Jewish holidays

Nearly NIS 800 for a family outing: Israel’s Hanukkah Festigal ticket prices skyrocketing

Four full-price tickets to Festigal, an annual children’s musical, would cost NIS 796 this year. Discounts through membership programs reveal large gaps in what families could pay.

Hannukah Festigal in Tel Aviv
‘Teivah,’ by Yoran Raanan, acrylic on canvas, 100 x 80 cm, 2026.

Parashat Noah: How prayer becomes an ark that carries us through turbulent times - opinion

Barbie Holiday Sweater Doll

Hanukkah Barbie is here, and she actually got the Jewish holiday right - opinion

MDA paramedic Tzvika Rider on his first call.

Beyond the Headlines: The lessons we cannot afford to miss - opinion


Purim isn’t Jewish Halloween - it’s a theology of wine and redemption - opinion

On Purim, drown our adversaries in drink, catapult our consciousness to a refined world.

 Purim celebrates the grape in a nod to the Persian wine parties.

On Purim, Jewish tradition tells us to give to anyone who asks, no questions required - opinion

On the day we wear masks, we are commanded not to look away. This Purim, when a hand reaches out, give. Start with something that feels like too much.

Purim is a time when giving tzedakah freely is encouraged.

Why I can’t live without Shabbat

The beautiful chaos of our crew around a table covered with challah, wine, and probably too much food... Our table almost always holds more. Friends stop by. Guests join.

Shabbat, a day for 'unplugging.'

The donut debate: What is the best sufganiya in Jerusalem on Hanukkah 2025?

‘The Jerusalem Post’ annual Hanukkah ‘sufganiya’ roundup is here. This year we chose a different theme: the cookies and cream donut, also known as the Oreo flavor.

Aaron Reich and Shir Perets enjoy their donuts in Jerusalem Post's studio.

This Jewish community in India celebrates Hanukkah not with fear, but in belonging

The community is largely unscathed by antisemitism and has existed here for centuries, fully integrated as Indians and Jews.

Mumbai's Khai Fest featured Bollywood dancing alongside Hanukkah foods.

Lighthearted Hanukkah: Jokes and advice from Jews around the world

Here is a selection of the jokes that happily came my way.

Hanukkiot are on sale at the Mahaneh Yehuda market in Jerusalem. This Sunday, let’s ignite meaningful discussion as Jews start lighting Hanukkah candles, the writer suggests.

My Word: The forces of light and darkness - opinion

A Hanukkah candlelighting in Australia became the scene of a terror attack, showing how appeasement of global antisemitism now spills into deadly violence.

People gather at the floral tribute at Bondi Beach to honour the victims of a mass shooting targeting a Hanukkah celebration on Sunday at Bondi Beach, in Sydney, Australia, December 16, 2025.

Prophet Zechariah: Not by might nor power, but by spirit

These words are a declaration of faith and a clear-cut explanation of Jewish survival.

Mourners accompany the body of Rabbi Eli Schlanger, who was murdered during the Bondi Beach Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, Australia, on December 14.

Ignoring antisemitism leads to violence against Jews: Lessons from Bondi Beach – opinion

The Bondi Beach mass shooting was not unforeseeable; it was the product of years of denial and tolerance for hate.

PEOPLE PAY respects at Bondi Pavilion after a shooting during a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Dec. 15, 2025.

Seeing our brothers’ plight: The light Hanukkah demands we bring into the world - opinion

Hanukkah and Vayeshev together reveal that the festival’s light shines only when we open our eyes to our brothers’ struggles and choose loyalty and compassion.

Candles are lit on the eighth night, at Habima Square in Tel Aviv, last Hanukkah. The main idea of the holiday is the spiritual illumination of the public sphere, says the writer.