Torah

This month in Jewish history: History, memory, destiny

A highly abridged monthly version of Dust & Stars.

AS AN astronomer, Ralbag influenced Copernicus.  Pictured: Nicolaus Copernicus Monument in his hometown of Torun, Poland.
‘Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad with her, all who love her.’

Shabbat Rosh Hodesh: At the threshold of renewal

'Spirituality can grow without diminishing anyone,' says the writer.

Parashat Tazria-Metzora: Turning lemons into lemonade

ANNOUNCER AND Dallas Cowboys great Pat Summerall on the sidelines during a Monday Night Football game in Irving, Texas, in 2005.

Your Investments: Financial modesty


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.’

Trump will go down as one of the Jewish people's greatest friends - opinion

With Israel’s future on the line, Trump’s support has reshaped the conflict with Iran in ways no previous president has.

People walk by a billboard commissioned by an evangelical group, which displays a picture of U.S. President Donald Trump with the words "Thank you God & Donald Trump", amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Tel Aviv, Israel, March 12, 2026.

Shabbat Hachodesh: A time to cleanse and begin again

Shabbat Hachodesh reminds us that national rebirth is not only a matter of borders, armies, and institutions. It is also a matter of values.

Ezekiel teaches that a true beginning requires cleansing.

Your Investments: The smart way to handle an inheritance portfolio

"Modern invention has banished the spinning wheel, and the same law of progress makes the woman of today a different woman from her grandmother." - Susan B. Anthony

SUSAN B. ANTHONY was an American social reformer and women’s rights activist between 1900 and 1906.

Parashat Vayakhel: A ‘kahal’ at war

As Israel faces its greatest challenges, the lessons of Vayakhel remind us of the power of unity in times of crisis.

ISRAELIS TEND to experience their identity more as members of a nation than as members of local congregations. Pictured: Celebrating Israel’s 77th Independence Day in central Jerusalem, May 1, 2025.

Parashat Vayakhel-Pekudei: Wisdom of the wise

“Give to the wise, and he will become yet wiser.”

A pile of books.

Argentina's Milei says 'proud to be the most Zionist president in the world' at Yeshiva University

"Hoppe is bothered that I am a strong supporter of Israel," Milei told the audience.

Argentinian President Javier Milei addresses and Audience at Yeshiva University on March 9, 2026.

Purification by fire: The red heifer and Iran

The struggle against the Iranian regime is not simply another round in an endless regional rivalry. It is a confrontation with a force that has sown instability and death for decades.

Like the red heifer's ashes, the destruction of Iran's instruments of death can become the catalyst for cleansing. A woman walks on the street following an Israeli and U.S. strike on a police station, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 3, 2026.

Parashat Ki Tisa: Fear and the choice of courage

From the golden calf to today, fear tests us, but faith and courage show the way forward.

Taking cover in Tel Aviv, March 1.