Religion

Haredi conscription debate threatens long-standing Israeli coalitions - opinion

Ultra-Orthodox parties face mounting political backlash as Israel’s war strains the reserve system and coalition stability.

 Ultra-Orthodox Jews clash with police outside the IDF Recruitment Center at Tel Hashomer, central Israel, April 28, 2025
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators carry a banner during a protest against the arrival of an Israeli cruise ship in the port of Piraeus near Athens, Greece, June 12, 2025.

Antisemitism has returned after October 7, despite decades of remembrance - opinion

An anti-Israel protest in New York City. Ilustrative.

New York: From freedom and pluralism to hatred, antisemitism - opinion

A JEWISH FAMILY gathers after lighting Shabbat candles.

America’s National Shabbat: An invitation Jews cannot afford to miss - opinion


Mordecai Kaplan's Reconstructionism: A vision of American Judaism that struggles to grow - review

Mordecai Kaplan’s dream of a Jewish civilization built on choice and fulfillment faces the reality of modern challenges in sustaining community and commitment.

 A Torah held aloft at a reconstructionist synagogue.

Canadians pray for Jerusalem as Parliament penalizes quoting the Bible - opinion

The success of the Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast in Ottawa suggests that there is still a hunger for unity, moral clarity, and courage.

Israeli Ambassador to Canada Iddo Moed receives a memorable gift from Christian leaders at the inaugural Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast in Ottawa, Canada, March 2026.

Netzach Yehuda's CNN altercation: Why religion is driving Israel toward extremism - opinion

After a tumultuous journey of deconstructing my past, I am now a vocal critic of both hardline religion and the contradictions inherent in trying to create a democratic nation-state.

A member of the IDF’s Netzah Yehuda Battalion is seen at the Western Wall, last year.

Freedom under fire: What Passover means in a time of war - comment

In a year of war, Jewish holidays reflect reality, where freedom is less about ideals and more about safety and survival.

On Wednesday night, we will talk about freedom, with the specter of ballistic missiles, safe rooms, and red-alert sirens still fresh in our minds.

Passover reimagined: How Jews reinterpret freedom at the Seder table

Passover celebrates liberty, tradition, and the evolving ways we mark the Seder night.

Rabbi Daniel Burstyn conducting a Seder on Kibbutz Lotan.

Coming home: Traveling from Maine to Israel during the Iran war

A modern exodus unfolds as a rabbi navigates flights, borders, and devotion to reach Israel.

Akiva Herzfeld crosses over from taba into Israel.

Freedom is not free: Passover 5786 in the shadow of war - opinion

This Passover, Jews sit at the Seder table amid sirens, reflecting on freedom, oppression, and existential threats in today’s world.

An illustrative image of the Korean War Memorial in Washington.

Seder night: A crumpled white shirt reveals Passover’s deeper meaning

Rav Amital’s lesson shows that even a rushed Seder can be meaningful and spiritually powerful.

‘Our revered Rosh Yeshiva Rav Yehuda Amital (pictured 2007) gathered us and shared his experiences from the labor camps during World War II.’

The Seder’s message: Why we diminish our joy for others’ pain on Passover

The spilling of wine at the Seder lessens joy to recognize that freedom came with suffering and calls for empathy toward all.

'Although it is a great joy for us that god took us out of Egypt and redeemed us, it is still painful for us that through this others were destroyed.'

Passover Seder night: The deeper meaning of matzah and the urgency of the Exodus

“When a mitzvah comes to your hand, do not let it ‘become leavened.’”

A MAN wraps fresh matza during Passover in Ashdod in 2016