FEATURES
Everything wasn’t sunny in Philadelphia on Sunday, though a message was sent that enmity doesn’t belong in the City of Brotherly Love.
Addressing 500 African American pastors in Jerusalem, Daniel Rosen unveiled an initiative to strengthen ties between the two communities through joint projects and personal relationships.
South African scholar Anthea Jeffery and political analyst Benji Shulman discuss the implications of the ANC’s electoral decline at an event devoted to Jeffery’s new book.
Xiao Junzheng defended Beijing’s ties to Tehran, but said ‘Israel is a friend of China.’
Honored with the Jonathan Sacks Institute Prize at Bar-Ilan University, the Holocaust historian speaks to JNS about Jewish pride, rising antisemitism and why defending the truth sometimes means defending the rights of those who deny it.
Seventy-eight years after Israel officially adopted its national flag, the story of the blue and white reaches back to a pioneers’ celebration, preparations for the First Zionist Congress and a debate about to whom the flag belonged.
“Layered Memories” brings together Bianca Severijns’s impressions of the Netherlands and Israel in intricate works made from torn and layered paper.
A former Satmar yeshiva student who volunteered as a medic during the Oct. 7 massacre tells JNS that an encounter with a wounded soldier changed his life forever.
“Today, there is nothing I can’t do,” Boris Shtonda tells JNS.
The Marc Shmuel Levine Gallery at the Jerusalem Theater pays tribute to Harry Levine, who helped arm the Haganah and establish the Weizmann Institute of Science.
Contemporary works by 16 Israeli artists are displayed alongside ancient jewelry, coins and archaeological artifacts.
“It was the Democrats that moved away from Israel, not Israel away from the Democrats,” Dan Diker of the Jerusalem Center for Foreign Affairs told JNS.
ISRAEL’S POLITICAL PARTIES EXPLAINED
A Series by Shimon Sherman
Benjamin Netanyahu, security and the battle for the nation’s right.
The joint slate is dominated by RZP candidates, with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich first and former Likud MK Moshe Feiglin second.
Itamar Ben Gvir campaigns on security, sovereignty and tougher anti-terror laws.
Passing a comprehensive draft law to shield yeshivah students from compulsory military service is the central demand of both lists.
Avigdor Liberman’s movement seeks secular right-wing role in post-Netanyahu government.
Party leader Yair Golan is a polarizing figure in Israeli politics, even as his party attempts to translate its ideological platform into political influence within a broader opposition alliance.
Islamist and Palestinian-nationalist parties test opposition’s red lines ahead of the Oct. 27 election.
Ofer Winter’s party seeks to reshape the Jewish state’s right from within.
Hendel and Zelekha pair military-service reform with economic overhaul.
The smaller parties could sway the election even if they fail to enter the Knesset.
MEET THE PARLIAMENT
A series by Amelie Botbol
The Yesh Atid lawmaker argues that the country’s recovery must begin with national healing.
The Yesh Atid lawmaker says Israel needs a broad Zionist coalition to rebuild the country after the Oct. 7 attacks.
“We have made sure to help the public—the Sephardi Haredi public, but not exclusively. Shas is not a niche party; it helps everyone,” Abutbul told JNS.
The next government must secure the nation’s future through economic strength, internal security and diplomatic agreements, the former Jerusalem police chief tells JNS.
IDF reservists’ rights, highway safety among the causes championed by the Likud legislator.
“I think we need to invest in Israel’s Arab society—in education, employment and infrastructure. If we don’t, we’ll be the ones who suffer,” the lawmaker told JNS.
“Iran threatens world peace, and the world should stand up to it. It’s very simple,” the Likud lawmaker told JNS.
“Today, we see that the majority of the Israeli public wants a government of consensus,” Blue and White party chair tells JNS.
The former school principal and welfare minister emphasized the importance of every child studying math, English, Hebrew and science.
The deputy foreign minister talks with JNS about Lebanon, Iran, surging antisemitism and the importance of Africa.
The nation must protect its periphery, agricultural sector, environment, shape Gaza’s future, the Yesh Atid lawmaker tells JNS.
Schuster advocates for Gaza demilitarization, national unity and strengthening the periphery.
