Torah

Jacob's Well in Turkey: The beginning of the Bible's first love story reopens to tourists

The well has survived through the centuries partly because Muslims also hold it sacred. Since the ground has been covered by centuries of soil, a structure stands above it.

The structure above Jacob’s Well and the stairs leading down to it.
 GIL SHOHAT

Music for a cause: Gil Shohat, Tali Ketzef to perform Hanukkah benefit concert

'The original division of responsibilities could no longer be sustained.'

Parashat Toldot: Choosing Jacob's path to redemption

JEWISH IDENTITY and the Land of Israel: Deeply bound. Pictured: Pelicans in Emek Hefer.

Parashat Toldot: The Jewish people are inseparable from the land of Israel


MK Busso criticizes haredi draft march, says Shas, Likud will continue collaboration after election

"These are the same people who also march against the haredi parties. Against me and against each and every one of us."

MK Uriel Buso attends a National Security committee meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament on December 14, 2025.

Ben-Gvir’s gallows betray the Jewish values at the heart of Zionism - opinion

Ben-Gvir’s gallows, in so many ways, does not represent life. It is also antithetical to Judaism and Zionism.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir wore a gold pin of a noose, December 8, 2025.

Sukkot 2026: Yom Kippur reminds us life is short - Sukkot asks what we do with it - opinion

Yom Kippur asks God for life. Sukkot asks what we will do with it and whether we will make our time count.

A succa in Western Wall

Sukkot 2026: What the sukkah and Four Species teach us about Israeli unity

The sukkah is where we spend much of our time over the holiday, eating our meals, and many sleep in the sukkah when conditions and weather allow. 

(Illustrative) A woman stands inside a Sukkah, holding a Lulav and Etrog.

An unimaginable idea: When does God ignore idolatry by Jews?

Rabbi Hayyim urges us to remain a unified nation; a people that does not block highways or burn tires, engage in vandalism against those with whom we may differ, or delegitimize other Jews.

OUR CHILDREN deserve a unified nation.

Rosh Hashanah 2026: The Jewish people must answer the shofar’s call to unity - opinion

In a year marked by antisemitism and uncertainty, the Jewish community has shown the strength that comes from standing together as one people.

 An illustrative photo of a man blowing a shofar, a ceremonial ram's horn, which is done repeatedly on Rosh Hashanah.

From Saul's failure to David's reckoning, 'Human Kingship' examines the dangers of power - review

Rabbi David Silber's Human Kingship rereads the Book of Samuel to ask what restrains a ruler when no tribunal can remove him, and whether justice can survive unchecked power.

KING DAVID, a detail of the early 16th-century marble statue by Michelangelo,   kept at the Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence, Italy.

‘You are standing today’: A Jewish lesson for America, 25 years after 9/11

As we approach the 25th anniversary of that terrible day, this week’s haftarah (Isaiah 61:10-63:9) offers a powerful perspective on destruction, rebuilding, and memory.

 THE TWIN Towers burn

Israel after Oct. 7: What Moses teaches us about survival and responsibility

As Israel emerges from three years of war, Moshe’s ancient message offers a powerful reminder: surviving tragedy is only the beginning. We must also decide what we stand for.

WOMEN STAND in prayer at the Kotel.

Parashat Nitzavim: Why we are all responsible for one another

In a world increasingly focused on personal success, Parashat Nitzavim reminds us that no one stands alone. Our fate is bound together, and we are responsible for one another.

MUTUAL RESPONSIBILITY: Young Israelis who completed military service help farmers like Giora Isar from Moshav Maaleh Gamla at the height of the mango-picking season, near the Sea of Galilee, Aug. 4.