Hebrew, Semitics, and other Languages

  • “You say Shalom, I say Yala Bye: what language do they really speak in Israel?”
  • “Is Sephardic Pronunciation of Hebrew More Correct than Ashkenazic
    Pronunciation?”
  • “The Influence of Modern Arabic on Modern Hebrew”
  • “A Big Fat Greek Wedding: How the Marriage of Classical Languages Produced the Words We Speak Today”

The Bible and Jewish Thought

  • “Negotiating with the Almighty: the Power and Purpose of Persuasion”
  • Al Pi Hashem BeYad Moshe: the Divine Command, a Personal Struggle, and the Hands of Moses”
  • “Amos: Sardonic Prophet or Savvy Poet?”
  • “All is Vanity: What is the Meaning of the Book of Kohelet and what is its Connection to Sukkot?”
  • “Elijah, Elisha, and Prophesying through Personal Struggles”
  • “Vision and Vexation: the Prophet Habakkuk and His Intrinsic Link to Shavuot”
  • “Hannah’s Prayer and the Birth of Tefillah as We Know it: an Inside Look at Talmudic Logic and Reasoning”
  • “The Historical, Liturgical, and Musical Significance of Akdamut

Ancient Near East

  • “Text and Context: Understanding the Bible in Light of Semitic Languages”
  • “Bodies and Ballads: The Biblical Cult in Light of the Ancient Near East”
  • “Resolving Difficulties in Parashat Lekh Lekha in Light of the Ancient Near East”

Music and Jewish Music

  • Nusach HaTefillah: An Overview of the Musical Modes in Jewish Music”
  • “The Far-Reaching Influence of Jewish Music on the Great Composers of the Western World”
  • Kaddish: The History, Tradition, and Music Behind Judaism’s Most Revered Prayer” (featuring cantorial demonstrations of different Kaddish tunes from throughout the year)