Jewish Thought
Judaism and Astrology
The notion that the planets influence human affairs cuts against the core Jewish belief in free will, but many ancient rabbis believed it anyway.
Who Is a Jew: Patrilineal Descent
When Dad is Jewish and Mom is not, are the kids Jewish? Depends on who you ask.
Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi
The editor of the Mishnah is one of the most significant figures in rabbinic Judaism.
Yochanan Ben Zakkai
Student of Hillel contributed to the continued study of Torah and the protection of the Sanhedrin.
Who Was Hillel?
The preeminent sage of first century Palestine whose name is on Jewish campus organizations worldwide.
Maimonides’ Legal Writings
Maimonides' extensive writings on Jewish law, or halachah, remain an unsurpassed accomplishment.
Nehama Leibowitz: The Paradigm of a Torah Teacher
A woman who gained accomplished rabbis as her students, Leibowitz is considered among the great Torah scholars of the 20th century.
What Is Shmita, the Sabbatical Year?
The Torah calls for Jews to work the land six years and let it rest in the seventh.
Ancient/Medieval Jewish History
Judaism after the Temple
Coping with destruction and building for the future.
Who Is a Jew: Matrilineal Descent
Why is Judaism traditionally passed down through the mother?
Albert Einstein
The genius physicist's Jewish activism, while less famous than his theory of relativity, was significant.