Arts and Culture

an image of a person staring at the stars in the sky

Siman Tov U’Mazal Tov: Astrology and Judaism

Crystal Hill
Judaism's relationship with astrology is one that has many twists and turns. Jewish interest in the zodiac can be traced back to the time of the Babylonian exile, which is evidenced by the fact that many of the Hebrew names of the constellations are actually Hebraicized versions of the original Assyrian names.
Photo of a woman holding a movie slate in front of her face

Where Have All the Jewish Movies Gone?

Wes Hopper
I’ve been reviewing film and TV here at URJ for nearly a decade and have never seemed to lack for Jewish cinema to cover. Recently, I had the realization that the year was nearly half over, yet I hadn’t written a single movie review.
Photo of a man ripping his shirt off like Superman

Superman Can Inspire Us to be Jewish Heroes

Chaim Harrison
Superman embodies aspects that many of us strive to emulate: strength, compassion, honesty, and doing the right thing under all circumstances. So when James Gunn, the co-CEO of DC Studios, was announced as the writer and director of "Superman," the first movie set in the new DC Cinematic Universe (DCU), I was intrigued.
“Egyptian Border, Dawn,” 2024, oil on paper

Sam Griffin: Aftermath

Jean Bloch Rosensaft
Israeli artist Sam Griffin's paintings, forged in the crisis of war, convey the human capacity for healing and hope for a peaceful future for Israel and humankind.
Teenagers walking down railroad tracks while visiting a concentration camp

Ghetto: A Poem

Samantha (Sami) Silk
the path that we now follow / is the Exodus our ancestors never chose / flooding with pain they died not to swallow / the past spills into the river and flows