History

Games of chance and society in the Middle East

A historical look at how chance-based games shaped culture, law, and society in the Middle East.
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.

Was Netanyahu chosen by God, or judged too harshly by man? - opinion

Kai Wegner (L,CDU), Governing Mayor of Berlin, Manja Schreiner (C,CDU), Senator for Mobility, Transport, and Christian Gaebler (L,SPD), Senator for Urban Development, view a public housing construction project

Outcry in Germany over controversial plans to demolish Nazi bunker for luxury apartment building

 Demonstrators hold signs against what they describe as international silence over sexual violence perpetrated against Israeli women during the attack by Hamas on southern Israel on October 7, at a protest in Jerusalem, November 27, 2023.

Breaking the individual to break the collective - opinion


DNA analysis identifies four more members of John Franklin's lost Arctic expedition

The failed British voyage set sail in 1845 to map the unnavigated passes of the Northwest Passage and attempt to study magnetic data and figure out if it could be used to better perfect navigation.

1845: The ships HMS Erebus and HMS Terror used in Sir John Franklin's ill-fated attempt to discover the Northwest passage.

Iranian-Americans could strengthen US strategy against Iran - opinion

Harnessing the patriotism of Iranian-Americans will leverage America’s multicultural tapestry and turn immigrant communities into an unbeatable strategic advantage.

 MEMBERS OF the Iranian diaspora in Europe take part in a rally in Brussels last September, marking the first anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini.

The Spanish threat to America and Israel: Remember the 'Maine' - opinion

Europe’s policy shifts toward Israel could have unintended consequences for its security, alliances, and internal cohesion.

SPANISH PRIME MINISTER Pedro Sánchez leaves at the end of a news conference before summer break, in Madrid, in July. In recent weeks, he has led unprecedented moves against Israel, the writer charges.

Divers find wreck of Coast Guard ship torpedoed by Germans, US’ largest naval loss of World War I

Tampa was one of six USGC cutters assigned to escort convoys during World War I, losing only two ships out of 18 convoys. She earned a special commendation for exemplary service. 

Wreckage of the US Coast Guard Cutter Tampa found by British diving team Gasperados off the coast of England, May 4, 2026.

After a Maryland teacher’s death, a 200-piece Judaica collection finds new life in a Jewish museum

For 35 years, Kaylie’s mother, Deborah Brodie, had amassed a collection of over 200 Jewish ritual objects, which she had used as a hands-on classroom for her Hebrew school students with special needs

A photo of the interior of Deborah Brodie and Jay Brill's residence in Rockville, Maryland.

Jewish American Heritage Month: US Jews face a unity test - opinion

A history of resilience and belonging, as American Jews face renewed challenges and test their unity in uncertain times.

An American Jewish man praying

Education-based alternatives for antisemitic hate crime offenders - opinion

What sets the program apart is its specificity: each participant’s curriculum is tailored to their criminal actions, personal history, and mindset.

 Aftermath of vandalism at Mikveh Israel synagogue, including arson, a dumpster fire, and an attempted break-in of the office of Rabbi Yosef Zarnighian, on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Philadelphia

Rabbinic diplomacy between Israel and US explored in new exhibition

A new exhibition celebrates 100 years of rabbinic diplomacy between Israel and the US, showcasing key meetings, letters, and diplomatic exchanges between Chief Rabbis and US Presidents.

People walk past a projection depicting Israeli and US flags on the walls of Jerusalem's Old City on Oct. 22, 2025.

Titanic survivor’s signed life jacket sells for over $900,000

Laura Mabel Francatelli was on Titanic’s lifeboat No. 1, with only eleven other passengers, despite the small vessel's 40-person capacity.

A life-preserver of Laura Mabel Francatelli, a survivor of the Titanic disaster is displayed before the auction of Maritime Models and Maritime Pictures at Christie's Auction House in West London, 16 May 2007.

Music to our ears, and hearts: How music shaped Israel’s identity over 78 years

The 1967 Six Day War changed everything, as this then-fledgling country, bursting with self-confidence, began to open up to the Western world.

YOAV KUTNER has charted much of the evolution of Israeli music.