Jewish history

Middle Israel: How Jews and Palestinians became masters of historical denial

Had the Jews studied their history impartially, they would've understood centuries before Herzl that regaining their land and restoring their power is their task, not God's.

Palestinian women walk past a mural of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in Hebron on the 21st anniversary of Arafat’s death. Ruth Wasserman Lande argues that the Palestinian narrative was created by the Soviet Union.
Worshipers are seen at the Western Wall in Jerusalem on Tisha B'Av.

The foreign policy lesson hidden in Lamentations - opinion

Jewish community at the opening ceremony of the Beit Shvidler Jewish Center of Iceland.

Chabad couple turns a small dream into Iceland's historic first Jewish cultural center - interview

Image of the Nabatele installation at the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia

Venice art installation grapples with its Jewish history at 61st International Art Exhibition


Parashat Matot-Masei: Don’t borrow identity

Public debate has become louder, more bitter, and less capable of self-correction because opinions have hardened into identities.

IT ALL comes back to the question of identity.

Parashat Matot-Masei: Slow and steady

The most important movement is not always what is visible externally, but what takes place within a person.

EVERY STATION on the slow journey  plays an indispensable role.

Rare Herzl letters, early Zionist treasures up for auction to support fight against antisemitism

Historic auction offers collectors the chance to own museum-quality Jewish, Zionist and Israeli memorabilia while funding global efforts to combat rising antisemitism.

THEODOR HERZL leaning over the balcony of the Hotel Les Trois Rois.

Like Moses, Israel needs leaders who understand different perspectives - opinion

Moses defined the quality every great leader needs: the ability to understand every human spirit.

Rav Aharon Lichtenstein, learning at the Har Etzion yeshiva he led, 2014. He was awarded the Israel Prize in Jewish Religious Literature that same year.

Was Netanyahu chosen by God, or judged too harshly by man? - opinion

There was a young man who was chosen. He did not choose himself. In fact, he had no plans to enter politics and no ambition to become prime minister. Yet God often chooses people who never expect it.

Israeli cabinet minister and former military chief Gadi Eisenkot is consoled by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as he attends the funeral of his son Gal Meir Eisenkot, 25, an Israeli solider, who was killed in northern Gaza during the ground operation by Israel's military in Gaza.

Thank you, America - but Israel cannot take your support for granted - opinion

From Truman’s recognition to today’s uncertainties, the US-Israel relationship remains vital, but not guaranteed

Eleven minutes after Israel declared independence on May 14, 1948, president Harry Truman recognized the new state, beginning one of the most consequential alliances in modern history.
Premium

Meeting our ancient cousins: What the Samaritans can teach about Jewish continuity - opinion

The existence of the Samaritans reminds us that possessing a text is not enough. The greater wonder is the survival of a people and a living tradition.

Samaritans are seen celebrating Shavuot.

Experiencing Rome's Jewish quarter with an open mind and an empty stomach

Set foot inside the old Jewish Ghetto and you’re in Tel Aviv-on-Tiber.

The Portico d'Ottavia, a prominent ancient Roman structure located in the historical Jewish Ghetto quarter of Rome (Illustrative).

Cape Verde, the FIFA World Cup 2026 underdog with unexpected Moroccan Jewish roots

According to the Cape Verde Jewish Heritage Project, Sephardi Jews from Morocco and Gibraltar settled in Cabo Verde in the mid-19th century, after Portugal abolished the Inquisition in 1821.

FIFA World Cup 2026 - Group H - Uruguay v Cape Verde - Fans gather in Praia - Praia, Cape Verde - June 21, 2026 Cape Verde fans pose for a photograph during the match screening

Could you hold a lost piece of Western Wall history? Jerusalem museum seeks rare photos

A new exhibition hopes to uncover rare Western Wall photographs tucked away in attics, basements, and family albums.

‘Tower of David,’ taken by A.O. Freedman, c. 1920.