What's the point of God if God doesn't intervene? Rabbi Yitz Greenberg has spent more than sixty years wrestling with the meaning of faith after the Holocaust, and one of his central claims is that God increasingly expects human beings to take responsibility for the world rather than waiting for divine intervention. But if that's true, what role does God actually play? And what does it mean for covenant, religious obligation, and prayer? In this conversation with Rabbi Scott Kahn and the Orthodox Conundrum Podcast, they discuss Rabbi Greenberg's understanding of Judaism as a religion that demands that we "choose life"; why he has significantly revised his famous idea of the "voluntary covenant"; why he believes God's increasing hiddenness represents not divine absence, but a more mature stage in the relationship between God and humanity; and what all of this means for the relationship between Orthodox and non-Orthodox Jews. This is a wide-ranging conversation about God, Torah, the Holocaust, religious pluralism, Christianity, human responsibility, and what faith means in a world where God may not intervene in the ways that we expect. Tune in at youtube.com/watch?v=a3e9gr1n… or other podcast platforms. Rabbi Irving "Yitz" Greenberg is a preeminent Jewish thinker, theologian, and activist, and the author of several books including his award-winning magnum opus, THE TRIUMPH OF LIFE: A NARRATIVE THEOLOGY OF JUDAISM (JPS, 2024), and the new two-volume collection of essays, LIFE AGAINST DEATH.

JPS friends in Ottawa, Canada!  Join author Michael Shapiro at the Soloway JCC's 2026 Jewish Book Festival  Monday, October 19, 2026  |  7:00 PM - 8:30 PM In person at the Soloway Jewish Community Centre of Ottawa Illuminating the contemporary revival of the Jewish marriage contract, KETUBAH RENAISSANCE is the first to chronicle the remarkable contemporary rebirth of the art ketubah in America. It is a sumptuous book showcasing sixty of the most innovative ketubot of the last half century. Originally created 2,500 years ago as a unilateral marriage contract, the ketubah evolved from the tenth century onward into a richly decorated expression of love and commitment. However, it virtually died out in the first half of the twentieth century. Then, starting in the late 1960s, influenced by Jewish life and North American society at large, hundreds of artists and calligraphers began to imprint their unique aesthetic onto each ketubah design—a movement Judaica scholar Shalom Sabar calls “a veritable renaissance of the illuminated ketubah”. Learn more and register at jccottawa.com/bookfest/.

"In a collection of essays spanning six decades, the 93-year-old thinker argues that Israel’s mission is not simply to thrive, but to wield power without sacrificing human dignity." Rabbi Irving "Yitz" Greenberg sat with @TimesofIsrael to discuss LIFE AGAINST DEATH, his new two-volume collection of essays reflecting a lifetime of pioneering activism and Jewish thought. These influential works recognized as classic in his oeuvre identify turning points in Jewish life, along with policies key to successful Jewish living in the modern world. This collection includes new introductions to each essay, two previously unpublished essays, behind-the-scenes stories, as well as Greenberg's evolving thoughts and insights on the relevance of the core principles in our changed times.  Read the full interview at timesofisrael.com/after-oct-…. Rabbi Irving "Yitz" Greenberg is the author of several books including his award-winning magnum opus, THE TRIUMPH OF LIFE: A NARRATIVE THEOLOGY OF JUDAISM (JPS, 2024). Learn more about Rabbi Greenberg's work at JPS.org.

October 7, Three Years Later: What Have We Learned? With Dr. Rafael Medoff Wednesday, October 7, 2026 | 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM ET Presented by @JewishWisdom24 in partnership with The Jewish Publication Society Three years after October 7, what have we truly learned—and what are we still refusing to confront? Join historian Rafael Medoff for a sharp, unflinching conversation examining the political failures, military realities, and human consequences that continue to shape Israel and the Jewish world. This timely discussion challenges assumptions, surfaces hard truths, and asks what must change moving forward. Medoff is the author of The Road to October 7: Hamas, the Holocaust, and the Eternal War Against the Jews (JPS, 2025), and founding director of The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies, in Washington, D.C. He has written 20 books about the Holocaust, Zionism, and American Jewish history. Exclusive 25% program discount for JPS readers with discount code jps2425 at the link below. Register for the conversation at wisdomwithoutwalls.org/rafae…. #October7 #jewishhistory #antisemitism

