Rabbi Elie Kaunfer
Rabbi Elie Kaunfer is president and CEO of the Hadar Institute.
Articles by Rabbi Elie Kaunfer
What Does it Mean To Say: ‘All Who are Hungry Come and Eat’?
The Passover seder begins with a declaration that we will throw our doors open and invite the poor in — or does it?
Saying Kaddish Without a Minyan?
In the time of the coronavirus, Jewish communities cannot form prayer quorums in person to say the mourner’s prayer — but here's what they can do.
Is the Passover Story Eternal?
A debate among the ancient rabbis speaks to a stark difference of opinion about the operation of Jewish memory.
Mah Nishtanah: An Invitation to Dialogue
The various meanings of this well-known Seder phrase.
Mechayeh Hameitim: Reimagining the Resurrection Blessing
One of the most daring prayers in the daily Jewish liturgy has been frequently rewritten to reflect modern sensibilities. Here's another approach.
How Can I Pray If I Don’t Believe The Words?
Prayer is not a statement of belief, but a literary creation -- with all the power, nuance and complexity of literary creations.
The Mourner’s Kaddish Is Misunderstood
The prayer does not praise (or even name) God. Here’s why.
Imagine you don’t know how to read a novel.
In his last posts, Rabbi Elie Kaunfer, the author of Empowered Judaism: What Independent Minyanim Can Teach Us about Building ...