About the Author

William Kolbrener

William Kolbrener earned an MA from Oxford University and a PhD from Columbia University; he is currently a professor in the Department of English Literature at Bar Ilan University in Israel. An internationally renowned authority on Renaissance poetry and philosophy and the eighteenth-century proto-feminist Mary Astell, Kolbrener also publishes and lectures widely on Jewish life and learning. He is the author of Open Minded Torah.

My Favorite Child

My Favorite Child

by William Kolbrener

In a world that fantasizes about perfection, Shmuel did not meet any one’s expectations.

The Big Game: Baseball and the Jews

The Big Game: Baseball and the Jews

by William Kolbrener

Like baseball, the ups and downs of Jewish history are strands of one larger story.

Poetry of Repentance

Poetry of Repentance

by William Kolbrener

An English Professor discovers the poetry of the soul.

Making Exceptions

Making Exceptions

by William Kolbrener

Baseless hatred stems from hating others for what we fear may be true about ourselves.