Features

Off the Shelf God in body and metaphor

By Rabbi Rachel Esserman

What is the true nature of God? That’s a question that has been explored and debated over the centuries. There seems to be no satisfactory answer for everyone, even among believers, atheists and agnostics. Two recent books discuss this issue in very different way…

Jewish Online Resources 4/22/22

By Reporter staff

A variety of Jewish groups are offering educational and recreational online resources. Below is a sampling of those. The Reporter will publish additional listings as they become available. 

The Leo Baeck Institute – New York | Berlin will hold a hybrid event “Identit…

Off the Shelf: Collectors and the war, in fact and fiction

By Rabbi Rachel Esserman

The Oxford Languages English Dictionary defines the term collector as “a person who collects things of a specified type, professionally or as a hobby,” and uses the phrase “art collector” as an example. Jewish art collectors were of particular interest to Na…

Off the Shelf: Romance, fantasy or a combination of the two: Part one

By Rabbi Rachel Esserman

After some serious literary reading, I decided it was time for something lighter. On my review copy pile were six books that I thought would be perfect for this: romance and fantasy novels. Well, some of the works were more serious than I expected, although others m…

Off the Shelf: Haggadot – practical and impractical

By Rabbi Rachel Esserman

Most haggadot (the plural of haggadah) are designed for use at the seder table. Some include commentary for those interested in either the spiritual or historical aspects of the ritual. Others offer interpretative versions of the material for those who are unable t…