Study
Anti-Semitic Stereotypes of the Jewish Body
Folk beliefs about horns and big noses have served to demonize Jews--and even Jews themselves have not been exempt from distorted images of their bodies.
Smoking, Alcohol, and Drugs
As a culture that values sobriety, individual responsibility, and health, Judaism is wary of substances that may cause more damage than the enjoyment they may bring their users.
Jewish Attitudes Toward Eastern Religions
Most traditional authorities dismissed Hinduism as idolatry, but in recent years, some Jews have become more tolerant of certain Eastern religions and practices.
Music and Jewish Prayer
Music in Jewish worship can be high art or popular song, by solo expression or with group participation.
Contemporary Jews and Halakhah
Jews of different stripes differ greatly with respect to their assessment of the role Jewish law should play today—and each camp has much to learn from the others.
The Way of the Gentiles
The prohibition against non-Jewish practices, might relate to the practices of ancient Egypt, Canaan or the social and philosophical ways of non-Jews today.
Mendele Mokher Seforim
The writing of Mendele Mokher Seforim offers a realistic and honest portrayal of village life.
How to Be a Host, How to Be a Guest
Jewish ethical literature provides practical, down-to-earth guidelines on how to behave towards one's guests and towards one's hosts.
What’s Wrong with Adultery?
The problem with marital infidelity is the loss of the relaxed intimacy that lets us be ourselves.
I and Thou: Selected Passages
When a person encounters another person in total immediacy, he or she may also experience a glimpse of God.