Yeshiva University Press and Koren Publishers Jerusalem are excited to announce the publication of The Soul’s Refuge: Meditations on the Psalms. Edited by Dr. Shaina Trapedo, assistant professor of English at Stern College for Women, this collection invites readers into the timeless poetry of Tehillim, the biblical Book of Psalms, through wide-ranging reflections by faculty and alumni of Yeshiva University. Contributors include Rabbi Dr. Jacob J. Schacter, Dr. Erica Brown, Rabbi Dr. Meir Soloveichik, Dr. Malka Z. Simkovich, Rabbi Hayyim Angel and Rabbi Shalom Carmy, among others. 

“While this volume began as a Google spreadsheet circulated among the Yeshiva University community during the pandemic, when the goal was to gather short reflections on the Psalms in meaningful collaboration in spite of imposed distance, it has truly become a shir chadash (“new song”) since,” said Dr. Trapedo. “We called this anthology The Soul’s Refuge as the call for maĥseh–physical and figurative shelter–is a recurring motif, and the recitation of the timeless verses of Tehillim continues to be a refuge and spiritual anchor for the Jewish people.” 

From lamentation to exaltation, grief to gratitude, solitude to solidarity, this edition explores the Psalms as dynamic expressions of the human experience and articulates a range of approaches that include historical context, homiletics, cultural reception, exegesis, literary analysis and personal meditation. Rather than an exhaustive commentary on all 150 chapters of Tehillim, this volume presents brief essays on individual psalms, arranged topically in unique categories, which illuminate the multifaceted nature of mizmorim as individual psalms that often intertwine the personal and communal, Jewish history, artistry, ethical insights and spiritual yearning. 

“In these dark times, Jews around the world have been turning to the words of King David to spiritually navigate this pivotal moment in history,” said Rabbi Dr. Stuart Halpern, senior advisor to the provost at Yeshiva University and one of the book’s contributors. “The Soul’s Refuge captures the multi-dimensional power of the Psalms, offering hope, inspiration and solace to those searching for meaning amidst the chaos.”