#TefillinAgainstTerror campaign launched against terror and antisemitism
Shining light through darkness in response to the murder of Eli Kay, South African immigrant to Israel.
November 29, 2021
Judaism & Culture
18th century Esther Scroll written by teenage Italian girl up for auction
“Mistress Luna Tama, daughter of the honored philanthropist, the honorable Yehudah Amron and she/is in the fourteen[th] year of her life,” the inscription reads.
November 17, 2021
Will Israeli students soon study, visit the Temple Mount?
The topic of the Temple Mount is "swept under the table," one MK said.
November 16, 2021
Maccabee-era fortress discovered in Israel
Its destruction testifies to the battles the Maccabean dynasty kept fighting even after regaining Judea’s independence in the second century BCE.
November 16, 2021
‘Western Wall won’t be split by religious denominations,’ says senior minister
It’s unclear if Elkin’s opposition to the Western Wall deal is vehement enough to potentially cause a coalition crisis.
November 15, 2021
American Muslim rapper finds truth, new life in Judaism
Born into an African-American Muslim family, this American-Israeli rapper's journey to Orthodox Judaism is incredible.
November 14, 2021
WATCH: Volunteers supply kosher food for US soldiers around the world
What began as a small campaign now reaches several hundred Jewish troops around the globe, says the American organization KosherTroops, which delivers kosher food packages to the soldiers, especially on holidays.
November 11, 2021
Israeli study confirms battle recorded by prophet Isaiah
Archaeologists confirm account of Biblical battle described by the prophet Isaiah.
November 9, 2021
Is intermarriage in Israel threatening the Jewish state?
The majority of the 85,000 couples are Jewish men married to non-Jewish women.
November 8, 2021
WIN EXCLUSIVE: How covert Christian missionaries profoundly hurt Jewish communities
While the Elks and Dawsons have attracted major attention, they are just the tip of the iceberg, an anti-missionary expert says.
November 7, 2021
Turkish police: We foiled smuggling attempt of 1000-year-old Jewish texts
Country’s chief rabbi pointed out recently that many 'ancient' manuscripts are fakes made to dupe collectors and tourists.
November 6, 2021
Ancient ring with ‘Temple’ stone discovered in Yavne
Amethysts are mentioned in the Bible as one of the 12 precious stones worn by the high priest of the Temple on his ceremonial breastplate.
November 2, 2021
Holocaust survivor turned priest to be buried as a Jew, as per his own wishes
Yaakov Tzvi Gruner was saved by the Church in World War II and dedicated his life to it in gratitude, but long ago decided that he would die as Jew.
November 1, 2021
WATCH: Thousands of Jews gather in Hebron for special Shabbat
Thousands of Jews from around Israel gathered in the ancient city of Hebron to celebrate the reading of the Torah portion 'Chayei Sarah'
October 31, 2021
Youth discover hidden archaeological treasures in Biblical heartland
'There is no nation that gets to come home after 2,000 years, discover its deepest roots and build a future out of them.'
October 26, 2021
Torah learning to continue at full force in Israel. Here’s why
The yeshivas had been warned that sharp budget cuts were likely under the new unity government.
October 26, 2021
EXPOSED: Christian family in US acting as Jews outed as secret missionaries
The Dawson family called themselves the Isaacsons, with the father performing Jewish rites in many communities that are now invalidated.
October 21, 2021
First-time find: Second Temple-era signet stone found in Jerusalem
Until now there have only been written descriptions of the plant, in the Bible, Talmud and history books.
October 21, 2021
Tens of thousands of runners to trek through Jerusalem’s 3,000-year-old history
The run tells the story of Jerusalem’s 3,000-year existence, with landmarks ranging from the Old City walls, the seat of Israel’s presidency, the Israel Museum and the Supreme Court.
October 19, 2021
Ultra-Orthodox lawmakers blast minister’s proposal for civil marriages
While Matan Kahana says he seeks religious compromise to foster unity in Israel, Orthodox politicians slam the idea as endangering the Jewish nature of the state.
October 7, 2021
Have archaeologists uncovered the remains of Noah’s Ark? Dimensions match biblical description
'This is not what you would expect to see if this site is just a solid block of rock or an accumulation of random debris from a mudflow,' said one researcher.
October 3, 2021
‘Cosmic airburst’ destroyed Sodom, consistent with bible, new evidence suggests
'The description in Genesis of the destruction of an urban center in the Dead Sea area is consistent with having been an eyewitness account of a cosmic airburst,' researchers concluded.