JPS is honored to announce the publication of Rabbi Irving "Yitz" Greenberg's new 2-volume collection of essays, LIFE AGAINST DEATH. In these volumes, Greenberg curates, introduces, and reflects on the most important essays written over the course of his lifetime in the United States and Israel, from 1965 to 2025. These influential works recognized as classic in his oeuvre identify turning points in Jewish life, along with policies key to successful Jewish living in the modern world. Greenberg begins by reflecting on the universal struggle of life against death in the world. Judaism and the Jewish people are meant to serve as an avant-garde in repairing the world by overcoming the enemies of life, including oppression and war. Volume 1 presents essays on America and Israel, and Volume 2 explores the Holocaust and Jewish-Christian relations. New introductions to each essay narrate behind-the-scenes stories and breakthroughs formative to its contents, as well as Greenberg’s evolving thoughts, and insights on relevance of the core principles in our changed times. Two essays have never been published before: “The Religious Significance of the State of Israel,” and “Israel and World Jewry After October 7.” Readers will get to know Greenberg as a thought leader, an activist, a man, and a Jew. Learn more at jps.org/books/life-against-d…. #jewishbooks #jewishphilosophy #jewishtheology

Illuminated Scriptures: Reading the Torah Through the Qur’an Tuesday, October 6th at 7:00 PM ET Presented by @cjewishhistory in partnership with @AmericanSephard Hosted in-person at the Center for Jewish History - 15 West 16th St., New York How can reading sacred texts side by side deepen our understanding of both traditions? Join the Center for Jewish History and the American Sephardi Federation for a timely conversation marking the publication of ILLUMINATING SCRIPTURAL CONNECTIONS: A QUR'ANIC COMMENTARY ON THE TORAH, an ambitious new work by interfaith leaders and scholars Rick Sopher and Abdulla Galadari. Drawing on all fifty-four weekly Torah portions, the book places the Torah and the Qur'an in dialogue, illuminating shared narratives, prophetic traditions, ethical teachings, and theological questions while thoughtfully exploring where the two texts converge and diverge. Sopher, a leading figure in Jewish-Muslim dialogue, and Galadari, a scholar of Qur'anic hermeneutics, invite readers to encounter these foundational scriptures not as isolated traditions but as texts that have long spoken to many of the same questions about faith, justice, prophecy, and human responsibility. Their collaboration demonstrates how close reading and rigorous scholarship can open new pathways for understanding across religious communities. Moderated by Mehnaz M. Afridi, Professor of Religious Studies and Director of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Interfaith Education Center at Manhattan University. Learn more and register at programs.cjh.org/event/illum….

Temple Emanu-El's Center for Interfaith Dialogue hosts a conversation on ILLUMINATING SCRIPTURAL CONNECTIONS Monday, October 5th at 6:30 PM EST In-person at Temple Emanu-El - 1 East 65th St., New York, NY Join Rabbi Joshua Davidson and interfaith speaker, Sabeeha Rehman, for a fascinating panel discussion with Dr. Abdulla Galadari and Rick Sopher, authors of ILLUMINATING SCRIPTURAL CONNECTIONS: A QUR'ANIC COMMENTARY ON THE TORAH. The panelists will delve into the way that the Qur’an deals with characters and stories found throughout the Bible. Through a close reading of the text, they will demonstrate the close connection between Islamic and Judaic scriptures, discussing both the Qur’an’s deep reverence for the Torah and its dismay that some Jews did not adequately follow it. Book signing by author Rick Sopher to follow! Learn more and register at emanuelnyc.org/calendar/cent….

Congratulations to author Michael Shapiro on his book KETUBAH RENAISSANCE being named a Distinguished Favorite for the 2026 NYC Big Book Award in Judaism. Mazal tov, Michael! Learn more and order this acclaimed book at jps.org/books/ketubah-renais…. #jewishart #ketubah #jewishwedding #jewishbooks

"At a time when Muslim-Jewish relations have reached new lows amid wars in the Middle East and imported tensions, readers may be surprised that a ray of light can be found in unexpected sources. Contrary to some popular belief, the holy scriptures of Judaism and Islam offer a route to better understanding between followers of those faiths." Co-authors Rick Sopher and Abdulla Galadari reflect on their new book, ILLUMINATING SCRIPTURAL CONNECTIONS: A QUR'ANIC COMMENTARY ON THE TORAH, in this essay for @thetimes, UK: tinyurl.com/TheTimes-Sopher-… Learn more and order the book with exclusive discounts at jps.org/books/illuminating-s….

