Secular

As I turn 80, I hope my life is and continues to be a journey that inspires others - opinion

Will I ever be religious? I do not know. But, as Baruch ben Michael said in his Ethics, “All things perfect are as difficult as they are rare.”

RABBI ABRAHAM Joshua Heschel presents the Judaism and World Peace Award to Martin Luther King Jr., 1965.
Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) people in Tel Aviv in June.

Israel’s ultra-Orthodox community feels misunderstood. Here’s why - opinion

POLICE ARE seen dragging an ultra-Orthodox protester away during a demonstration against a cafe operating on Shabbat while secular protesters demonstrate in support of the cafe in central Jerusalem, on July 11, 2026.

When Shabbat becomes a battleground - opinion

'Secular House' in Thailand, an Israeli activist organization.

Israeli organization's 'Secular House' opens in Thailand as non-religious alternative to Chabad


In viral clip, French TV host asks Jewish guest why he wears a kippah in public

Though brief, the exchange illustrated the starkly different perspectives on religious expression in France, the United States and elsewhere in the western world.

A man wearing a yarmulke looks at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.

A secular Jewish financial hero

From Birthright to new day schools, Michael Steinhardt’s activism changed Jewish America.

 Michael Steinhardt, hedge fund mogul and major financial backer of secular Jewish causes, at the Reuters Investment Summit in New York in 2008.

Beyond election tribes and tribulations -opinion

As a result of the endless election cycle in Israel, we have seen an increase in tension between different groups and the strengthening of the walls that separate them.

 VOTING TAKES place on Election Day, last week

Is Eshkolot the future of haredi secular education in Israel?

While the Eshkolot program has attracted close to 20,000 students, there remains an official stigma among many to publicly acknowledge their participation in the program

 SEVENTY-FIVE percent of Eshkolot program students are haredi men with no formal secular education.

Meet the Fire Island shul; warning: not your normal shul

For those who observe Shabbat and Jewish holidays, and for those who simply want a relaxed destination getaway not far from New York City, there may be no better place than on Fire Island.

 THE FIRE Island market and trolleys.

How are parents, adult children navigating religious differences?

Yet, all around us are families that have found ways to navigate their religious differences. We focus here on three Torah-observant families that have adult children who identify as secular.

 A HAREDI family walks on the beach in Ashdod this past Passover (Illustrative)

Israeli art and design at its finest: Bezalel Graduate Exhibition 2022

I cannot help but recommend seeking out a recent Bezalel graduate if you are looking for a new local artist to patronize or simply seeking some food for thought.

 THE KIDDUSH cup from Naama Altalef Blau’s ‘In the Beginning of Love’ Judaica collection.

Time for a new kind of Israeli-Jewish identity - opinion

Two competing narratives are at play: one secular and one religious.

 “Young Tel Avivians  at MINYAN. Participants from diverse backgrounds are invited to celebrate Shabbat with 10 total strangers in an attempt to form a new kind of Jewish community"

Secular Jews, moral objectivism and religious ideology - opinion

While I won’t tie my moral code to religion, it’s eye-opening to see the merits of a religious belief and to hold more respect for the ideology of religious individuals.

 WOMEN PRAY in synagogue. ‘While I won’t tie my moral code to religion, it’s eye opening to see the merits of a religious belief,’ says the writer

Easy to be Jewish, but easier to decrease observance - opinion

Israel has yet to become the place of the ingathering of exiles

A CHABADNIK helps a man put on tefillin in Safed.