Bible

How well do you know Israel’s capital? Take the Jerusalem Quiz

At the Tower of David Jerusalem Museum, middle school students from 33 Jerusalem schools put their knowledge to the test this week at the Jerusalem Quiz.

|ByPENINA HOROWITZ
In total there were 33 participants, each representing a different Jerusalem school – religious, secular, and mixed.
MONOTHEISM WAS never intended to remain the private inheritance of a single nation.

From Sinai to today: Judaism and the long march of monotheism - opinion

We were not selected for privilege but to carry God’s presence and moral vision into a broader world.

|ByMOSHE TARAGIN
IDF SOLDIERS stand at the Western Wall in June 1967 after it was captured during the Six Day War.

Parashat Bamidbar: ‘Machar Chodesh’

This week’s haftarah offers a timely message about longing, loyalty, and the enduring bond between the Jewish people and their homeland.

|ByMICHAEL FREUND
THE PURSUIT of individuality is one of modern culture’s most prominent trends.

Parashat Bamidbar: The individual within the collective

When the Torah counts the people by tribes and families, it teaches the art of integration: Each individual is counted on his or her own, yet as part of a larger structure.

|ByRABBI SHMUEL RABINOWITZ

Echos of biblical proportions: Israel's war with Iran mirrors story of Moses's 12 spies - opinion

The Jewish people in general and the state in particular are truly extraordinary – and that is why, with God’s help, we will prevail against all odds.

JUNE 28, 2025ByDAVID GOLINKIN
ISRAEL’S AMBASSADOR to the UN Danny Danon speaks at a Security Council meeting this week. The Jewish state’s approach has always been the same as that of Caleb and Joshua: ‘Let us by all means, go up… for we shall surely overcome it,’ says the writer.

Parashat Korah: ‘An elevated place in Gehenna’

What is repentance? It is a small, good thought filled with love – the kind of thought that saved the sons of Korah from a tragic fate; a moment of introspection that can save any Jew from harm.

JUNE 27, 2025ByRABBI SHMUEL RABINOWITZ
‘THE PUNISHMENT of the Sons of Korah’ by Sandro Botticelli, c. 1481-1482.

Tucker Carlson: The GOAT of replacement theology - opinion

Tucker Carlson is not only the latest mouthpiece for Replacement Theology, but when it comes to “cursing Israel,” he is perhaps the most dangerous of all time.

JUNE 23, 2025ByTULY WEISZ
Senator Ted Cruz and Tucker Carlson on the Tucker Carlson show, June 19, 2025.

This week in Jewish history: Altalena, sin of the spies, Jews expelled from France

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

JUNE 21, 2025BySTEVEN DRUCKER
BYSTANDERS WATCH as the ‘Altalena’ burns after being shelled near Tel Aviv on June 22, 1948

Parashat Shelach: Seeing giants, choosing hope

The 10 spies teach us what happens when fear rules the heart. The ma’apilim teach us of the danger of forcing reality to revive an old fantasy.

JUNE 20, 2025ByNECHAMA GOLDMAN BARASH
An illustrative image of a grasshopper.

Parashat Shelach: Believe in yourselves

The Torah recounts the argument that erupted between the 10 pessimistic spies and Joshua and Caleb, the two optimistic ones.

JUNE 20, 2025ByRABBI SHMUEL RABINOWITZ
The Grapes of Canaan by James Tissot (circa 1900). Although the 12 spies brought back a cluster of grapes so large that it took two men to carry it, only two of the 12 brought back a good report of the land.

Parashat Beha’alotcha: Yes to speaking up, no to hurting!

Speak up! Share your opinion! Try to bring about change – but not through gossip and not with hurtful words.

JUNE 19, 2025ByRABBI SHMUEL RABINOWITZ
An illustrative image depicting gossip.

Parshat Naso: Rich people’s problems

When you live a life filled with meaning, spiritual fulfillment ... you receive a remarkable gift: a profound inner peace and emotional serenity that no material wealth can offer.

JUNE 6, 2025ByRABBI SHMUEL RABINOWITZ
An illustrative image of businessmen jumping across a chasm for money.

14th century Shem Tov Bible comes home to Jerusalem

The Shem Tov Bible, a stunning 14th-century manuscript created by the renowned kabbalist Rabbi Shem Tov ben Abraham Ibn Gaon, will be displayed in the National Library of Israel.

MAY 28, 2025ByJOANIE MARGULIES
Presentation of the Shem Tov Bible at the National Library of Israel.

Operation Gideon’s Chariots: A powerful name for a powerful Gaza op. - opinion

Operation Gideon’s Chariots has biblical roots, invoking the biblical warrior Gideon.

MAY 20, 2025ByMICAH HALPERN
THE IDF operates in the northern Gaza Strip, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, on Sunday. Today, like the biblical Gideon, the IDF is fighting for the same cause – they are fighting evil, says the writer.