Revisiting the Jewish Crime of the Century
Nearly 60 years ago, Meyer Levin invented the true crime genre with ‘Compulsion.’ Now, a new edition of Levin’s novel reminds us what compelled us to read about one of the 20th century’s most notorious — and most Jewish — crimes.
Sure, Jesus Was Son of God. But How Was His Fiction?
Many of us were taught to despise the Christian Scriptures. But one Jewish scholar turned the Gospels into a fascinating read that can teach us a lot about Judaism.
Anita Shapira Examines the Rise and Fall of David Ben-Gurion
Not another biography of David Ben-Gurion, you might say. Think again: Anita Shapira’s new biography is compact but powerful and timely, Jerome A. Chanes explains.
The Only Thing Worth Working For, Worth Fighting For, Worth Dying For
You’d think that Israel’s genesis would be well-trodden terrain. But a new book is the first to explore not only the rift between Jews and Arabs, but also the conflicts within those groups.
Orthodoxy — It's Not What They Want You To Think
The Orthodox world is a confusing place: terms like ‘modern,’ ‘Haredi’ and ‘Hasidic’ don’t mean what they once did. Jerome Chanes provides a surprising new taxonomy.
Maharat Graduation Surprised Me — Twice
It may have been the second time around, but Yeshivat Maharat’s graduation ceremony for Orthodox women still felt surprising — and inspiring — to Jerome Chanes.
Searching For the Soul of Menachem Begin
Israel’s sixth prime minister, Menachem Begin, came to power in 1977 in a political revolution. Biographer Daniel Gordis explores that history and its aftermath.
Give Me Liberty or the Tanakh
In Michael Walzer’s new book, the political philosopher asks a very basic question: How much room can there be for politics when God is the ultimate ruler?
'Portnoy's Prescience
Themes of family ties, Zionism and just plain Jewishness, which come to full flower in Philip Roth’s later masterpieces, are prefigured in ‘Portnoy’s Complaint.’
Life in British Mandate Palestine
‘Out of Palestine’ is a truly fascinating discussion of a period that is still incompletely and insufficiently understood: the last years of the British Mandate in Palestine.