The posts on The New Spirituality blog are responses to Rabbi Sid Schwarz’s lead essay in his book, Jewish Megatrends: Charting the Course of the American Jewish Future (Jewish Lights). In that essay, which was posted on this site on May 5, 2016, Schwarz argues that any organization that hopes to speak to the next…
Like many people, I belong to a book club. We’re group of five women that meet over salads or sushi once a month for a lively discussion and lunch. My book club is comprised of educated, smart people who, while working and taking care of their families, also enjoy good books and lively discussions. Recently,…
From now until August 14 at the Art Institute of Chicago, there is a quiet yet remarkable exhibit of 100 photographs by the American artist Aaron Siskind (1903-1991) taken from the Institute’s extensive holdings of his work. The work feels like a retrospective as the photographs show such breadth and range in his images, and…
Ysoscher Katz, in his Aug 3 article “We Won’t Give Up On Israel, Even If American Historians Do,” bemoans that American Jewish historians are jumping ship in regards to Israel as a Zionist and democratic entity. He is referring to Hasia Diner’s and Marjorie Feld’s Aug 1 opinion article in Haaretz, “We’re American Jewish Historians….
The Yale Center for British Art has just reopened after an extensive building conservation project. On the fourth floor is Paul Mellon’s British art collection, and on the third floor, now through August 21, is the opening exhibition, “Modernism and Memory, Rhoda Pritzker and the Art of Collecting.” Seventy-two paintings, drawings and sculptures were gifted…
In every Torah portion, there’s an alcoholic drink just waiting to be discovered. So says amateur bartender Andrea Frazier and her fellow Kiddush Club devotees on Chicago’s South Side. Frazier has created a boozy, parsha-themed blog, “Tippling Through The Torah,” whose premise is that the weekly Torah portion can best be appreciated when accompanied by…
Strictly speaking, grilling food inside cabins has never been allowed at Camp Ramah in Wisconsin. But for Seth Rich, the Jewish Democratic National Committee staffer tragically killed in Washington on July 10, the prohibition rarely got in the way of a late-night salami cook-in or a marathon grilled cheese-making session. “Seth had a whole kitchen…
Hey, why the long “E”? Because the name of the restaurant is Ema — as in “mother” — and it’s finally open in Chicago’s River North neighborhood. Chef C.J. Jacobson’s menu is inspired by his time in Israel as a professional volleyball player. Spicy hummus, lamb kefta kebabs, kebabs, fresh salads and house-made bread are…
