History

Irving Berlin’s 1926 interfaith marriage sparked a Jewish debate that still hasn’t gone - opinion

For more than a century, interfaith marriage has functioned as a kind of Rorschach test within American Jewish life, alternately framed as an existential threat or a potential avenue for renewal.

Irving Berlin and his wife Ellin Mackay appear in a photograph in the late 1920s. The 1926 marriage between the wildly popular Jewish songwriter and a Catholic heiress was a media sensation.
Coins.

The Jewish immigrant who shaped America’s most famous coin - opinion

What the GPR scans revealed about the Ararat 'Noah's Ark' formation.

Pottery fragments found near Ararat renew debate over site of Noah’s Ark

A nostalgic stamp series issued by the Postal Service in honor of stamp collectors.

For stamp collectors: The nostalgic stamp series issued by the postal service


Bronze Age ‘covered wagon’ emerges as Armenia’s best-preserved ancient vehicle

The Lchashen wagon features a complex mortise-and-tenon construction with bronze fittings that join at least 70 components, while its canopy frame alone required hundreds of precisely mortised holes.

A four-wheeled canopy wagon was recovered from the Lchashen cemetery near Lake Sevan, December 29, 2025.

Yad Vashem chairman: Holocaust memory is under sustained attack

Preserving the memory of the Holocaust is not optional. It is a responsibility to the victims, survivors, and future generations

Actor Rodie Kozlovsky performs in a play incorporating the works of the late German artist and Holocaust survivor Leo Haas at Yad Vashem’s newly opened theater.

Cocktail party: Raising a glass to 2026 with the stories behind your favorite drinks - explainer

The Singapore Sling originated in 1915 at the Long Bar in Singapore’s iconic Raffles Hotel. Bartender Ngiam Tong Boon designed it to look like juice so women could discreetly drink alcohol in public.

Toasting the new year with a colorful, cordial cocktail.

Before ‘SNL,’ there was Sid Caesar and a roomful of Jewish writers

Legendary Jewish comedian Sid Caesar dominated the television screen beginning in the 1950's and left a lasting mark on American showbusiness as we know it.

Imogene Coca and Sid Caesar in a promotional photo for "Your Show of Shows," in 1952. The television show ran on NBC from 1950 to 1954.

82 years after his plane was shot down in China, Jewish WWII pilot Morton Sher is laid to rest

The remains of Lt. Morton Sher, identified earlier this year, were buried in Greenville, South Carolina, on Dec. 14, what would have been his 105th birthday.

Morton Sher's fighter plane was shot down in 1943.

Parashat Vayigash: Sharp emotional transitions

The Torah describes the emotional upheaval, the sharp transition from deep sorrow to astonishment and joy, when Jacob discovers that Joseph is alive and even holds a senior position in Egypt.

'The Recognition of Joseph by his Brothers,’ by Peter von Cornelius, 1817.

Byzantine-era coins, ring discovered in Judean Desert point to Christian presence in region

The site is linked historically with Saint Sabbas, one of the founders of Judean Desert monasticism, whose legacy shaped monastic practices for centuries.

Rare Byzantine-era gold coins discovered at the Hyrcania archaeological site in the northern Judean Desert.

New Rome metro stations showcase ancient treasures after years of delays

Excavations for the new stations revealed remarkable finds, which slowed work as archaeologists painstakingly preserved layers of ancient Rome they hadn't known were there.

eople look at the artifacts found during the construction of the new metro line at the Colosseum metro station which promise to dazzle locals and tourists with museum-like displays of archaeological discoveries, in Rome, Italy December 16, 2025.

Archaeologists find 2,000-year-old labyrinth that reveals India’s role in ancient global trade

The structure is composed of 15 concentric stone circuits - the highest number ever documented in an Indian circular labyrinth.

India archeologist. Ilustrative.

Archaeologists find Switzerland’s oldest gold coins dating back 2,200 years

Two rare Celtic gold coins dating to the 3rd Century BCE were uncovered near Arisdorf, marking the oldest gold coins ever found in Switzerland, shedding light on ancient trade and ritual practices.

Ancient Celtic gold coins found in Switzerland.

From Antiochus to Mitsotakis: Israel's Mediterranean ties defy historical precedent - editorial

King Antiochus IV Epiphanes must be turning in his grave as Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited Israel to discuss regional security, energy, and technological advancement.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides hold a press conference in Jerusalem, December 22, 2025.