Jewish history
Tisha B'Av's warning: Has Israel reached the point of no return? - opinion
The point of no return in the destruction of the Temple, that we mourn for on Tisha B’Av, actually took place on the eve of Tamuz 17, in what is known in the Talmud as the burning of the barns.
Between the straits: On Tisha B’Av, Israel must confront its own internal fanaticism - opinion
Middle Israel: How Jews and Palestinians became masters of historical denial
The foreign policy lesson hidden in Lamentations - opinion
Vayigash after October 7: Tears, envy, and consolation pedagogy - opinion
What Joseph teaches Israeli society today
Hanukkah: The Maccabees weren’t symbols; they were fighters - opinion
The Maccabees prevailed because they refused erasure – militarily, culturally, and spiritually. Contemporary Jewish survival requires the same multi-front refusal.
The Great Inversion: When Israel became the Diaspora's shield - opinion
It is no longer the Diaspora nurturing and protecting tenuous Israel. Now it is the reverse.
This week in Jewish history: Yearning for Zion
A highly abridged weekly version of Dust & Stars – Today in Jewish History.
Prophet Zechariah: Not by might nor power, but by spirit
These words are a declaration of faith and a clear-cut explanation of Jewish survival.
Beyond the Headlines: First night of Hanukkah in Australia - opinion
A weekly glimpse into the Israel you won’t read about in the news
This Hanukkah, my synagogue is illuminating our walls with relics of our Jewish immigrant stories
What better place to encourage people to learn and share their own immigrant history, digging out the details of who came when, from where and why?
Jews need new story of Hanukkah or risk losing next Jewish generation to disillusionment - opinion
It is time for a new Hanukkah, kind and compassionate, turning narrow nationalism into a universalist pursuit of the world to come promised by our prophets.
The struggle to perceive miracles in real time links Hanukkah’s origins to recent events - opinion
From the Maccabees to modern Israel, people miss miracles as they occur and grasp them only later.
Greek textbooks discuss Judaism, Holocaust in detail, but fall short on antisemitism
Greek textbooks give limited attention to local Jewish history and contributions to Greek society. Even though they include Jewish history and misfortunes, the books leave antisemitism behind.
