Articles

Parashat Ki Teitzei: Snakebite When debt feels like venom, the Torah offers a cure: lending without profit, rooted in love and mutual responsibility. A timeless vision of brotherhood in an age of business By Lior Tal Sadeh

From Jerusalem Hills to Devon Fields On the 25th anniversary of Yehuda Amichai’s death, we look back at the close, long-lasting friendship between the Israeli poet and the English poet Ted Hughes, as remembered by Amchai’s son David By David Amichai

From the Ancient World to the New Age, From Demons to Gift Shops Medieval demon-summoning ritual objects became today’s New Age trinkets: Dr. Gal Sofer reveals how Solomon’s magical seals transformed across two millennia of religious and cultural boundaries By Alex Stein

Parashat Shoftim: Society Bears Responsibility When violence strikes, we blame individuals. But what if society bears responsibility? Through ancient biblical wisdom and a shocking Temple murder, we explore our collective accountability for bloodshed – forcing the question: Can we honestly say “our hands are clean”? By Lior Tal Sadeh

Parashat Re’eh: The Question of Vegetarianism Why does Jewish law emphasize separating meat and milk but permit eating animals? HaRav Kook’s controversial answer challenges everything vegetarians believe about ethics By Lior Tal Sadeh

Painting with the Rabbis Among other subjects, Pinchas Litvinovsky painted many rabbinical portraits, but they were nothing like the sacred portraits we know from Christianity By Gilad Halpern

Daughter of Artists, Mother of Change The daughter of renowned artist Israel Zohar and stepdaughter of Shir LaShalom songwriter Yankele Rotblit, Jerusalem-born singer-songwriter Alma Zohar carved her own path from carpenter to acclaimed musician. Now she’s expanded into children’s literature, poetry, and therapeutic workshops while maintaining her commitment to social justice

A Scholarly Whodunit For centuries, the Targum Yonatan has been attributed to an ancient sage who studied under Hillel the Elder. But Dr. Leeor Gottlieb’s groundbreaking research reveals a surprising truth: this “ancient” text was actually composed in XII-century Italy. Through literary detective work, he’s unravelling a mystery that challenges everything scholars thought they knew about this enigmatic biblical translation By Alex Stein

Parashat Eikev: “Beware Lest Your Heart Grow Haughty and You Forget” On the eve of entering the Land of Israel, Moses evokes the memory of slavery to issue a warning to the people of Israel: Do not become a new Egypt By Lior Tal Sadeh

Parashat Vaetchanan: Reflections on the Ten Commandments Following in the footsteps of poet Yehuda Amichai, I would suggest adding two more commandments to the original Ten: “Treat every person as a human being regardless of who they are and what they are,” and “Treat every person according to who they are and what they are.” By Lior Tal Sadeh

Parashat Devarim: These are the Words The first verse in the Book of Deuteronomy marks Moses’ transition from a vessel of God’s speech to a man of his own words – and therefore, a leader. By Lior Tal Sadeh

The Hitmaker In 1986, two debut albums changed Israeli pop forever. Behind the phenomenon was a romance that captivated the nation and a musical partnership that redefined what Israeli music could sound like. Meet Rami Kleinstein – the man who composed the songs that made Rita a star, and became one himself By BAC Staff

Parashat Matot: On Vows, Regret and Forgiveness When desperate words become sacred bonds, the consequences can be devastating. From Jephthah’s tragic sacrifice to the rabbis’ revolutionary annulment mechanisms, this exploration of biblical vows reveals profound questions about identity, transformation, and the price of change. Can we truly become new people – and if so, what do we owe our former selves? By Lior Tal Sadeh

The Hero with a Thousand Faces: Understanding King David’s Complex Legacy From giant-slayer to king, from poet to warrior – King David defies easy categorization. In her lecture series, Dr. Orit Avnery explores the Bible’s number one superstar. Through family drama, political intrigue, and divine encounters, David’s story reveals timeless truths about power, parenthood, and the human condition that resonate powerfully in our contemporary world By Alex Stein

Parashat Pinchas: Reform over Revolution When five sisters stood before Moses demanding their father’s inheritance, they weren’t just challenging ancient law – they were pioneering a timeless strategy for social change. The daughters of Zelophehad chose patience over protest, working within the system to create lasting reform. Their biblical story offers profound lessons for modern activists navigating the tension between revolution and gradual progress By Lior Tal Sadeh