God

On Shabbat Nachamu, Isaiah reminds us that human power is just an illusion

Isaiah declares, “Behold, the nations are as a drop from a bucket, and are regarded as the dust on the scales... All the nations are as nothing before Him” (Isaiah 40:15,17).

Every generation has its super powers.
THE WRITER and his wife the elephants at the Family Friendly Farm in Chiang Mai.

Before Tisha B'Av: Lessons from Singapore and Japan for repairing Israeli society - opinion

Man holding an American flag.

At 250, America must remember what made it worth fighting for - opinion

Israeli cabinet minister and former military chief Gadi Eisenkot is consoled by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as he attends the funeral of his son Gal Meir Eisenkot, 25, an Israeli solider, who was killed in northern Gaza during the ground operation by Israel's military in Gaza.

Was Netanyahu chosen by God, or judged too harshly by man? - opinion


US-Israel ties: Having faith in God, as well as in our friends - opinion

Throughout history, the Jews have faced moments of uncertainty in relationships with world powers. We have endured through diplomatic acumen and an unshakable connection to something far greater.

 US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman stand during a visit to At-Turaif World Heritage Site, in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, May 13, 2025

Prayers of silence: Why Passover's seventh day is so unique in its quietness

Calling out in prayer and beseeching God to answer our supplications involves an element of entitlement, perhaps even temerity. In contrast, silence reflects humility.

 An illustrative image of online messenger icons.

Passover 2025: Crossing your own Red Sea

We all face Red Seas in one form or another. But the good news is that just as God parted the waters for our forefathers when they left Egypt, He can part them for us as well.

 PHARAOH’S ARMY engulfed by the Red Sea, by Frederick Arthur Bridgman, 1900. ‘The wind dropped, the waters flooded back, and the entire Egyptian force was drowned.’

Passover 2025: When God hides, we still believe

Faith isn’t about finding all the answers – it’s about having shoulders wide enough, and spirits deep enough, to carry the weight of the questions. 

 An illustrative image of a maze with a large question mark inside.

This week in Jewish history: Buchenwald liberated, Paschal lambs sacrificed

A highly abridged weekly version of Dust & Stripes.

Jacob Sheep

Parashat Pekudei: Don’t walk away

We know who we are. They cannot fathom it. Our tireless efforts to explain may fall on deaf ears – but we hear, and we know.

 MOSES PROVIDED a meticulous accounting of every donation collected for the Mishkan.

The Mishkan testimony: How the Jews offer hope to the world amid a tidal wave of hate - opinion

We offer the world hope that it can withstand this tidal wave of hatred and escape the abyss of confusion. We have endured. So can you. We will show you the way.  

An illustrative image of a tidal wave.

Stamped with holiness: Circumcision and the sacred power of oaths

Fulfilling the commandment of circumcision means taking the ordinary body of a human being and transforming it into something holy that has been brought into the covenant/treaty of Hashem’s people.

 An illustrative image of a stamp and bright light underneath it.

1 in 5 Americans believes God determines winners and losers in the Super Bowl

A smaller share of Americans—13%—say God cares about who wins the Super Bowl.

 1 in 5 Americans believes God determines winners and losers in the Super Bowl. Illustration.

Purim's eternal message: Protecting humanity's moral fiber and maintaining hope

The clouds of confusion will clear, sanity will replace lunacy. The hypnotic spell of postmodern confusion will be broken. What has happened before will happen again. Just read the story of Esther.

The feast of Esther