By Rabbi Rachel Esserman
Jewish historical works often make it sound as if rabbinic Judaism rose like a phoenix from the flames of the Second Temple. They rarely discuss the change in leadership – from the priestly family to the proto-rabbis – that occurred during that period. The pries…
By Rabbi Rachel Esserman
When most American Jews think of Yiddish immigrants, the Lower East Side of New York City comes to mind. However, that was not the only city to attract Yiddish masses from Eastern Europe and Germany. As shown in “East End Jews: Sketches from the London Yiddish Pre…
By Rabbi Rachel Esserman
Before the Civil War, what were the varying beliefs held by American Jews concerning slavery? How did the fact that Jews were generally considered white affect those beliefs? Did the American Jewish population support the North or South during the war? As Richard Kr…
By Rabbi Rachel Esserman
There is something wonderful about watching an author’s work blossom and grow. In my review* of Iddo Gefen’s “Jerusalem Beach: Stories,” I noted that the stories “prove Gefen is a talent to watch.” There is, of course, always a danger that a work will no…
By Rabbi Rachel Essernan
Deciding whether a novel qualifies as a thriller or a mystery isn’t always easy. A novel that features police officers or private detectives usually falls into the mystery, who-dun-it category. Other popular mysteries feature amateur detectives who manage to cleve…
