Tonight begins Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. It is a day that usually leaves me both unsettled and confused. Watching my children learn about the Holocaust from slick, well-designed and age-appropriate curricula has made me aware of … [Continue reading] about The Holocaust and Me
The Clothes of a Woman
This month, for the first time in a while, the group Women of the Wall managed to pray at the Western Wall without any serious incidents (here is a news report of the gathering). The group's goal, in addition to simply conducting a meaningful prayer … [Continue reading] about The Clothes of a Woman
The Gift in Antiquity
I am delighted to announce the publication of my new edited volume, The Gift in Antiquity, published by Wiley-Blackwell. The official description: The Gift in Antiquity presents a collection of 14 original essays that apply French sociologist … [Continue reading] about The Gift in Antiquity
Fee of a Whore
"You shall not bring the fee of a whore or the pay of a dog into the house of the Lord your God in fulfillment of an vow, for both are abhorrent to the Lord your God," the Bible declares (Deuteronomy 23:19; translation NJPS). This cryptic verse, … [Continue reading] about Fee of a Whore
The Disappearing Spy
Yesterday and today Israeli news has been abuzz with a story that dare not speak its name. In 2010 a mysterious prisoner committed suicide in an Israeli prison. The Australian press is reporting that this prisoner was actually an Australian citizen … [Continue reading] about The Disappearing Spy