Nothing is so absolute about Simone Weil as the difficulty of parsing her contradictions. “Her writing radiates a cosmic empathy that coexists, sometimes on the same page, with a strain of intolerance blind to life’s tragicomedy,” Judith Thurman writes. nyer.cm/OYO8UJY

The Beginning artic.edu/artworks/73417/

This was a remarkable conversation. Josh and Shaindy—both left-wing progressive Israel activists—are an incredible couple on a fascinating journey. Learn how they became disillusioned with liberal American Jewish life and rediscovered traditional Yiddishkeit.

Joshua Leifer Bottom line: No matter your politics or upbringing—don’t give up on Yiddishkeit. ❤️

Jewish Currents and I were profiled in The New Yorker. Grateful for the privilege of this work, and for the people who do it with me. newyorker.com/magazine/2024/…

So grateful that my better half Shaindy Ort-Leifer and I had the chance to talk with the brilliant David/Dovid Bashevkin on this podcast. It's a conversation about leaving and returning, the transformative power of obligation, and a lot more too. I hope you'll listen!

New from me Chabad.org: A visit to CHAI, the world's oldest and first Chassidic art gallery chabad.org/news/article_c…

Dovid Margolin Chabad.org "...a kosher fast-food joint with an overly diverse menu." Great line!!!

Listen to J.J. and Dr. Yosef Bronstein discuss the life and thought of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson in the finale of our Chabad mini-series! open.spotify.com/episode/2UJReW…

If you haven’t been to the fields yet. Let me tell you: the king is there and I recommend visiting 10/10

what am I doing on this eruv shabbos? reading Samuel Spinner's witty and poignant review of Barry Trachtenberg, The Holocaust and the Exile of Yiddish: A History of the Algemeyne Entsiklopedye In geveb ingeveb.org/articles/revie…

drank this lovely and very underrated Malbec over shabbos I Drank This Over Shabbos

Dr Avrohom Abba Seligson was a chossid who the Rebbe called a “lamed vovnik” His life story was one of a kind, as was his relationship with the Rebbe When I read the book about him, I knew i had to interview his son who wrote it, R’ Michoel Seligson A homage to the chossid

My advance copy arrived today, looking forward to reading it. Publication date - November 29. amzn.to/4e2WMWg

My zaide, Rabbi Michoel Seligson, was on Bentzi Avtzon's podcast to talk about his father, my great-grandfather, Dr. Avrohom Abba Seligson, for whom I'm named! Unique & unconventional, at once a Chassid and doctor, working closely with the Rebbe to bring healing to thousands.

Amazingly, Tzivia (Sylvia) Reinin also had a hand in the writing of the very first mamer published by the Friedike Rebbe, prior to Rosh Hashanah 1928, in Riga I wrote a bit about this here (search Reinin in the article to find the relevant paragraphs) ingeveb.org/articles/a-lin…

From Lubavitch to Shanghai: The History of Tomchei Temimim in 11 Images chabad.org/3771094

Coming in May 2025 from Leore Sachs-Shmueli and Stanford Press! Sacred Emotions: Fear of Sin in Early Hasidism sup.org/books/cite/?id…

Happy to see my article about the Chai Art Gallery among today's editors' picks Mosaic mosaicmagazine.com/picks/arts-cul… Thank you Andrew Koss!