In February and March 2024, the has continued to make a significant impact across the media landscape, with multiple new publications, podcasts, and other contributions.
In The Wall Street Journal, Director Rabbi Dr. Meir Soloveichik a deeper understanding of the iconic painting Washington Crossing the Delaware, and on the 25th anniversary of The Matrix, he on the meaning and relevance of the 1999 sci-fi classic for today鈥檚 world. In , he argued that in the nation鈥檚 response to the explosion of antisemitism since October 7, nothing less than the future of the free world is at stake. And in , he explored how the president of Argentina captured, in a single moment, what the Western Wall is all about.
Deputy Director Rabbi Dr. Stuart Halpern co-authored , a unique Haggada that collects primary sources and essays to highlight the impact of the Exodus story on American history. For Presidents鈥 Day, writing for , he examined a Revolutionary-era Hebrew prayer for George Washington. And in , he previewed videos the Straus Center produced with on 鈥淭he Hebraic Heroes of America.鈥 For Purim, Dr. Halpern published timely articles in (selected as a worthy read by 鈥檚 daily roundup), , and , and he joined the new podcast to discuss his edited volume Esther in America published by the Straus Center.
Senior Scholar Dr. Tevi Troy returned to 鈥檚 Take One Daf Yomi podcast for Bava Kamma 104 to discuss agents in presidential administrations. In , he placed the looming rematch between Biden and Trump in the context of previous rematches in the history of presidential elections. And in the , he reconsidered former VP Dan Quayle as model for the 2024 GOP running mate pick and discussed Quayle鈥檚 well-received speech at 麻豆区 in 1989. Dr. Troy also taught a class on 鈥淛ews and the American Presidency鈥 for the .
Program Officer Yisroel Ben-Porat joined to discuss his fall 2023 article in Tradition on the enigmatic early eighteenth-century figure, 鈥淩abbi鈥 Judah Monis鈥攖he first known Jewish-born degree recipient and faculty member at Harvard.
Finally, Associate Director Dr. Neil Rogachevsky argued in that citizens of the Jewish state must recover the single-minded attention to security that typified their country鈥檚 early days. And Straus Scholar Rebecca Guzman (SCW 鈥26) reflected in on her trip to Israel in January as part of a Straus Center solidarity mission.