“It will be hard—wars are no fun—but we need to do this so that our children will not experience what we experience, so that they will have greater quiet,” the lawmaker told JNS.
Right-wing voters must understand they are voting for legal advisers to assume an actual advisory role, for the Supreme Court’s authority to be capped and for the communications market to open to competition, says Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi.
The Likud lawmaker spoke with JNS about the lack of a right-wing fiscal approach in Israel, the importance of sovereignty and the urgency of dealing with the Iran threat.
The opposition lawmaker says Israelis agree on 80% of key issues.
Enabling ride-sharing services, limiting the state’s right to appeal citizens’ acquittals are among the initiatives driven by the Blue and White lawmaker.
While a Knesset lawmaker’s work includes legislation, committee activity and media appearances, Likud lawmaker Amit Halevi said the media is often the most effective tool for driving change.
Israel should not press ahead with the U.S.-mediated Gaza ceasefire deal until Hamas returns the body of the last hostage, the Yesh Atid lawmaker told JNS.
We need to address shortages of teachers and overcrowded classrooms, the new head of the Knesset Education Committee tells JNS.
The Likud legislator calls on all Knesset members to unite for the good of the nation.
Protecting children from social media, Israel’s high cost of living and strengthening the periphery rank high on the Yesh Atid lawmaker’s agenda.
No troops from Turkey or Qatar will enter the Gaza Strip, the Likud lawmaker tells JNS.
Noam Party wants state recognition of Jewish identity, and eligibility under the Law of Return, to be determined by “halachah.”
The Religious Zionism lawmaker seeks the replacement of the Palestinian Authority, which she says continues to fund and support terrorism.
“It is possible to hold the book in one hand and a weapon in the other,” said Moshe Solomon on the haredi draft.
“The cost of living is one of the two key issues that will be decisive in the next elections, along with national security,” says MK Simon Davidson.
Religious Zionism lawmaker Ohad Tal tells JNS that peace can be achieved only by applying Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria and Gaza.
“The IDF withdrew from Lebanon in 20o0, and Hezbollah ended up becoming the largest terror army in the world,” Otzma Yehudit lawmaker Yitzhak Kroizer tells JNS.
MK Shelly Tal Meron of Yesh Atid’s work centers on the hostage issue and Hamas’s sexual violence.
Religious Zionism’s Simcha Rothman talks with JNS about his key achievements in the Knesset, and the challenges the country still faces.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza “has a lot of potential,” Likud lawmaker Dan Illouz told JNS at the Knesset.
MADE IN ISRAEL
Six Israeli-linked companies earned recognition alongside global technology companies whose Israeli operations signal confidence in the country’s talent.
Israeli cybersecurity firms raised about $4.3 billion in the first nine months of 2026 as investors back companies protecting data and controlling what AI systems can access.
Brain-IT uses recordings from functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI, to approximate the picture a person was viewing by analyzing patterns of brain activity associated with visual processing.
A Ben-Gurion University team has developed an aerogel “sponge” that can absorb about 80 times its weight in crude oil while helping bacteria break down the pollutants.
Built from a patient’s own cells, the technology is advancing toward its first human trial at Sheba Medical Center in 2027, pending regulatory approval.
An Elbit representative tells JNS how the company’s C-MUSIC system shields airliners from heat-seeking missiles, as global demand grows
From its home in Binyamin, Psagot Playgrounds combines Israeli ingenuity with decades of experience to create unique play spaces in Israel and the United States.
HAREDIM IN ISRAEL
A series by Shimon Sherman
Seventy-eight years after Israel officially adopted its national flag, the story of the blue and white reaches back to a pioneers’ celebration, preparations for the First Zionist Congress and a debate about to whom the flag belonged.
A former Satmar yeshiva student who volunteered as a medic during the Oct. 7 massacre tells JNS that an encounter with a wounded soldier changed his life forever.
For members of Texans for a Safe Israel, the region’s volatility is no obstacle.
Memories of Israel’s first national election on Jan. 25, 1949.
The Shin Bet, social media platforms and independent researchers are working to expose influence operations and protect election systems.
