Three Hebrew words on a cross in Prague scandalize Dr. Julian Ungar-Sargon and spark a deep and intricate exploration of the relationship between the Jewish and Christian traditions in our post-Holocaust age.
Schechina Consciousness
In this essay, Dr. Julian Ungar-Sargon presents a survey of the different meanings that the word "Schechina" has taken on throughout the history of the Jewish tradition.
Two Types of Revelation
In this essay, Dr. Julian Ungar-Sargon explores two models of revelation exemplified by the different narratives of receiving of the Torah on Mount Sinai related in Exodus and Deuteronomy. He argues from the Hasidic masters that the difference between the two kinds of revelation is defined by the recipient.
Entanglement and the Unified Theory of Us: Judah and Joseph
Entanglement and the Unified Theory of Us: Judah and Joseph
In this fascinating essay, Dr. Julian Ungar-Sargon makes an analogy between the quantum mechanical concept of entanglement and the religious archetypes of Joseph and Judah.
Photo by Pete Kiehart
Searching Souls: Uman 2009
In this short essay, Dr. Julian Ungar-Sargon reflects on his annual trip to Uman.
Apikorsus and Epicurus: Rehabilitating Elisha
Apikorsus and Epicurus: Rehabilitating Elisha
In this essay, Dr. Julian Ungar-Sargon explores the theological implications of the apostasy of Elisha ben Abuya and makes the radical argument that in a post-Holocaust age, we need to reclaim his heresy.
The Sweetness of Torah
In this essay, Dr. Julian Ungar-Sargon reflects back upon the element of sweetness which exists in spades within the Hassidic tradition, but was missing from his religious upbringing.
Non Nobis Domine and Psalm 115
Non Nobis Domine and Psalm 115
In this penetrating essay, Dr. Julian Ungar-Sargon ties together the Latin phrase which means "Not for us, but for everyone," Psalm 115, Shakespeare's Saint Crispin's Day speech from Henry V, and Tisha B'av Kinot.
Grief and Intimacy: Tisha B’Av 2009
Grief and Intimacy: Tisha B’Av 2009
In this essay, Dr. Julian Ungar-Sargon reflects on the vector that extends from Biblical text through Midrash and Hassidic thought and on to later modern views of grief and recovery.
The Broken Vav
In this stream-of-consciousness essay, Dr. Julian Ungar-Sargon riffs on the Ishbitzer's Torah regarding the mystical significance of the Hebrew letter "Vav."
Agape and Eros in Relating to the Divine
Agape and Eros in Relating to the Divine
In this essay, Dr. Julian Ungar-Sargon explores the the ways in which the brother-sister bond and the husband-wife bond are used by the late Hassidic masters Noam Elimelech and Reb Nachman to articulate two radically new ways of interacting with the divine.
From Text to Myth
In this short essay, Dr. Julian Ungar-Sargon articulates a new way to approach texts in which the different levels of meaning emerge simultaneously.
Munich
As he prepares to depart for an off-season pilgrimage to Uman, Dr. Julian Ungar-Sargon plays with his grandchildren and takes stock of his life.
Torah as Access Codes to the Divine
Torah as Access Codes to the Divine: Divine Script
Dr. Julian Ungar-Sargon discusses a passage from the Degel, the grandson of the Bal Shem Tov, in this essay on the power of the divine script to heal broken souls.
The Fugue and Reading the Text and Myself
The Fugue and Reading the Text and Myself
In this essay, Dr. Julian Ungar-Sargon offers a meditation on the Bach C Sharp minor fugue from the first book of The Well-Tempered Clavier. Through a a close reading of the musical scholarship on this fugue, Dr. Ungar illuminates the process of reading sacred texts.
Tikkun Olam
Dr. Julian Ungar-Sargon reads the concept of "Tikun Olam" against the grain in this illuminating essay.
The Tears of Moses
In this essay, Dr. Julian Ungar-Sargon juxtaposes two instances in which tears are said to have written a text. The first is from Rabbi Nachman's Story of the Lost Princess and the second is Moses writing the last 8 verses of the Torah.
The Divine Wound
In this stream of consciousness essay, Dr. Julian Ungar-Sargon moves effortlessly from Caravaggio, to his son, Naftali Zvi's writing, to the Hasidic master Rebbe Kalonymous Kalman Schapira.
Lessons for the Foetus
In this essay, Dr. Julian Ungar-Sargon presents a series of Talmudic passages about the fetus. As he guides us through these fascinating teachings, a series of lessons emerge.
The Great Brotherly Argument
Dr. Julian Ungar-Sargon examines two approaches to the service of God: The bottom-up approach and the top-down approach.