Jewish Culture
Nine Words That You Didn’t Know Come From Aramaic
You might be surprised to discover that you speak a few words of Aramaic and you didn't know it.
Songs for Solitude
Three Hebrew language greats offer us very different poetic perspectives on isolation.
The Most Instagrammable Synagogues in the World
There is no shortage of beautiful Jewish architecture.
Ben Lerner’s “10:04:” A Look at a Modern Jewish Life
Ben Lerner's "10:04" explores contemporary struggles.
W. G. Sebald’s “Austerlitz:” A Search for Jewish Roots After the Holocaust
In "Austerlitz," W. G. Sebald explores European Jewishness in the post-Holocaust era.
Orly Castel-Bloom’s ‘Dolly City:’ A Sharp-Witted Look at Israeli Society
Orly Castel-Bloom's novel is not for the faint of heart.
Excerpt: ‘Dolly City’ by Orly Castel-Bloom (1992)
The first pages of this novel introduce its terrifying protagonist.
Philip Roth’s “The Counterlife:” A Five-Part Adventure
Philip Roth's "The Counterlife" explores contradictory realities through its protagonist, Nathan Zuckerman.
Excerpt: “King of the Jews” by Leslie Epstein (1979)
Leslie Epstein's controversial novel explores Jewish power dynamics in the Lodz Ghetto.
Vasily Grossman’s “Life and Fate:” A Journalist’s Retelling of the Horrors of World War II
"Life and Fate" brings the reader to World War II-era Russia, where the novel was written.
Excerpt: Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman (1960)
Vassily Grossman's "Life and Fate" was smuggled out of Stalinist Russia, where it takes place.