Jewish history

Inside Jerusalem’s 1948 siege through the eyes of a child who survived the Old City’s fall

In her book ‘Forever My Jerusalem,’ Shteiner recalls life in the Old City before its fall in 1948 and the emotional return decades later.

Hurva remains, 1972.
BNEI AKIVA youth movement members dance with a Torah scroll at the Western Wall on Jerusalem Day, on May 20, 1974.

Why does Jerusalem belongs to the Jews? Because history says so - opinion

In total there were 33 participants, each representing a different Jerusalem school – religious, secular, and mixed.

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

THE PALMAH’S ‘German Squad’ on a training march, 1942.

This month in Jewish history: Revelation, thrill of victory, agony of defeat


Beyond the beaches and medieval walls: Discovering Jewish Rhodes

From airport signs, restaurant menus on buzzing streets, and business cards in Hebrew, an Israeli visitor can almost feel at home in Rhodes.

KAHAL SHALOM Synagogue.

Mermaids and a talking donkey: A treasure trove of ‘midrashic’ interpretations - review

Zev T. Gershon's '100 Wonders in the World of Torah' includes entries of little-known stories and oddities.

‘BALAAM AND The Angel,’ 1493 woodcut from the Nuremberg Chronicle.

The fascinating history of Jews in Montenegro

This small Adriatic nation, nestled between the mountains and the sea, with barely 600,000 citizens, has a rich Jewish history.

TODAY, THE Jewish community in Montenegro is small but vibrant.

Back to Budapest: A mixed experience

Before the Holocaust, 24% of Budapest’s population had been Jewish. Today, there are some 100,000 Hungarian Jews.

THE WRITER and some of her family outside the synagogue, at the same spot where her parents stood after their wedding in December 1947.

Rosh Hashanah: One union

God wants us to be in unity: that we honor one another, and that we respect each other’s wishes and aspirations.

UNITY DOES not mean uniformity of opinion.

Jewish cemetery predating expulsion from Britain discovered in London

The cemetery, discovered on the Barbican estate, is understood to date back to 1070 and is located near ancient Roman walls.

A Jewish cemetery (illustrative)

New digital archive gives global access to Israel’s archaeological treasures

The Israel Antiquities Authority has launched a new database holding over three million historically significant records.

An intricately decorated 1,700-year-old ceramic oil lamp adorned with symbols linked to the Jewish Temple and discovered on Jerusalem's Mount of Olives, displayed in Jerusalem on Dec. 26, 2024

Challenges of Holocaust education at generational crossroads with survivors dwindling - opinion

The Holocaust, an unprecedented event in human history, is often turned into a rhetorical tool to justify political positions, intensify public and international conflicts, and incite hatred.

THE WRITER speaks at an event marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day last January at the Ghetto Fighters’ House.

Remembering Rabbi Berel Wein: A beloved Jewish storyteller - opinion

Working side by side with Rabbi Wein to reimagine his book ‘Triumph of Survival’ - and the insights that stayed with me.

RABBI BEREL WEIN, z”l, director, The Destiny Foundation; with Ashley Lazarus, film director, Destiny Films.

What if there were no Jewish Diaspora? - opinion

Some claim that a strong Jewish Diaspora is an important adjunct to a Jewish state, since Diaspora Jews can lobby their governments.

ON A SYNAGOGUE in Victoria, British Columbia, slogans, earlier this month, include: ‘Jews are evil! Stop genocide, stop the Jews!’ Violent attacks on Jews and Jewish institutions have reached pandemic proportions, says the writer.