Religion

From sirens to song: Friendship forged in Israel’s shared loss - opinion

Yossi and Moshe fought together, fell together, and now, rest together side by side on Jerusalem’s Mount Herzl.

Family and friends of Israeli soldier Moshe Yedidia Leiter mourn at his funeral at the Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem, November 12, 2023.
An Israeli flag flutters, with Ma'aleh Adumim is visible in the background, in the West Bank, August 14, 2025.

Understanding global criticism of Israel through historical, theological lenses - opinion

Dante and Virgil in the Second Circle of Hell, 1823. Found in the Collection of Thorvaldsens Museum, Copenhagen. Artist Koch, Joseph Anton (1768-1839).

What South Park and Dante get wrong about the Hebrew Bible’s Hell - study

Hillel was not asking for perfect emotion.

Love isn’t enough: Faith in humanity through the lens of the Torah


Exploring identity through art at Jerusalem's Museum on the Seam

Two exhibitions at the Museum on the Seam proffer an emotional reality check of the lay of our land.

Four young Palestinian women in Israel making their way through mainstream Israeli society.

Passover Haggadah Graphic Novel: Bringing the Exodus to life, visually - review

Experience the Exodus like never before with this graphic novel Haggadah, which makes the story immediate, visual, and unforgettable.

Haggadah

Az Nashir Haggadah: Women’s voices on the path to redemption - review

A Haggadah that blends tradition, contemporary Israeli reality, and women’s voices for a living redemption.

Prophet Miriam plays the tambourine as she dances and sings with the women as they leave Egypt. A Camden Press poster of a wood carving by the Brothers Dalziel after a mid-19th-century illustration by Edward Poynter.

Shas fills local rabbi posts with loyalists, sidelining community choice - opinion

Shas moves quickly to fill rabbinic vacancies, sidelining candidates who fit their cities.

Head of Shas party Aryeh Deri and Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef visit at the scene of suspected arson and vandalism at a Jerusalem synagogue which is often frequented by Rabbi Yosef, June 8, 2025.

This month in Jewish history: From Exodus to modern Israel, and many birthdays

A highly abridged monthly version of Dust & Stars.

Happy Birthday to: Yigael Yadin (3rd R), Israeli delegation member to armistice  talks in Rhodes, 1949, with Yitzhak Rabin {R);

From exile to nationhood: The enduring story of Am Yisrael

Passover marks more than freedom; it forged Jewish nationhood and a lasting identity that endured exile and returned as a living people in its land.

Millions of Jews who do not live in Israel shape their Jewish identity through their  connection to this land.

Parashat Vayikra: Mutual responsibility

Vayikra’s message of purity, repentance, and unity teaches that even without sacrifices, we can draw closer to God and to one another.

‘To be worthy, every individual must work on himself.’

Iran’s leaders may welcome chaos instead of fearing collapse - opinion

As the West gauges damage and deterrence, Iran’s ideological core may see war as a divine test, preparing the world for a messianic era.

A woman holds a portrait of Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, on the day of a gathering to support Mojtaba Khamenei, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 9, 2026.

From Parshat Zachor to war with Iran: Israel will never be defenseless - opinion

From a synagogue reading to the skies over Iran, the US-Israel alliance shows its enduring strength.

 U.S. President Donald Trump welcomes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the entrance of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 7, 2025.

Hearing Sieg Heil at 76: Why you can't kill the Jew inside - opinion

After a shocking antisemitic rally, a 76-year-old man embraces Judaism, reconnects with family, and finds community.

 Pro-Palestinian demonstrators march past King's College, one of the few colleges that have divested from companies benefiting from the Israeli war.