What the Saudi Visit to Israel Does—and Doesn’t—Mean
Unprecedented, but not necessarily a harbinger of strengthening ties.
July 29, 2016
S.Y. Agnon’s History of His Hometown, Told in Short Stories
Fish that turn into frogs, a dead count, and halakhic humor.
In the posthumously published collection of short stories titled A City and Its Fullness, the Nobel prize-winning Israeli author takes the reader through 300 years of the history of his birthplace, Buczacz. To mark the publication of a partial English-language translation of this work, Ariel Hirschfeld, Alan Mintz, and Jeffrey Saks discuss Agnon’s overall project, his use of the Jewish legal tradition as a source of humor, and some of the individual stories—including one where fish “miraculously” turn into frogs and another where a pious Jew must care for the body of a dead count. The session includes a reflection by the author A.B. Yehoshua, written especially for the occasion, on Agnon’s inventive use of language. (Audio, 76 minutes.)
July 29, 2016
Falling for Islamic State Propaganda about Christians
Yes, it’s genocide.
European Confusion in the Face of Terror
Before IS there was al-Qaeda. After IS there will be something else.
The Underground World of Ultra-Orthodox Quasi-Academics
Wisdom belongs to the discreet.
S.Y. Agnon’s History of His Hometown, Told in Short Stories
Fish that turn into frogs, a dead count, and halakhic humor.