Secular Israelis are obsessed with traditional Judaism. Micah Goodman helps explain why. Micah Goodman (Shalom Hartman Institute/JTA Montage)
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(JTA) The Jewish Telegraphic Agency has partnered with the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America, a center of Jewish thought and education in Israel and North America, on
, a podcast about Jewish news and ideas.
After Micah Goodman published his latest book, “The Wondering Jew: Israel and the Search for Jewish Identity,” in Hebrew last year, he enjoyed a resurgence of interest in his previous work by his fellow Israelis.
Over the previous decade, Goodman had released a stream of books introducing secular Israelis to foundations of Jewish tradition, from the biblical Moses to Maimonides. In his latest book, he laid out an argument for engagement with those texts by Israelis who don’t see themselves as religious about 44%, according to Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics.
The Times of Israel Podcast presents the Best of 2020. (Images courtesy/ iStock photo)
A year ago when we decided to reboot the weekly Times of Israel podcast, I jumped at the chance to pick up the mic and create an audio magazine to supplement my colleagues’ fine writing.
Most of our 2020 Times of Israel podcast playlist is a mix of nerdy Jewish and archaeology stuff, in-house staff chats, conversations with experts in a wide swath of fields, and fun, tuneful talks with musicians.
But some interviewees are closer to my heart: I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with friends about fun flicks with our New York-based film critic Jordan Hoffman, and about deep, nation-building concepts with Israeli philosopher Micah Goodman. Innumerable times I’ve spoken with my longtime colleague Haviv Rettig Gur, who has never failed to be an informative pinch-hitter on almost any subject (did anyone say budget?).
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In the first of my series of “Mysteries of Judaism,” I pointed out that all of the biblical holidays, such as Passover, and rabbinical Jewish holidays, as Chanukah and Purim, were changed over the years. Some, as Passover on Nissan 14, even disappeared even though mandated in the Torah. Some, like Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, although many think these are the most holy of biblical Jewish holidays, are not mentioned in the Torah, both replace Bible holidays. In later “Mysteries of Judaism,” I pointed out with many examples that even Jewish laws and customs, even the Decalogue, which is not called Ten Commandments in scripture, received new different interpretations. Dr. Micah
The best religion books of 2020
Biblio-therapy for the ill at ease. That means all of us. Caste: The Lies That Divide Us by Isabel Wilkerson. Courtesy image
December 23, 2020
2020 has been an odd and unsettling year perhaps the oddest and most unsettling in our lifetimes.
I am not one to find silver linings in clouds, but here is one that I definitely succeeded in finding: my increased solitude gave me more time and mental space for reading.
Here, then, is my list of my favorite books of 2020, arranged alphabetically according to author. These are the books that kept me sane, inspired me, challenged me, and pushed me beyond an already damaged comfort zone. I believe that they should be on everyone’s reading list.
Z3 Conference Aims to Bring Diaspora Together During Hanukkah
Since 2015, the Z3 Project an initiative of the Oshman Family JCC in Palo Alto aimed to promote a stronger relationship between Diaspora Jewry and Israel through various educational and philanthropic efforts. This year, the Z3 conference that usually attracts thousands of people together will be virtual. From Dec. 10 to Dec. 17, the event is aligning with the eight days of Hanukkah.
Titled, “Visions of a Shared Future,” attendees can expect speakers of all backgrounds to discuss one of the seven unofficial core pillars of the Jewish people each day of Hanukkah. Rabbi Amitai Fraiman, director of the Z3 Project at Oshman Family JCC, calls these pillars TACHLIS: Tikkun Olam; Arts + Culture; Community; Holidays, Rituals and Shabbat; Learning and Education; Identity; and Safety and Security.