Religion

From Hillel and Shamai to Trump and Netanyahu: Polarized, divided Jewry is dangerous - opinion

Jews have always had differences of opinion, and it has never shown the best of us. We can't be divided anymore.

US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hold a press conference after meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, US, December 29, 2025.
Rabbi Yaakov Medan speaks during a protest against the planned eviction of the outpost of Amona, in front of the Israeli parliament on January 30, 2017.

'Ritual sexual abuse' of minors: Senior religious Zionist rabbi warns of ‘social narcissism’

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir attends a faction meeting at the Knesset, in Jerusalem, November 17, 2025

Death penalty bill could turn terrorists into heroes - opinion

Israeli politician Itamar Ben-Gvir walks inside the Knesset, on the day US President Donald Trump delivers remarks, in Jerusalem, October 13, 2025.

Moral, legal issues with Israel’s terrorist death penalty - opinion


Would you choose to be Jewish? - opinion

If Judaism has been handed to us by accident of birth, how do we transform that inheritance into something chosen, something lived deliberately and proudly – rather than passively or resentfully?

MASSES GATHER at the Western Wall last week for Slihot prayers, which are recited in the lead-up to and during the High Holy Days.

Grapevine: Seat's taken?

Movers and shakers in Israeli society.

 The spiraling atrium of Jerusalem's Clal Building.

Court orders class for autistic children be opened despite Ed.-Min.’s objections

The court also ruled that the Education Ministry’s prevention constituted unlawful discrimination.

 View of an empty classroom at a school in Jerusalem, during a strike, on September 1, 2024.

Between two narratives: A candid conversation with an ultra-Orthodox Israeli

Explaining the ultra-Orthodox mindset that has led to widespread refusal to serve in the IDF.

HAREDI CHILDREN play an active role in the battle for military exemption, as seen on Highway 4 outside Bnei Brak.

Imagine: Not being taught to hate Jews - opinion

Religion has been the cause of too many wars, but it can also be used to do better and strive toward peace.

CHILDREN HOLD a symbolic key at a rally in Ramallah, marking the 77th anniversary of the Nakba, the ‘catastrophe’ of the establishment of the State of Israel, in May. A new generation of students is taught that Jews are vile creatures, says the writer.

Qatar imprisons Baha'i leader for casting 'doubt on the foundations of the Islamic religion'

Qatar has previously been accused of deporting members of the Baha'i community without reason.

Remi Rowhani

When diplomacy falters, religious dialogue can still hold the line - opinion

Now in its third decade, the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions hosted by Kazakhstan is a rare forum for dialogue across religious, ethnic, and geopolitical divides.

Eldridge Street Synagogue, New York

New on Rikers Island: a Jewish prayerbook designed with incarcerated congregants in mind

The one-of-a-kind siddur features bright colors, bold text and an amalgam of Hebrew, English, Russian and Ladino prayers, as well as meditations on healing and recovery and poems.

"The Very Narrow Bridge" is a prayer book designed for people who are incarcerated on Rikers Island, New York City's jail that's accessible only by bridge.

Shabbat candle lighting times for Israel and US

See Shabbat times for your area.

Shabbat candles

Shabbat candle lighting times for Israel and US

See Shabbat times for your area.

Shabbat candles