A year after two worshippers were killed, congregants speak to JNS about grief, fresh threats and the struggle to feel safe.
7.10 Bound in Memory is an exhibit of books written by family and friends of those killed.
The smaller parties could sway the election even if they fail to enter the Knesset.
Islamist and Palestinian-nationalist parties test opposition’s red lines ahead of the Oct. 27 election.
Hendel and Zelekha pair military-service reform with economic overhaul.
Ofer Winter’s party seeks to reshape the Jewish state’s right from within.
Passing a comprehensive draft law to shield yeshivah students from compulsory military service is the central demand of both lists.
Everything wasn’t sunny in Philadelphia on Sunday, though a message was sent that enmity doesn’t belong in the City of Brotherly Love.
Honored with the Jonathan Sacks Institute Prize at Bar-Ilan University, the Holocaust historian speaks to JNS about Jewish pride, rising antisemitism and why defending the truth sometimes means defending the rights of those who deny it.
The Marc Shmuel Levine Gallery at the Jerusalem Theater pays tribute to Harry Levine, who helped arm the Haganah and establish the Weizmann Institute of Science.
After fleeing war in Ukraine and rebuilding her career in London, the Odessa-born singer-songwriter is taking her music—and unapologetic Jewish identity—to Los Angeles.
“I came back and painted, painted and painted everything I saw there, everything I felt. I literally couldn’t stop,” says Lior Marom.
A year after two worshippers were killed, congregants speak to JNS about grief, fresh threats and the struggle to feel safe.
“Taking a pro-Israeli stance may jeopardize one’s career; they may face shaming on the internet. If they have a business, their windows will be broken. People are afraid,” Ambassador Zvi Vapni said.
AfD and Die Linke election victories deepen concerns over antisemitism and test the political center’s ability to keep both parties from power.
Yoni Finlay, who was shot while defending his synagogue on Yom Kippur, says heightened security continues to shape Jewish life a year after the deadly attack.
Twenty-five people who made aliyah, many of them via Nefesh B’Nefesh, share their experiences.
40 years after Chabad sent its first emissary to the region, communities once centered on travelers and business people are building schools, mikvahs and cemeteries for Jews who have come to stay.
As students return to campuses worldwide, Nate Leipciger urges them in a letter to embrace their Jewish identity.
“I had a slow awakening which made me realize that this is my heritage and that we had been disconnected from it because of Adolf Hitler,” said Barbara Hines after discovering her Jewish roots.
“We will dance again": Israelis celebrate the Torah three years after Oct. 7.
The Zamir Choral Foundation drew 475 people from North America, Europe and Israel to its annual festival, where music reverberated through the halls of a hotel in Stamford, Conn.
The Sukkot event attracted Israelis and visitors for a day of culture and activities.
A short prayer has been composed for combat soldiers who must eat on Yom Kippur, Lt. Col. Rabbi Udi Schwartz, head of the Military Rabbinate’s Halacha Department, tells JNS.
“During this moment of spiking antisemitism, Jews can take a measure of comfort in recalling to ourselves and to all Americans how Hebraic ideas have helped shape American political language,” Rabbi Stu Halpern, of Yeshiva University, told JNS.
Zev Shandalov, a Ma’ale Adumim-based rabbi and teacher, transformed the six words Berger wrote after 482 days in Hamas captivity into a thousand-year-old poetic form.
Originally intended to accommodate a few hundred Torah scholars, the exemption of ultra-Orthodox yeshivah students from IDF service evolved into one of Israel’s most contentious public policy issues.
The initiative brings together the IDF Military Rabbinate, Aleph Military and the International Halacha Institute to address modern halachic challenges facing Jewish service members.
Rare manuscripts by Maimonides, Newton, Avicenna and Galileo trace more than 1,000 years of scientific, religious and philosophical inquiry.
The Shalom Jerusalem Foundation president told JNS that the holy site named “Zion” should be “a house of prayer for all nations.”
Adam Ferziger’s research opened new avenues for understanding “long-standing undercurrents in Israeli society, culture and Jewish identity,” the judges said.
“We will dance again": Israelis celebrate the Torah three years after Oct. 7.
