From the journal
Essays on Jewish wisdom, the moments it speaks to, and how the matching engine inside Shalem actually works.
How AI matching works in a Jewish wisdom app: a transparent breakdown
A transparent technical and editorial breakdown of how Shalem matches user emotional input to Jewish source texts — what the engine does, what it doesn't do, and why we made those choices.
EssayWhat the Jewish structure of grief is actually for
Shiva, sheloshim, the year of mourning, the yahrzeit — Judaism puts grief on a calendar. A close look at what that calendar is doing, and what it offers a contemporary mourner.
EssayModeh Ani: ten seconds of Hebrew at the start of the day
A close look at the Jewish morning gratitude line — what the twelve words actually say, why they don't include God's name, and what it means to begin a day with them.
EssayOn not knowing the Hebrew: a note for readers who weren't raised with this
If you didn't grow up with Jewish practice and you find yourself drawn to it now, the unfamiliar Hebrew can feel like a wall. A note on what the tradition actually says about this — and what it offers anyway.
EssayWhat 'spiritual practice alongside therapy' actually looks like
If you are in therapy and also drawn to a contemplative or spiritual practice, the two can sit alongside each other without contradiction. A close look at how, with the relevant research and practical patterns.
EssayWhat the Jewish tradition actually says about Tehillim and anxiety
A close look at how Jewish sources from the Talmud through Chassidic teaching understand the relationship between psalms and inner distress — and a practice for tonight.