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Candles on a large Hanukkah menorah shine in front of a Christmas tree at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, in 2015. Gregor Fischer/picture alliance via Getty Images

Hanukkah celebrations have changed dramatically − but the same is true of Christmas

Assimilation no doubt played a role in making Hanukkah the commercialized holiday it is today. But other factors shaped the modern festival, too, a scholar of Jewish studies and gender explains.
The power of putting basic elements in just the right order is key to both Jewish mysticism and computer coding. WhataWin/iStock via Getty Images Plus

From ancient Jewish texts to androids to AI, a just-right sequence of numbers or letters turns matter into meaning

Advanced artificial intelligence is new, but a similar idea has been around for hundreds of years: the power of a just-right sequence of numbers, letters or elements to animate matter.
Two women embrace before a Yom Kippur service held outdoors during the COVID-19 pandemic in Los Angeles. Al Seib/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Yom Kippur: What does Judaism actually say about forgiveness?

Many religions value forgiveness, but the details of their teachings differ. A psychologist of religion explains how Christian and Jewish attitudes compare.
When Dirty Dancing is reduced to its dance sequences, the powerful politics of the film are erased. Vestron Pictures

The Real Dirty Dancing reduces a political film to little more than coy dance numbers

Dirty Dancing’s dance sequences are stand-alone properties, famous in their own right. But when they’re considered in isolation, the film’s messy class, race and gender politics are sidelined.
A protest by ‘If Not Now’ outside the annual conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in Washington, D.C., March 2017. Gili Getz

As Israel turns 70, many young American Jews turn away

As Israel approaches the 70th anniversary of its establishment, many older American Jews will be celebrating. Many younger ones will wonder whether the Jewish state is something to celebrate at all.

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