Rabbi Jonathan Leener is a co-founder of Base Hillel, a new initiative in Jewish engagement, and rabbi of its Brooklyn site.
Opinion When Should Religious Leaders Get Political From the Pulpit? One of the best debates I remember having in rabbinical school was whether a rabbi should speak about politics from the pulpit. In theory it makes sense why a rabbi would try to avoid doing so as God is neither a Republican or a Democrat. The rabbi not only runs the risk of potentially alienating… By Jonathan Leener Jan 25, 2017 | 3 min read
News Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s selection as JTS commencement speaker roils graduating class By Louis Keene Apr 30, 2026 | 4 min read
Holy Ground A Jewish farmer broke ground on a synagogue in an Illinois cornfield. His neighbors showed up to help. By Benyamin Cohen May 8, 2026 | 6 min read
Culture An Israeli genocide scholar looks to Israel’s history to understand ‘what went wrong’ By Robert Zaretsky May 6, 2026 | 7 min read
News Protesters picket Manhattan synagogue over Israel real estate sale, testing Mamdani and new law By Hannah Feuer and Jacob Kornbluh May 5, 2026 | 4 min read
Culture What the private equity takeover means for the bagel industry By Mira Fox May 9, 2026 | 7 min read
Opinion I discovered anti-Zionism at the University of Michigan. I’m glad it lives on there By Gayle Kirshenbaum May 8, 2026 | 5 min read
Opinion An alarming new battleground in campus fights over Israel By Alanna E. Cooper May 8, 2026 | 4 min read