October 1, 2021
Jewish-born man returns to Judaism after years as a Muslim
'A.' weeps after Beer Sheva rabbinical court accepts his petition returning to the fold.
September 30, 2021
Religious and secular Israeli teens find common ground
Be a Mensch Foundation works to bridge the wide secular-religious divide in Israel through youth dialog.
September 23, 2021
WATCH: Thousands gather at Western Wall for priestly blessing on Sukkot
The event, which takes place each year in the interim days of Passover and Sukkot with tens of thousands present, including tourists, was scaled down on Wednesday due to coronavirus restrictions.
September 22, 2021
WATCH: Israelis celebrate Jewish holidays of Yom Kippur and Sukkot
Sukkot, a Jewish holiday that celebrates the gathering of harvest and commemorates the liberation of the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt, is a weeklong holiday that comes five days after Yom Kippur.
September 20, 2021
Pope Francis is wrong: The laws of the Torah do give life, says leading rabbi
Each Torah law, or 'mitzvah,' is the practical and concrete expression of an otherwise abstract idea about how to live a moral and virtuous life.
September 17, 2021
WATCH: Yom Kippur War taught ‘how much our nation is dependent on God’
Rabbi Uri Pilichowski, educator and political commentator, explains the significance of the Yom Kippur fasting day to the Jewish people worldwide.
September 15, 2021
WATCH: Israeli President Isaac Herzog wishes happy new year to Jewish world – his ‘extended family’
Israeli President Isaac Herzog has released a special greeting in honor of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, wishing Jewish diaspora 'a year of health and of coming together.'
September 5, 2021
Hasidic leader orders followers to stay home during Jewish holidays due to Covid surge in Israel
Grand Rabbi Baruch Meir Yaakov Shochet has argued that by failing to comply with COVID restrictions, large sectors of Israel's ultra-Orthodox community have been ignoring the “foundational” Jewish principle of saving lives.
August 31, 2021
WATCH: How is Jerusalem’s Western Wall Plaza preparing to host holiday crowds?
As the Jewish High Holidays begin, thousands of worshippers are expected to visit the Western Wall Plaza in Jerusalem.
August 27, 2021
WATCH: What did archaeologists unearth in the ruins of this synagogue destroyed by Nazis?
The Great Synagogue of Vilna had been destroyed by the Nazis and bulldozed by the Soviets.
August 27, 2021
Israeli astronaut to take ancient Jewish coin from Bar Kochba revolt to space
The 1,900-year-old coin was minted during the second Jewish revolt against the Romans, also known as the Bar Kochba revolt.
By JNS
Israeli astronaut Eytan Stibbe has chosen to bring an ancient Jewish coin...
August 21, 2021
‘A sign of faith’ in Jewish German life: University of Potsdam opens city’s first synagogue since the Holocaust
“We are sending out an important sign of faith in the future of Jewish life in Germany.”
August 19, 2021
Christian missionary ramps up outreach to Israeli Jews in northern cities
Andrew Lewis previously gained notoriety in Israel for mailing a copy of the New Testament to every member of the Knesset.
August 11, 2021
WATCH: Missing section of First Temple-era city wall of Jerusalem revealed
Just ahead of Tisha b’Av – the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av, when Jews mourn the destruction of the First and Second Temples – archaeological excavations have uncovered the remains of the city wall.
July 14, 2021
UNCOVERED: 2000-year-old coins attest to Jewish life in ancient Israel
A Bar-Ilan University archaeological team discovered two coins in the Binyamin region of Samaria, dating back to the Second Temple era and the Bar Kokhba Revolt against the Romans.
July 14, 2021
WATCH: Former Latin American celebrity finds new purpose in Judaism
Former telenovela star Sarah Mintz has changed her life completely, having converted to Judaism and living in Israel as an Orthodox Jewish fashion and lifestyle influencer.
July 13, 2021
‘Publishing industry increasingly hostile to Jews and Israel,’ says Canadian-Israeli author
'It’s become absolutely shrill,' said author Gila Green. 'The word Israel becomes a trigger word.'
July 4, 2021
Lapid places Mezuzah at new Israeli embassy in Abu Dhabi
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid placed a Mezuzah Tuesday on the doorpost of the Israeli embassy in the United Arab Emirates, and a rabbi recited the traditional blessing.
June 29, 2021
WATCH: How do Jews and Israel fit into a postmodern world?
