Jewish history
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.
The Great Inversion: When Israel became the Diaspora's shield - opinion
This week in Jewish history: Yearning for Zion
Prophet Zechariah: Not by might nor power, but by spirit
Beyond the Headlines: First night of Hanukkah in Australia - opinion
A weekly glimpse into the Israel you won’t read about in the news
This Hanukkah, my synagogue is illuminating our walls with relics of our Jewish immigrant stories
What better place to encourage people to learn and share their own immigrant history, digging out the details of who came when, from where and why?
Jews need new story of Hanukkah or risk losing next Jewish generation to disillusionment - opinion
It is time for a new Hanukkah, kind and compassionate, turning narrow nationalism into a universalist pursuit of the world to come promised by our prophets.
The struggle to perceive miracles in real time links Hanukkah’s origins to recent events - opinion
From the Maccabees to modern Israel, people miss miracles as they occur and grasp them only later.
Greek textbooks discuss Judaism, Holocaust in detail, but fall short on antisemitism
Greek textbooks give limited attention to local Jewish history and contributions to Greek society. Even though they include Jewish history and misfortunes, the books leave antisemitism behind.
Zionism beyond Europe: Restoring the Mizrahi narrative in Jewish education - opinion
Theodor Herzl stood on the shoulders of these pioneers, and his ideas for a Jewish state can be traced directly to them.
AI opens vast trove of medieval Jewish records from the Cairo Geniza
The Cairo Geniza, the biggest collection of medieval Jewish documents in the world, has been the object of countless hours of study by scholars for more than a century.
This month in Jewish history: Operation Moses, Hanukkah, and Spinoza
A highly abridged monthly version of Dust & Stars – Today in Jewish History.
Haaretz’s claims on brit milah: Separating fact from misconception - opinion
That this family continues to have a strong connection to our nation, history, and customs speaks to how brit milah – unchanged itself across millennia – continues to preserve the Jewish people.
Beyond the beaches and medieval walls: Discovering Jewish Rhodes
From airport signs, restaurant menus on buzzing streets, and business cards in Hebrew, an Israeli visitor can almost feel at home in Rhodes.
Mermaids and a talking donkey: A treasure trove of ‘midrashic’ interpretations - review
Zev T. Gershon's '100 Wonders in the World of Torah' includes entries of little-known stories and oddities.
