Jewish history
How a machzor survived over six centuries and Nazi attacks to make it to Israel
The first volume of the machzor was completed in1272 in Wurzburg, Germany. Today, it is displayed in the National Library in Jerusalem.
This month in Jewish history: The first permanent government of Israel
Israel's heart is not in Tel Aviv - it is in Judea and Samaria - opinion
What honoring our parents teaches us about faith, logic, and Judaism
Parashat Beshalach's lessons on unity, shared risk, and IDF service
A segment of Israeli society – largely comprising traditional, Religious-Zionist, and secular Jews – carries the overwhelming weight of military service.
Parashat Beshalach: The joy of ‘mitzvot’
Recounting for the first time the story of an entire people who, after long years of harsh and grueling bondage, emerge into freedom.
Does history repeat itself? Recognizing the potential danger of modern antisemitism - opinion
It seems that when the term antisemitism is replaced by anti-Zionism, in a twisted manner, legitimacy is achieved globally.
A new exhibit honors writer Lore Segal, a child survivor and lifelong skeptic of easy truths
The title of a new exhibit mounted by the Leo Baeck Institute in New York: “And That’s True Too: The Life and Work of Lore Segal,” will be available on April 15.
This week in Jewish history: Nobel prize winners, biochemists, and the Baba Sali
A highly abridged weekly version of Dust & Stars – Today in Jewish History.
The high price of not listening: What Pharaoh teaches us about power and humility
Pharaoh ignored every warning until his nation collapsed. His mistake isn’t ancient, it’s painfully familiar today.
One degree of separation: How Jews connect through trauma, unite in hope - opinion
By every rational measure, such repeated traumas should have left the Jews scattered, fragmented, and broken. But as our story goes, that’s not what happened.
Zionism didn’t start in Europe, and Ethiopian Jews can prove it - opinion
For more than 2,500 years, Ethiopian Jewish leaders preserved Jewish law, ritual, and identity in one of the most isolated Jewish communities on Earth.
Vayigash after October 7: Tears, envy, and consolation pedagogy - opinion
What Joseph teaches Israeli society today
Hanukkah: The Maccabees weren’t symbols; they were fighters - opinion
The Maccabees prevailed because they refused erasure – militarily, culturally, and spiritually. Contemporary Jewish survival requires the same multi-front refusal.
