Articles & Media

David N. Gottlieb’s work explores the intersections of Jewish thought, memory, and interpretation—bridging scholarship and lived experience. His writing has appeared in academic journals, general-interest publications, and online platforms, and he regularly contributes to conversations on Jewish history, culture, and spirituality through podcasts and public scholarship. Explore the links below to read, listen, and engage with David’s diverse body of work.

interior of a podcast studio with two mics

New Books Network Podcast: Self-Control Through Torah

Nov 5, 2025

David Gottlieb and his longtime study partner, Modya Silver, explore the weekly Torah portion through the lens of Cheshbon ha-Nefesh, Menahem Mendel Lefin's pioneering work.

close up of a hand holding the Jewish bible

Who Is a Jew in the 21st Century? The Fractalization of Jewish Identity

Oct 4, 2024

A cutting-edge volume that addresses central questions and issues animating Judaism, Jewish identity, and Jewish society in a global, integrated, and forward-looking way.

The Forgetting of Isaac: in Jewish Culture and Creativity

Oct 31, 2023

An investigation of the patriarch Isaac's digging of wells as a guide to the development of functional and spiritual independence and recovery from trauma.

The Akedah Project: David Gottlieb, The Akedah and the Shaping of Jewish Memory

Sep 13, 2020

How do stories shape Jewish memory? How does the culture itself remember its own history, its own archetypal stories, and the tension between the two?

close up of audio technician's hands in a recording studio

New Books in Jewish Studies Podcast with Marshall Poe: Episode 174

Jan 2, 2020

Exploring the Binding of Isaac, David N. Gottlieb uncovers how this story shaped Jewish memory and models interpretation as recovery from crisis.

Alan Falk. The Binding of Isaac (The Akedah), 2002. Oil on canvas. 69 in. x 48 in. © 2019. Courtesy of the artist.

Bound: Isaac, Immortality, and Ageism in the Academy - AJS Perspectives

Oct 17, 2019

A meditation on the masculine myths that shape academic life, from the Binding of Isaac to the modern university’s quiet altars of ambition.

Adi Holzer, 'Sacrifice of Isaac,' 1997Photo: Wikipedia

A Binding Legacy: How the arc of my father’s life led me to study the story of Isaac

Sep 24, 2019

Weaving biblical interpretation with personal history, David N. Gottlieb reflects on fathers, sons, faith, and the enduring scars of devotion.

Finding Solace in the Jewish Calendar After Our Daughter’s Accident

May 13, 2013

After a devastating car accident, a family finds meaning and healing through the rhythm of the Jewish calendar—from Purim to Passover and beyond.

David N. Gottlieb, PhD.

Author, Speaker, Teacher