Culture

Culture Minister Zohar releases video skewering the film industry

The Israeli film industry is at its lowest ebb in decades, perhaps ever, as more film festivals around the world openly or covertly boycott Israeli movies.

Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar attends a plenum session at the assembly hall of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, May 20, 2026.
The tradition of “Mazel Tov” and the belief in luck and fate continue to accompany Jewish life from its ancient roots to the modern world.

Why "Mazel Tov" endures as the Jewish World's Favorite Blessing

EVGENIA DODINA in ‘Mama.’ She exemplifies the kind of woman who has made the devastating choice to leave her family behind so that she can support them.

Israeli actress Evgenia Dodina triumphs in Or Sinai's ‘Mama’ - review

 Israeli journalist Amir Tibon's "The Gates of Gaza" retells his family's experience on Oct. 7 and his country's experience since.

Israeli author Amir Tibon wins Sami Rohr Prize for Oct. 7 memoir


U2 releases EP featuring poem by Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai

Israel Prize winner Yehuda Amichai, who died in 2000, is considered by many to have been the greatest modern Israeli poet.

Irish singer of U2 Bono poses during a photocall for the film "Bono: Stories of Surrender" at the 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 17, 2025.

A Community called home

The unique human mosaic of Mediterranean Towers Jerusalem.

Mediterranean Towers Jerusalem

Portugal returns stolen Mayan, Zapotec artifacts to Mexico in first-ever archaeological restitution

INAH specialists were sent photographs of the finds and conducted a preliminary review of the three, confirming that they indeed “form part of Mexico’s archaeological heritage.”

Portugal returns three stolen artifacts to Mexico in handover ceremony at the Mexican Embassy in Lisbon, February 17, 2026.

Zapotec tomb from 600 CE marks Mexico’s most ‘significant archaeological discovery’ in last decade

The Zapotecs were a major pre-Hispanic civilization that flourished in Oaxaca from circa 700-500 BC until the Spanish conquest.

Owl carving above the entrance to a Zapotec tomb from 600 CE in the Oaxaca Valley, Mexico, February 14, 2026.

'Nothing quite like it': UK Treasure Act names Roman carriage ornament Essex's first 'treasure'

According to the Act, archaeological finds can be given the status of Treasure if they are deemed to be of historical, archaeological, or cultural importance.

Rare Roman vehicle ornament depicting a panther with its paws atop a bearded man’s severed head discovered in Essex in 2024.

Pnimeet: Community workshop putting Jerusalem back on bikes

Pnimeet teaches Jerusalemites how to fix their own bikes, cutting costs, reducing waste, and easing daily life in a car-clogged city.

Pnimeet volunteers help Jerusalemite cyclists keep their own wheels turning.

How Matti Caspi’s music became a treasured national soundtrack - comment

Israelis of every age can sing Caspi's tunes, and his talent was such that he worked in many different styles.

Matti Caspi working on audio engineering for the IDF entertainment team on March 17, 1972.

Maccabi Tel Aviv co-owner David Federman dies at 81

Maccabi described Federman as “a true Maccabist” and “a central, significant figure” over decades, citing his dedication, love, and deep commitment to the organization.

Maccabi Tel Aviv HOOPS co-owner David Federman

A dish over NIS 20: The culinary bomb in Tel Aviv’s sleepy suburb

Yehezkel Kazaz Street in Or Yehuda may have Israel’s densest culinary scene, with Blamo-Sassi’s Bureka standing out as one of the country’s best-value bites.

Egg Bureka and Potato Bureka.

From Lorenz Hart to Mel Brooks: Two Jewish lives now available on Israeli screens

TV TIME: Two movies present a strong contrast in both their subjects and their styles. Blue Moon, about lyricist Lorenz Hart on Apple TV+, and Mel Brooks: The 99-Year-Old Man on HBO Max.

ETHAN HAWKE and Margaret Qualley star in Blue Moon, Richard Linklater’s drama about composer Lorenz Hart.