'We are living in a post-morality world that is influencing every aspect of our life…and we have to deal with it,”' particularly when it comes to education, says Dr. Ronen Shoval of the Argaman Institute, an Israeli think tank.
June 26, 2021
After 16 years, Jewish woman ‘trapped’ in marriage freed in precedent-setting international court battle
The husband’s recalcitrance was directed by his father, a wealthy and influential figure in the ultra-Orthodox community.
June 9, 2021
FBI helps NYPD address spike in anti-Semitic attacks
Some 26 anti-Semitic hate crimes took place from May 2 to May 23, two days before Israel and Hamas in Gaza agreed to a ceasefire.
June 2, 2021
HIP SET: Gripping crime novel is ‘a love poem to Tel Aviv’
'We have a chance to write books showing Israel as a real place...a place not defined by the Arab-Israeli conflict, where real people live real lives, in stories that still must, by their character and context, take place in Eretz Israel.'
May 30, 2021
WATCH: 200,000 attend Lag b’Omer festivities in northern Israel, despite pandemic warnings
Despite concerns about the Indian variant of the coronavirus, 200,000 people from across the country attended Lag b’Omer festivities on Mount Meron in the northern Galilee.
April 29, 2021
Yeshiva student, 17, wins Israel’s annual International Bible Quiz on Independence Day
The contest was clinched with the question, 'Who was the first woman to cry?'
April 15, 2021
Helen Mirren to portray Golda Meir in new film on Yom Kippur War
The screenplay focuses on the challenges that the 1973 war presented to Israel’s 'Iron Lady.'
April 8, 2021
Rabbis group pushes back on effort to link Orthodox with left-wing social trends
'Orthodoxy is not a marketing brand that one can cavalierly adopt, but depicts solid and unwavering commitment to Halacha and Mesorah (Jewish Law and Torah Tradition).'
December 15, 2020
First public Jewish wedding in the UAE attracts curious spectators
Dozens of onlookers in traditional Arab garb showed that this was no ordinary Orthodox Jewish celebration.
December 2, 2020
WATCH: David Friedman delivers Thanksgiving greetings from US Embassy in Jerusalem
'Giving thanks is a value that unites us all,' US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman said in a Thanksgiving message to Americans of all backgrounds and religions.
November 26, 2020
WATCH: All Jews encouraged to adopt Ethiopian-Israeli holiday of Sigd
Israel’s deputy public security minister says that all Jews should be celebrating the Ethiopian holiday of Sigd.
November 17, 2020
WATCH: Israeli actor in hit TV series ‘Valley of Tears’ is ‘neurotic’ like his character
Shahar Tavoch discusses the background to the HBO-acquired hit TV series, says he can definitely relate to his character: 'We're the same person.'
November 15, 2020
Israel’s Sephardic Chief Rabbi: Wig-wearing is ‘idolatrous’
Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel slams practice of wig wearing as idolatrous and immodest.
October 26, 2020
Supreme Court Justice Ginsburg’s lace collar to be part of permanent exhibit at Tel Aviv museum
The late Ruth Bader Ginsburg donated her signature neckwear to the Museum of the Jewish People.
September 27, 2020
Shana Tova: Disney Channel celebrities extend Jewish New Year greetings
In this cute video, Disney Channel stars discuss the traditions surrounding Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, and extend a hearty Shana Tova to their Jewish fans.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vsQEpphE8c...
September 18, 2020
Thousands of hasidim stuck in inter-border no-man’s land after disregarding Ukraine closure
Wanting to pray at the grave of the Breslov leader on Rosh Hashana, they ignored Kiev’s August declaration that borders would be closed due to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
September 16, 2020
‘Netflix haredi-style’: Israel’s ultra-religious set up their own home entertainment in wake of corona
With live shows impossible due to the pandemic, one company came up with an idea of a way to bring kosher culture into the homes of the ultra-Orthodox.
September 7, 2020
NBA All-Star Amar’e Stoudemire converts to Judaism
'It’s official,' Stoudemire said on Instagram.
August 27, 2020
WATCH: Ukraine bans annual pilgrimage of ultra-Orthodox Jews to grave of hasidic leader in Uman
Every year on Rosh Hashana, thousands travel to Uman to pray at the grave of Rabbi Nachman, but this year Ukraine is banning their entry due to Covid-19.
August 21, 2020
Israeli pop star invited by member of Dubai royal family to perform in UAE
A member of the royal Dubai family sent the performer a personal invitation over the weekend.
August 16, 2020