Religion

What South Park and Dante get wrong about the Hebrew Bible’s Hell - study

A new academic essay argues that the fiery underworld familiar from Dante, TV, and pop culture replaced the Hebrew Bible’s older, quieter idea of Sheol.

Dante and Virgil in the Second Circle of Hell, 1823. Found in the Collection of Thorvaldsens Museum, Copenhagen. Artist Koch, Joseph Anton (1768-1839).
Hillel was not asking for perfect emotion.

Love isn’t enough: Faith in humanity through the lens of the Torah

American Jews [Illustrative]

Promoting Diaspora aliyah will never succeed through anger - opinion

Israeli soldiers guard near stickers of victims killed in the October 7 massacre and ongoing Iron Swords War at the Bental water reservoir near Kibbutz Merom Golan, in the Golan Heights, October 7, 2025.

Israel must break free from the dangerous status quo - opinion


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

Ben-Gvir’s law treats non-Jewish lives as unequal, risking Israel’s moral and global standing.

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

Collapse of responsibility in the name of faith - opinion

Parashat Bo warns: true faith demands responsibility, that honoring life means accountability and protecting the vulnerable.

Ultra-Othodox Jewish men block a road and clash with police during a protest against the autopsy of toddlers who died in a daycare, on Tuesday. These protests were not about honoring the dead, but about avoiding accontability, the writer argues.

Everyday heroines: Quiet burden of Israeli anchors waiting at home during wartime

While soldiers served for months, their partners carried the home front alone; now facing the emotional aftermath few see.

One should act heroically like a lion to get up in the morning to serve his Creator, the ‘Shulchan Aruch’ says.

Entering Pardes: Discovering Jewish identity and tradition through role-playing games

At the recent Roll for Destiny exhibition at the Schechter Gallery in Tel Aviv, an overlap between geekdom and religiosity was taken into outright experimental art.

The players are set to enter Pardes. From L: Chana Ner-Gaon, Victoria Kaufman, Tzvi Jasper, and Aaron Reich.

Parashat Bo: Jeremiah’s timeless promise to Israel

Empires crumble, pain persists, yet Israel survives; Jeremiah’s words offer reassurance across generations.

Exodus from Egypt (Edward Poynter)

Parashat Bo: Promises must be kept

Keeping promises is the foundation of trust between people, of educating children, and of building a moral future.

Promises.

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.

Statue of a mans head wearing headphones.

Zionism built on shared responsibility, not ideological conformity - opinion

Zionism thrives when it aligns with the Jews who are willing to carry it forward and not on nostalgic ideals.

Zionist youth congress in Budapest.

From pop stars to tefillin pop-ups, Oct. 7 changed how some Israelis practice Judaism

The spiritual jolt of those first weeks has not fully faded, and increased religious practice has become part of the country’s daily rhythm.

The Israeli TV host Ofira Asayag is secular but lit Shabbat candles on air in 2024, during the Israel Hamas war reflecting a trend among Israelis.

Knesset stole billions from Israelis to fund haredi schools, Lapid claims

“The money was transferred to schools that do not teach the core curriculum, that are subject to no oversight of any kind, in violation of the law,” Lapid said.

Opposition head Yair Lapid arrives for a court hearing at the Supreme Court on a petition against the transfer of funds to ultra-Orthodox educational institutions, January 8, 2026