Torah

Beyond the headlines: Taking care of yourself

A weekly glimpse into the Israel you won’t read about in the news.

AUGUST 27, 2025|BySIVAN RAHAV MEIR

An illustrative AI-generated image of a Torah scroll opened in an undisclosed location in outer space.

Rabbi Jeffrey Fox, left, teaches a class in Jewish law at Maharat, the first yeshiva to ordain women to serve as Orthodox clergy.

Two congregations, two opinions as Torahs hit the floor at separate NYC services

Torah scrolls are treated with such reverence that on the rare occasions that they are dropped, it becomes news, at least in the Jewish media.

AUGUST 26, 2025|ByANDREW SILOW-CARROLL/JTA

'Israel stands as a rare example of a nation unashamed of its identity as an ethnic state – a country with a story.'

A nation and a story: Israel claims its destiny without shame - opinion

We must never shrink from our story. We are both a people and a faith, bound together across time, building a state grounded in both.

AUGUST 23, 2025|ByMOSHE TARAGIN

Zion’s foundations will be laid with sapphires, we are reassured.

Parashat Re'eh: Divine consolation, both intimate and universal

'The time for consolation is now, and the path to redemption lies before us.'

AUGUST 23, 2025|ByMICHAEL FREUND

Parashat Re'eh: The gift of mercy

This is our ancestral heritage, passed down through the generations, and rooted so deeply that it is part of our very nature.

AUGUST 22, 2025ByRABBI SHMUEL RABINOWITZ

COMPASSION & MERCY: Haredi soldiers from the IDF Hasmonean Brigade take part in a beret march after completing seven months of basic and advanced training, at the Western Wall, Aug. 6.

Parshat Re’eh: Being engaged to God

We, the Jewish people, will find the courage to move beyond engagement, to build our home with God in Jerusalem, and to begin a new chapter in our ancient story.

AUGUST 22, 2025ByLEO DEE

PREPARING TO break the glass during a wedding ceremony: It represents a leap of faith; only once the glass is shattered can the covenant be sealed, the writer posits.

Grapevine, August 22, 2025: Brains betrayed...

Movers and shakers in Israeli society.

AUGUST 22, 2025ByGREER FAY CASHMAN

MK Tally Gotliv seen during a court hearing of Yonatan Urich, at the court in Lod, August 19, 2025

Nation of soldiers or Jewish nation? Why Israel must not erase its soul - opinion

The Talmud itself debates the balance between military defense and spiritual commitment. But what we are seeing today is not a debate; it is an attempt to erase the Torah’s role in Israel’s future.

AUGUST 14, 2025ByDOVID HOFSTEDTER

‘THE HAREDI leadership argues that it is forbidden to draft yeshiva students whose Torah is their profession and that they defend the State of Israel through their studies.’

Aliyah should not be motivated by antisemitism, alarmism - opinion

The ideal aliyah is not one made out of fear, but rather out of love and longing.

AUGUST 12, 2025BySHIMSHON HAKOHEN NADEL

NEW IMMIGRANTS from France arrive at Ben-Gurion Airport in June. Instead of fearmongering, we should be encouraging an aliyah of ideals and idealism, the writer maintains.

A moment for celebration: 105 years young

Beyond the Headlines: A weekly glimpse into the Israel you won’t read about in the news

AUGUST 11, 2025BySIVAN RAHAV MEIR

Memory is our anchor in the unfolding saga of the Jewish people - opinion

Memory is essential – it deepens our experience and helps build our shared identity. In Israel, it is even more vital, reminding us that we are part of a larger, unfolding saga.

AUGUST 10, 2025ByMOSHE TARAGIN

Shema Yisrael: The importance of listening and learning in the darkness

To hear – even in the dark. To listen – when we feel silenced. To act – when it would be easier to despair. To love – when hate seems louder. To believe – even now.

AUGUST 9, 2025ByNECHAMA GOLDMAN BARASH