Peter Himmelman

The writer is a recording artist and songwriter based in Los Angeles. You can see his blog ‘Peter Himmelman Musings’ at https://himmelman.wordpress.com.
People form a circle and walk on the empty streets in Tel Aviv, on the eve of Yom Kippur, September 24, 2023

An American perspective: Why Yom Kippur still brings Jews together, even without belief - opinion

We are made viscerally aware of the value of time, of a moment, of a day. And so it is with Yom Kippur, the Day.

SEPTEMBER 19, 2026
CELEBRANTS CARRY Torah scrolls as they dance during Simchat Torah at Rabin Square in Tel Aviv in 2024.

Light after October 7: A Simchat Torah reflection from an American Jew

This, I think, is the message of Simchat Torah: to hold firmly in one’s imagination the joyful possibility of a year made truly new.

OCTOBER 18, 2025
Israeli director Yuval Abraham (l) and Palestinian director Basel Adra speak on stage after having received the documentary award for "No Other Land" during the 74th Berlinale International Film Festival, Feb. 24, 2024 in Berlin.

In No Other Land, the villain is always Israel - opinion

The jubilant roar of the Oscar crowd after No Other Land won Best Documentary wasn’t just applause – it was an overt declaration that Israel is the villain.

MARCH 5, 2025

Meeting Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, an uncategorizable mind

We left Steinsaltz’s office not knowing precisely what category to place him in. It is not common to meet someone who truly defies description.

AUGUST 10, 2020
RABBI ADIN STEINSALTZ, who died on Friday – self-effacing charm, a quick wit and love.

What I learned from my mistaken right turn

There is no peace in this “sharing,” there is no progress, and there are no easy solutions.

JANUARY 11, 2016
Scene of stabbing attack in West Bank near Shiloh Junction on Route 60

I am sure (a few things I know in an uncertain time)

"The world is on its head again," but some thins are still certain.

DECEMBER 17, 2015
A baby sits in front of an Israeli flag