History

This week in Jewish history: The SS Exodus, Tisha B’Av, and Nobel pioneers

From the destruction of the Temples to Nobel Prize breakthroughs, the coming weeks mark defining moments of Jewish loss, resilience and achievement.

‘SS EXODUS,’ now derelict, in Haifa Port, 1952.
Visitors view the Lincoln Memorial Undercroft during the grand opening on June 25, 2026 in Washington, DC.

Lincoln Memorial to pull historic documents from public display over fear of heat damage - report

An AI-generated political cartoon.

The global war to delegitimize Israel: The war for which Israel built no shelters - opinion

Palestinian women walk past a mural of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in Hebron on the 21st anniversary of Arafat’s death. Ruth Wasserman Lande argues that the Palestinian narrative was created by the Soviet Union.

Middle Israel: How Jews and Palestinians became masters of historical denial


Last remaining survivor of 1929 Hebron massacre passes away at 100

Yitzhak Ben Hebron was about four years old at the outbreak of the riots that led to the massacre, and managed to escape the violence through the window of the Avraham Avinu Synagogue.

An officer of the Palestinian Police stands guard outside the Hebron Yeshiva (school for Talmudic study) in the aftermath of the Hebron massacre in Mandatory Palestine, 1929.

Harassing Christians undermines both Israel and Jewish history - opinion

Jews who harms Christian institutions, clergy, or symbols violate not only a civic norm but also a supreme moral and religious principle. It is doubtful the authorities are doing enough to combat it.

 Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Diplomatic courage: How Trump’s embassy decision strengthened Israel’s position – opinion

Donald Trump is the first courageous American president to implement the law to move the American embassy to the Jewish capital, thereby strengthening regional stability

US President Donald Trump speaks to the press as he departs the White House in Washington in May.

On this day: Adolf Eichmann captured in Argentina by Mossad

Eichmann was hanged at midnight on June 1, 1962; he was the only person in Israel’s history to be executed by the state.

 Adolf Eichmann, pictured in 1941/1942, in his SS uniform. Eichmann fled to Argentina in 1950 before being captured by the Mossad in 1960.

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