The story of Queen Esther has a tremendous cultural resonance. We can see this resonance even today, more than 2,000 years after the events depicted in the Book of Esther, as the Queen Esther comparison is a frequent motif for political commentators assessing presidential politics.

Continue to the full article  |  More articles

Joe Biden and his team are preparing for the herculean task of taking over the enormous federal government. Any president-elect needs to develop a substantive plan of action, which derives from but is far more detailed than a platitude-filled campaign agenda. They do this via the presidential transition, a two-month sprint to get the new team ready. Over the years, transitions have changed, leading to misconceptions about how they work.

Myth No. 1

Continue to the full article  |  More articles

It is no secret that the United States and the world were unprepared for the coronavirus pandemic. The U.S. approach—hoping we could track and trace the virus—fell short in the face of asymptomatic human-to-human spread. Our belief that we would have the right countermeasure in our strategic national stockpile at the right time was wishful thinking.

Continue to the full article  |  More articles

Last night, the Hebrew month of Cheshvan began. In a Jewish calendar filled with holidays, fasts, and special observances, Cheshvan is the only month with none of these days. For this reason, it has the unfortunate nickname of Mar Cheshvan, or "bitter Cheshvan." For those who seek to put their faith at the center of daily life, Cheshvan feels different from the other months of the Hebrew year.

Continue to the full article  |  More articles

The High Holidays this year brought home to me the many ways in which Jewish ritual practice may be changing because of COVID-19, in ways that may not change back after the pandemic threat is no longer with us. Outdoor tents replaced indoor synagogues. Sukkot brought socially distanced family gatherings in people's backyards in place of a communal sukkah. Friends in non-Orthodox denominations stayed home entirely, and watched services on Zoom. Combined, the likely result of these changes, both big and small, seem likely to further disintegrate the cohesiveness of non-Orthodox communities while widening the divide between different streams of American Judaism.

Continue to the full article  |  More articles