By Aaron Giannini “Cover your eyes this time, then say it.” At this point, not only had I messed up the ritual of wrapping myself in tefillin, I apparently hadn’t even recited the shema correctly. I closed my eyes, put…
On Religion as a Defense Against Psychological Weakness: Rethinking Stereotypes of Baalei Teshuvah
By Savyonne Steindler The following is an excerpt from Savyonne’s senior thesis in anthropology: “Being a Baal Teshuvah: Religion and Secularism in the Lives of Newly Observant Jews in Washington Heights.” Her paper is grounded in two weeks of ethnographic…
A Meditation on Muscular Judaism
By Ephraim Margolin The stereotype of Jews as being physically inferior has existed for centuries. The otherness of the Jews, their insistence on being a people who dwells alone [1], and their characteristic refusal to assimilate has engendered a long and…
Thank You Jewish Studies
Thank You Jewish Studies! The Leviathan Jewish Journal staff wishes to extend our heartfelt thanks to UCSC’s Jewish Studies Program. Without the Program’s generous support, we would have been unable to publish this issue. We are grateful for the Program’s…
Letter From the Editor
After a hectic and controversial year, the Leviathan Staff thought it would be beneficial to revisit the subject of what it means to be Jewish in today’s world. This is in no way a simple question, as the diversity of…