Jewish history

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.
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.PremiumPremium

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

Samaritans are seen celebrating Shavuot.

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

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

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


The unpromised land: Exile experience cannot be severed from modern Jewish history - opinion

It is crucial not to sever modern Jewish history from the interim, desert experience of the past two thousand years.

 DESOLATE DESERT landscape: This summary invites us to focus on those 40 years during which the Children of Israel wandered (Illustrative).

This week in Jewish history: Israel and Jordan end state of enmity

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

 THEN-PRIME MINISTER Yitzhak Rabin and Jordan’s King Hussein shake hands, as then-US president Bill Clinton applauds, at the peace treaty signing ceremony at the border between the two countries, in 1994.

Dr. Yoav Heller on October 7: sexual violence and confronting evil

Dr. Heller: 'This wasn’t just another attack between Israelis and Palestinians. It was an attempt at genocide.'

 IDF soldiers seen in the aftermath of Hamas's Nova music festival massacre in Re'im, southern Israel, on October 7, 2023.

This week in Jewish history: Miracle aids and antibiotics

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

 THANK YOU, Selman Waksman, for isolating streptomycin.

Parashat Pinchas: Every Jew is torn between hope and history

Moses does not stand alone on Nevo – we stand with him. Together, we gaze toward a future we build but may never fully enter. Together with him, many Jews look toward a land they may never cross.

 An illustrative image of a man in a robe on a mountaintop with the sun shining.

This week in Jewish history: Moses breaks the Tablets

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

 Moses is seen breaking the Tablets after coming down from Mount Sinai.

This northern Norway city has adopted a one-of-a-kind approach to observing Shabbat

Located on the outskirts of the Arctic Circle, this Norwegian city has a unique approach to observing Shabbat and a history of handling challenging situations.

 The river Nid offers picturesque views in Trondheim, Norway, home to one of the northernmost Jewish communities in the world.

Israel’s war doctrine is ancient wisdom wrapped in modern warfare - opinion

Israel’s willingness to act decisively and preemptively is sometimes misunderstood by outsiders but rarely questioned within the Jewish world.

 Smoke seen rising from a building after a reported Israeli strike in the southwest of Iran, June 21, 2025

Staro Sajmiste: Belgrade's fairground of death for the Balkans' Jews

From formidable fairground to a camp of death, the dark history of the Nazi camp within Belgrade’s borders

 Prisoners of the Staro Sajmište concentration camp in Belgrade.

Maryland man arrested for threats to Philadelphia Jewish museum  

Clift A. Seferlis was arrested on June 17 and charged with mailing threatening communications, one of which made reference to “Kristallnacht,” a Nazi pogrom carried out in 1938.

 Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, March 16, 2024