The Sukkot event attracted Israelis and visitors for a day of culture and activities.
From fruit-laden sukkahs to a digital prayer-book app, a community divided between Holon in central Israel and Mount Gerizim in Samaria combines ancient Israelite traditions with modern Israeli life.
Jewish giving has surged since Oct. 7, while donor priorities have shifted from emergency aid to long-term recovery.
A short prayer has been composed for combat soldiers who must eat on Yom Kippur, Lt. Col. Rabbi Udi Schwartz, head of the Military Rabbinate’s Halacha Department, tells JNS.
During cooler days and starry night skies, share some meals with family and friends while harkening back to the booths of yore.
Yoni Finlay, who was shot while defending his synagogue on Yom Kippur, says heightened security continues to shape Jewish life a year after the deadly attack.
Archaeologists presented fresh findings on the Israeli capital’s ancient fortifications, water systems, roads and pilgrimage routes.
“During this moment of spiking antisemitism, Jews can take a measure of comfort in recalling to ourselves and to all Americans how Hebraic ideas have helped shape American political language,” Rabbi Stu Halpern, of Yeshiva University, told JNS.
Savoring the sweet and the sour, as America marks a quarter of a century since Sept. 11, 2001, and the downing of four airplanes as part of terror attacks that left a hole in our hearts.
The dedication at Ramat Negev Winery honored the woman Pollard credits with securing his freedom and bringing him home to Israel.
Participants in the March of the Living warn that internal discord poses a grave threat and call for renewed unity.
Temple Mount Sifting Project faces a backlog, with tons of debris still awaiting examination.
Archaeologists presented fresh findings on the Israeli capital’s ancient fortifications, water systems, roads and pilgrimage routes.
Art historian Jacob Wisse told JNS that he is concerned “when museums, which I value for the rigor, depth and richness of their curatorial voice, fall back, lazily, on untruths.”
The wooden beams, preserved for some 2,600 years beneath melted plaster, offer a rare glimpse into the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BCE.
Project Qumran seeks scientific testing of surviving samples from a 1992 Dead Sea excavation that researchers believe may be remnants of biblical “Ketoret.”
A Bar-Ilan University researcher argues that a cultic stone found at Tel Eton could provide archaeological proof of religious change in Judah during the First Temple period.
Researchers say traces of repeated fire use deep inside South Africa’s Wonderwerk Cave suggest early human ancestors were harnessing naturally occurring fires far earlier than previously confirmed.
Calling it “a dream come true,” the museum’s director Eilat Lieber says the Kishle site will become the Schulich Wing for Archaeology, Art and Innovation.
“It’s not just a display of the scrolls, which of course in and of themselves would be powerful,” but other “wow objects” leave viewers in awe, the museum’s director of exhibits told JNS.
NY exhibit underscores how medieval Christians both sang songs from Hebrew Bible and persecuted Jews
“Here you sing these Psalms every day, yet on Good Friday you go out and you beat up your Jewish neighbors,” Roger Wieck, of the Morgan Library and Museum, told JNS. “I don’t have an answer for you.”
The museum’s president and CEO told JNS that he hopes visitors will learn about the Holocaust and its root causes and apply that to understanding the world today.
“Gaon is the soundtrack of Israeli life,” says Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion.
“Layered Memories” brings together Bianca Severijns’s impressions of the Netherlands and Israel in intricate works made from torn and layered paper.
Contemporary works by 16 Israeli artists are displayed alongside ancient jewelry, coins and archaeological artifacts.
At the Tel Aviv premiere of “Noa’s Way,” the Israeli pop star and Argentine heartthrob Agustín Bernasconi performed together.
After fleeing war in Ukraine and rebuilding her career in London, the Odessa-born singer-songwriter is taking her music—and unapologetic Jewish identity—to Los Angeles.
“I had a slow awakening which made me realize that this is my heritage and that we had been disconnected from it because of Adolf Hitler,” said Barbara Hines after discovering her Jewish roots.
Avi Issacharoff warns that denial of the Hamas massacre and false narratives about Israel are taking hold in the United States and Europe.
