alcoholism, character, marriage, anger, sensitivity, honesty and teshuvah.
My history classes in school were dull and confusing with a mix of dates and facts, but historical fiction had drama, events and conflicts.
Dr. Sokol presents Rabbi Yochanan’s refusal to make the first move toward reconciliation as a “heroic choice” to “valorize respect for Torah’s masters over his own search of Torah truth.”
She was seeking people who felt the Holocaust viscerally, in the limbs of the body, as a deep personal trauma, not “as though” I was there, but – “Yes, I was very much there.”
Conceived as a project to help his scattered constituents prepare for Rosh Hashanah 5781, Rabbi Wildes sent out WhatsApp messages with thoughts and questions to consider each day.
By Rabbi Yitzchak B. Rosenblum
How do we approach the Jewish study of Tanach as a text with a universal message as well as a special message for the Jewish people?
I love the unstated hashkafa underlying the book. At a time when some communities are turning more toward rabbinic guidance as all encompassing, a voice urging autonomy is a wonderful call and is a true reflection of a modern hashkafa.
Rebbetzin Twerski does spend many pages considering the dynamics between friends, but she also includes chapters and anecdotes with more of a focus on the relationship between parent and child, grandparent and grandchild, husband and wife, siblings, and more.
By Ben Rothke
While the Rav may have been slightly hyperbolic with his comparison, what can’t be denied is that the genius and brilliance of Rav Chaim was, in part, bringing a scientific sophistication to the Talmud.
One cannot exaggerate the importance of these two volumes to those interested in the Shoah.
The statements of the Sages that are found in the book constitute tremendous bodies of knowledge and wisdom on their own.
The authenticity of the book is also worth noting. I particularly appreciated that when Sara reaches out with kindness to the classmate who teased her, the classmate is largely unreceptive. This rings true.
Not everyone can write or relate a dvar Torah, but everyone likes and can ask a riddle.
‘What Do You Really Want?’ reminds us that ‘trusting ourselves means knowing that whatever stands before us, we are up for the task’
It’s amazing how a Jew raised with minimal religion can still feel visceral discomfort when asked to pray in front of a Buddha or participate in a cremation ceremony. That growing feeling of disjointedness ever so slowly spurred Liane’s interest in her own heritage.
By JoeSettler
Assaf A. Voll has written one of the most comprehensive books on the history of the Palestinian People.
We meet the occupants of Rav Naor’s imagined library, general philosophers as well as musicians of Western culture. Where else does Leonard Cohen engage in dialogue with Rav Kook?
In addition to sharing how they processed trauma, frustration or sadness, many share happy, unexpected results of their struggles, and several note that the process of sharing their stories is therapeutic.
When I heard that The Rabbi of Buchenwald had been published, I was delighted, especially since I knew the book would not be just a tribute to Rabbi Hershel Schacter, but a highly significant, meticulously researched work of critical scholarship. And I was right.
Moshe Koppel’s new book, “Judaism Straight Up: Why Real Religion Endures,” explains why powerless, diasporic Judaism has no future.
The author of the book Ronit Treatman, the daughter of Israeli diplomats who speaks several languages and lives in Philadelphia, was inspired to write the book after she became involved with the Bnei Anousim, the tens of millions of people around the world descended from forcibly converted Spanish and Portuguese Jews through the organization Reconectar.
One of the book’s most creative and powerful essays discusses the so-called “IKEA effect,” which asserts that people value things in accordance with the amount of effort they put into getting or building them.
One question is about Marie Kondo’s cleaning philosophy... Does the animism that underlies Kondo’s philosophy invalidate her overall method?
By Nina Adler
Jenna’s writing is honest, raw, and moving. She describes the struggle to adapt to a new way of life for her and for her family.
By Chaim Lax
Dr. Rutland does a fantastic job at using Liebler's life story as a springboard to introduce the reader to the dynamics of the Australian Jewish community in the latter half of the 20th century.
By dvora
Edith Pollak would go on to work 14 hours a day reading notes from survivors and gathering information for files needed to reclaim their stolen funds, such as age, town, and the concentration camp and ghettos where they were imprisoned.
One of the themes prevalent in Jewish ethics is to judge others favorably even when their behavior seems to indicate otherwise.
The future of Western civilization is in our hands, whether it survives or disappears.
These so-called peace activists can’t even bring themselves to rejoice when Arab and Muslims leaders in the Middle East come to their senses and establish normal diplomatic relations with Israel.
If moments of squeamishness can be put aside, the reward is a lively read, filled with colorful characters and plenty of well-paced twists and turns.
For a long time, these sefarim were not accessible to the layman. Although some academics wrote about them, those who wanted a more traditional and less biased approach had few options.
By Sandy Eller
It’s not just that having children who love to read will buy you some well deserved quiet time – as every self-respecting teacher will tell you, getting kids to enjoy reading offers tremendous academic benefits that will serve them well, both in school and throughout their lives.
The book contains multitudes, all woven together so beautifully. The story is complex, as are the characters. It is fast-paced and character-driven. A page-turner.
Her family was supposed to have a nice trip to Eilat--instead...
Sharing her experiences with honesty and humor, she enables the reader to connect to her challenging journey with all its difficult and positive aspects.
I would have enjoyed a bit more emphasis on the period of the Rishonim and how they responded to the societal, geopolitical and cultural changes that swept through Western Europe at the end of the Middle Ages.
Koffsky's vibrant and whimsical artwork complements her clear, lively, and informative text.
June 26, 2026 
