Then and Now
A couple of months ago, I sat down with an Israeli journalist to talk about my work. It turned out that she was primarily interested in the issue of when and how "Judaism" as we more or less know it today emerged from the Israelite religion of the … [Continue reading] about The Rorschach Interview
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
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
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
"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