“For the first time in my life, I’m dividing the restaurant into two sections,” Eyal Shani told JNS. “I have to seduce people to see what’s inside without them feeling that they are going to spend a lot of money or a lot of their time.”
The Zamir Choral Foundation drew 475 people from North America, Europe and Israel to its annual festival, where music reverberated through the halls of a hotel in Stamford, Conn.
The event features more than 250 artists, including two Latin American exhibitions tracing Jewish identity from ancestral towns to a possible future beyond Earth.
Richard McBee’s monumental new paintings return to the binding of Isaac, asking what became of the son after the angel intervened and why the biblical silence that followed still matters after Oct. 7.
“During this moment of spiking antisemitism, Jews can take a measure of comfort in recalling to ourselves and to all Americans how Hebraic ideas have helped shape American political language,” Rabbi Stu Halpern, of Yeshiva University, told JNS.
An exhibition slated for next summer at the Strong National Museum of Play in New York will focus on Jewish contributions to play, and recent publications tackle the same subject and its history.
“Today, there is nothing I can’t do,” Boris Shtonda tells JNS.
“I want us playing the biggest games in the EuroCup at the end of the season and winning,” owner Matan Adelson said.
The 65th Israel Festival opened with a breathtaking aerial performance over the Hinnom Valley, recreating an iconic 1987 crossing between east and west Jerusalem.
Yosef Dagan championed the penalty shootout following Israel’s elimination from the 1968 Olympics by the drawing of lots.
According to CyberWell, social media posts tied to the 2026 FIFA World Cup falsely claim the Argentine soccer star is Jewish or controlled by Jews while recycling conspiracy theories about Jewish control of FIFA.
After becoming the first Israeli women’s national basketball team to win a European medal, the team reflected on the bond that fueled its remarkable run.
David Bolchover talks to JNS about his new book, which tells the stories of 11 Jewish football stars murdered in the Holocaust.
Despite falling short in the series, Team Israel celebrated a historic performance, new friendships and valuable preparation for the European Championship.
Despite facing hostility throughout the tournament, Team Israel captured gold and now has its sights set on qualifying for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Afeka College engineering students are preparing to become the first Israeli team to compete in Europe’s only 24-hour solar car race.
From Cuba to Estonia, immigrants to Israel proudly compete under their former homelands’ flags while celebrating their shared Jewish identity.
Maccabiah Israel Chairman Asaf Goren tells JNS that memorial swims, commemorative pins and even favorite foods are helping athletes remember 18 fallen members of the Maccabi family.
As aliyah from Western countries rises, professionals from France and Chile describe why they chose Israel and how finding work helped them build a new life.
“His heritage will be defined by whether he wins decisively against Iran or not,” Brig. Gen. (res.) Amir Avivi, of the Israel Defense and Security Forum, told JNS.
“When I go out and do things, it’s never, ‘Oh, look at what Sam did.’ It’s always like, ‘What Sam-the-Jew did,’” Sam Berger told JNS.
Paulson says his $250 million Hebrew University gift ‘won’t be the last,’ eyes haredi STEM education
The American billionaire told JNS that supporting Israeli higher education can have nearly 10 times the impact of giving to an Ivy League institution.
Jewish and Zionist advocate tells JNS that education, personal engagement and action are essential to countering antisemitism and anti-Israel narratives.
“We Iranians have no better friends in this world than the Jewish people and will always unapologetically stand with them,” Fred Saberi, an Iranian activist in Sweden, told JNS.
The non-Jewish council member, who grew up on the Upper East Side, told JNS that she was raised in a “proud Zionist household.”
Daniela Adar set out to keep an Upper Galilee museum’s story alive during the war. Her encounters with displaced families sent her back to the classroom.
The Majdal Shams mother has become an outspoken advocate for resilience and unity since losing her 11-year-old daughter, Alma.
“Most teachers would not want to touch this with a 10-foot pole, certainly not at the middle school level,” Alisa Berger of the Harvard University Graduate School of Education told JNS.
‘I didn’t leave that place with vengefulness or anger,’ she tells JNS.
In Jerusalem, the president praised an organization that has brought children from around the world to Israel for lifesaving heart treatment, while training doctors to care for future generations in their home countries.