Reader-Submitted Stories of Jews and Civil Rights
In honor of the yearlong anniversary of America’s historic Civil Rights Movement, Moment is collecting and sharing stories about Jews' role in the movement. Here are two more, submitted...
Closing the Book of Life: A Jewish Forensic Expert on Death’s Mysteries
For many Jews, the Day of Atonement marks a time for solemn reflection. After all is said and done—sins tallied, forgiveness asked, the Book of Life...
A Moment with Comedian Paul Reiser on His NYC Return
Comedian Paul Reiser, best known for the hit 1990s TV sitcom Mad About You, is returning to the New York City stage to perform a stand-up...
Ask the Rabbis // Sin
"In contrast with other views, we are not born sinners, but by virtue of the human condition and our free will, we are bound to act sinfully from time to time."
Ask the Rabbis | Gun Control
We ask our rabbis, "Should Jews be for or against the right to bear arms?"
Jewish Word // Kinehora
In 2004, the stoic, cowboy-esque Clint Eastwood unexpectedly proved himself more Tevye the Dairyman than Dirty Harry. In response to a reporter’s question about the chances of his movie, Mystic River, winning the Best Picture Oscar, Eastwood cried, “Kinehora!” He explained that it was a Jewish expression used to ward off a jinx, one of countless protective folk actions intended to avoid, fool or attack evil spirits.
From Ghetto to Glamour
Entrepreneurial 19th-century Jewish immigrants reshaped the garmnet industry and paved the way for today's fashion superstars. From jeans to attached collars to Hollywood glamour to preppy clothes and schmatte chic, Jews have defined the American look.
A Jewish State? Einstein and Opponents in 1944
by Harold Ticktin
I recently plucked a yellowed 95-cent paperback from my burgeoning backlog--one called The Jews Among the Nations, published in 1967 by Erich Kahler,...
What is the Future of Religious Freedom in the United States?
We talk to some of the “rock stars” of First Amendment scholarship: Marci Hamilton, Charles Haynes, Douglas Laycock, David Saperstein, Marc Stern, Jeffrey Toobin, Asma Uddin and others to explore contested issues—from contraception to sharia—and shed light on what they think will happen next.
Sweets & Symbols on Rosh Hashanah
It's almost time for Rosh Hashanah, the sweetest holiday of the year. In case you need a little easing into the holiday spirit, here's culinary...
Behind the Scenes at East Ramapo
Last Sunday, listeners of This American Life caught an hourlong episode devoted to the story of a school district in East Ramapo, New York, an area whose residents...
A Question Revisited: Are The Old Synagogues of Eastern Europe Worth Saving?
by Phyllis Myers
I traveled to Poland in October 1989 as Central and Eastern Europe was emerging from a half-century of Nazi occupation and Communist rule....