History

From Vilna to Eretz Yisrael: One Holocaust survivor's journey to Israel

Dov Levin escaped the Kovno Ghetto, fought in the forests, and crossed war-torn Europe alone to reach Israel - documenting every step of a journey defined by loss, resilience, and purpose.

The Ninth Fort Memorial for Kovno Ghetto Jews executed by the Nazis, in Kaunus (Kovno), Lithuania.
(L-R): MEIR HIRSCHFELD, 1936. IDIT PAPA, 1942

Letters of love and survival: A Holocaust love story preserved at Yad Vashem

CHINA’S ‘ICE CITY’: The giant snowman at Harbin Musical Park, a city landmark. Tourists enjoy Harbin’s Ice and Snow World (L) and the International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival.

From Harbin to Hollywood: The tale of two talented Jewish sisters in China's 'Ice City'

Iranian Kurdish fighters from the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK) take part in a training session at a base on the outskirts of Erbil, Iraq February 12, 2026.

As war reshapes the region, Kurds returns to center stage - opinion


A forgotten voice from 1391: 'Hasdai Crescas: Collected Writings' - book review

Hasdai Crescas became crown rabbi of Aragon under King John I and Queen Violant de Bar. He counted among his friends Rabbi Isaac ben Sheshet and Rabbi Simeon ben Tzemah Duran.

Inaugurating Hasdai Crescas Street in Jerusalem, 2011. Front row (from left): Esti Eisenman, specialist in Crescas and initiator of street naming; Prof. Warren Zeev Harvey, leading specialist in Crescas. Back row (from left): Regional council member Yael Anatbi, and Prof. Yomtov Asis.

From Rojava to the world: Kurdish-Jewish solidarity is a necessity - opinion

Memory, security, and a shifting Middle East reshape the meaning of Kurdish-Jewish solidarity as Rojava faces existential tests.

GENERAL HUSSEIN Yazdanpanah, commander-in-chief of the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK).

From nation-building to posting: How Jewish activism lost its way - opinion

As the war fades from public attention, the silence of influencer-driven Jewish activism reveals a deeper problem: advocacy shaped by visibility and incentives cannot endure without an audience.

Adam Edelman of Israel and Menachem Chen of Israel's bobsleigh team react after their run, at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics, in Italy, on February 16, 2026..

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.

‘WORMS MACHZOR,’ 1280; reconstructed cover, Volume 2.

This month in Jewish history: The first permanent government of Israel

A highly abridged monthly version of Dust & Stars – Today in Jewish History.

DIZENGOFF SQUARE, named for the Tel Aviv founding father.

From Der Judenstaat to modern Israel: Herzl’s vision in today’s world - opinion

Over 100 years after Herzl’s Der Judenstaat, Israel faces global antisemitism, internal divisions, and the ongoing fight for its survival.

Supporting a ‘Free Palestine’ as part of a ‘Stop Bombing Iran’ protest following the US attack on Iranian nuclear sites, near the US Embassy in London, June 23, 2025.

Looking back at George Washington’s 1790 letter, the root of American religious freedom

George Washington to the Jews of Newport, Rhode Island, and the presentation of him by artist Arthur Szyk.

Declaration of Independence of the United States. New Canaan, 1950. Featuring George Washington.

Jerusalem highlights: February 13-19

What's new to do in Israel's capital?

MAO concert (see Thursday)

A people without a plan is a people without a land: Zionism, goal-setting go hand in hand - opinion

Zionism without goals is not a mistake—it is a moral abdication, and we are standing inside it.

 THEODOR HERZL.

Knesset marks 60 years since building inauguration in traditional Tu Bishvat ceremony

The event celebrating Israel’s parliament is expected to host more than 2,000 visitors, including soldiers, police officers, Holocaust survivors, and students from schools across the country.

‎Inauguration ceremony of the Knesset building, August 30, 1966.