Jewish history

'Eishet Chayil': Who is the biblical woman of valor? - book review

Eishet Chayil is re-examined as a theological statement about women’s role in Jewish survival, leadership, and destiny.

|ByRIVKAH LAMBERT ADLER
Hannah Arendt, pictured in 1958, was a German-American historian and philosopher. She was imprisoned by the Nazis for doing research into antisemitism.
’LIFT THE BAN’ rally organized by Defend Our Juries, challenging the British government’s proscription of ‘Palestine Action’ under anti-terrorism laws, in London’s Parliament Square, Sept. 6, 2025

‘Broken Glass’ 2026: History repeats itself as Britain's Jews face new wave of terror - opinion

Attacks on synagogues and Jewish-owned businesses are increasing – not only in the UK but throughout the free world.

|ByBRENDA KATTEN
RABBI JOSEPH DWECK teaches at The Habura.

'The Restoration of Israel': Recovering a forgotten Sephardi Zionist voice - review

Zionism is too often framed as a late 19th-century Eastern and Central European, largely secular movement, born in response to modern nationalism and antisemitism.

|ByASHLEY PERRY PEREZ
(Illustrative). Hand opens door to allow stream of light to enter.

Entering the fourth room: We are living in a new stage of Jewish history - opinion

Few modern terms carry as much weight and controversy as the Hebrew word geula, or “redemption.” Redemption is the terminus of history.

|ByMOSHE TARAGIN

How a machzor survived over six centuries and Nazi attacks to make it to Israel

The first volume of the machzor was completed in1272 in Wurzburg, Germany. Today, it is displayed in the National Library in Jerusalem.

FEBRUARY 15, 2026ByZALMAN EISENSTOCK
‘WORMS MACHZOR,’ 1280; reconstructed cover, Volume 2.

This month in Jewish history: The first permanent government of Israel

A highly abridged monthly version of Dust & Stars – Today in Jewish History.

FEBRUARY 14, 2026BySTEVEN DRUCKER
DIZENGOFF SQUARE, named for the Tel Aviv founding father.

Israel's heart is not in Tel Aviv - it is in Judea and Samaria - opinion

Tel Aviv does not boast the long history cities like Jerusalem, Beersheba, or even 2,000-year-old Haifa. 

FEBRUARY 8, 2026ByALIZA PILICHOWSKI
MAN walks in the Jewish outpost of Yahish Zion, near the Jewish settlement of Psagot, in the West Bank.

What honoring our parents teaches us about faith, logic, and Judaism

The mitzvah of honoring one's parents is not a narrow religious demand but a foundational moral duty.

JANUARY 30, 2026ByMOSHE TARAGIN
RED HEIFER

Parashat Beshalach's lessons on unity, shared risk, and IDF service

A segment of Israeli society – largely comprising traditional, Religious-Zionist, and secular Jews – carries the overwhelming weight of military service.

JANUARY 30, 2026ByMICHAEL FREUND
A STATUE of Deborah dated 1792 stands in Aix-en-Provence, France.

Parashat Beshalach: The joy of ‘mitzvot’

Recounting for the first time the story of an entire people who, after long years of harsh and grueling bondage, emerge into freedom.

JANUARY 30, 2026ByRABBI SHMUEL RABINOWITZ
JOSEPH’S TOMB in Nablus.

Does history repeat itself? Recognizing the potential danger of modern antisemitism - opinion

It seems that when the term antisemitism is replaced by anti-Zionism, in a twisted manner, legitimacy is achieved globally.

JANUARY 27, 2026ByALICIA YACOBY
A pro-Palestinian demonstrator holds a sign, as they take part in a protest against US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to Turkey, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Istanbul, November 4, 2023.

A new exhibit honors writer Lore Segal, a child survivor and lifelong skeptic of easy truths

The title of a new exhibit mounted by the Leo Baeck Institute in New York: “And That’s True Too: The Life and Work of Lore Segal,” will be available on April 15.

JANUARY 27, 2026ByANDREW SILOW-CARROLL/JTA
Actress Toni Kalem, who appeared in “The Sopranos,” reads an excerpt from “Other People’s Houses" at the opening of an exhibit of the life and work of writer Lore Segal, Jan. 22, 2026.

This week in Jewish history: Nobel prize winners, biochemists, and the Baba Sali

A highly abridged weekly version of Dust & Stars – Today in Jewish History.

JANUARY 17, 2026BySTEVEN DRUCKER
Baba Baruch, heir of Baba Sali, speaks to prime minister Yitzhak Shamir during traditional ceremonies in Netivot, 1988.

The high price of not listening: What Pharaoh teaches us about power and humility

Pharaoh ignored every warning until his nation collapsed. His mistake isn’t ancient, it’s painfully familiar today.

JANUARY 17, 2026ByMOSHE TARAGIN
Statue of a mans head wearing headphones.