"Each year on Simchat Torah, we read the end of Deuteronomy and then dive right into the beginning of Genesis, symbolizing the continuity of Jewish faith and tradition. Re-reading Genesis at a time of heightened fears and conflict is especially relevant because its stories illustrate the pain of human suffering and offer practical wisdom for healing." In this essay for @HadassahMag, Stephen Spector reflects on the healing wisdom of Genesis: hadassahmagazine.org/2026/08… Stephen Spector is the author of the recent release, GOD AND THE FIRST FAMILIES: PARENTING, TRAUMA, AND HEALING IN THE BOOK OF GENESIS. Learn more and order the book with an exclusive discount at jps.org/books/god-and-the-fi…. #Genesis #hebrewbible

JPS authors in the news! Mazal tov to Rabbi Pamela Barmash, author of MODERN RESPONSA: AN ANTHOLOGY OF JEWISH ETHICAL AND RITUAL DECISIONS on her election as president of the National Association of Professors of Hebrew: source.washu.edu/2026/09/bar… Pamela Barmash is a rabbi and a professor of Hebrew Bible and Biblical Hebrew at Washington University in St. Louis, as well as chair of the Rabbinical Assembly’s Committee on Jewish Law and Standards. She is also the author of "Homicide in the Biblical World" and "The Laws of Hammurabi: At the Confluence of Royal and Scribal Traditions."

"One of the conclusions that became increasingly clear to me throughout this project is something my co-author, Rick, often says: the similarities between the Torah and the Qur’an far outweigh their differences. Of course, important distinctions remain, but reading the two scriptures alongside one another reveals a remarkable degree of shared ethical concerns, narrative traditions, and theological commitments that are often overlooked."—Abdulla Galadari Co-authors Rick Sopher and Abdulla Galadari joined writer and book blogger Deborah Kalb for a conversation about their new release, ILLUMINATING SCRIPTURAL CONNECTIONS: A QUR'ANIC COMMENTARY ON THE TORAH. Read Deborah's interview with the authors here: deborahkalbbooks.blogspot.co… Learn more at jps.org/books/illuminating-s…. #interfaithdialogue #torahandquran

At the start of a new Jewish year, one of Judaism’s leading thinkers asks what it truly means to choose life. Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Jon Frankel welcome renowned Jewish thinker Rabbi Yitz Greenberg to the Common Faith podcast for a Rosh Hashanah conversation about creation, renewal and the choices that give life meaning. Greenberg reflects on his new collection of essays, LIFE AGAINST DEATH, and explores Jewish responsibility, Israel, pluralism and why the High Holidays call us not simply to reflect—but to choose life. Tune in to the conversation at common-faith.simplecast.com/…. Learn more and order the book at jps.org/books/life-against-d…. #jewishtheology #jewishbooks

Thanks to @JewishNewsUK for their coverage of the groundbreaking special event celebrating the release of ILLUMINATING SCRIPTURAL CONNECTIONS: A QUR'ANIC COMMENTARY ON THE TORAH by Rick Sopher and Abdulla Galadari: jewishnews.co.uk/jointly-sup… Learn more about the book at jps.org/books/illuminating-s…. #InterfaithDialogue #JewishMuslimRelations #torahandquran

Rick Sopher, co-author of ILLUMINATING SCRIPTURAL CONNECTIONS: A QUR'ANIC COMMENTARY ON THE TORAH, spoke to The Jewish Chronicle about his hope that his new book can help nurture better Muslim-Jewish understanding: thejc.com/judaism/the-new-to… Learn more and order the book with exclusive discounts at jps.org/books/illuminating-s…. #InterfaithDialogue #JewishMuslimRelations #torahandquran

"According to rabbinic tradition, God judges not only an individual on her own merit, but the community she belongs to as a whole. God judges not only Jewish communities, moreover, but the entire human family. The expectation that Jews keep their personal yearnings in mind alongside the needs of others as they listen to the shofar is no simple task. How can we wholeheartedly advocate for others while maintaining a sense of self?" JPS Director and Editor-in-Chief Dr. @Malka_Simkovich shares reflections on the Jewish new year in our September newsletter. Read her message, browse our High Holiday sale, and learn about our new release exploring connections between the Torah and Qur'an at the link below: tinyurl.com/JPS-Sept2026 #HighHolidays #jewishbooks