Culture and Society
Original reporting, features and analysis on culture and society.
Oscar-winning filmmaker László Nemes said his Holocaust films would likely be ignored in today’s “shameless orgy of antisemitism.”
Israeli singer says the national unity he felt during the contest in Vienna made his “soul come back home.”
The front line and the home front are inextricably linked.
The Israeli performer overcame boos and boycotts to deliver a crowd-pleasing performance of “Michelle” in Vienna.
The capital’s fertility rate is 3.68 childen per woman, higher than the national average of 2.89.
Mayor Moshe Lion says this year’s honorees represent “the human, moral and professional mosaic of Jerusalem.”
It is and always has been a city of striking contrasts.
First and foremost, the only civilized country in the Middle East is far too socialistic.
Creating a language of “parallel traumas” harms the historical record, and it ultimately flattens moral distinction.
The Israeli singer’s Eurovision performance became an act of defiance against anti-Israel hatred, even eliciting support from Iranian dissidents abroad.
“It’s both a Jewish story and an American story at the same time,” a curator at the Washington, D.C., museum told JNS of a series by Mitch Epstein.
Noam Bettan qualified for the grand final after earning enough points to advance.
Oscar-winning filmmaker László Nemes said his Holocaust films would likely be ignored in today’s “shameless orgy of antisemitism.”
Israeli singer says the national unity he felt during the contest in Vienna made his “soul come back home.”
Wolfram Weimer, who punished culture bosses for anti-Israel displays in the Federal Republic, denounces “antisemitic” boycott attempts in Italy.
The Palais des Beaux-Arts proceeded with inviting Lahav Shani for a Nov. 24 performance.
Jews shouldn’t need to treat intellectual honesty as heroism. Nor does it behoove us to grab any morsel of sympathy with the hunger of a hostage.
There is another definition of what it means to be a bad actor.
Season five of the award-winning series was rewritten to address the Oct. 7, 2023, attack.
The Israeli performer overcame boos and boycotts to deliver a crowd-pleasing performance of “Michelle” in Vienna.
The president cites rising anti-Israel and antisemitic sentiment amid protests targeting the country’s pavilion and Jewish symbols.
The Israeli singer’s Eurovision performance became an act of defiance against anti-Israel hatred, even eliciting support from Iranian dissidents abroad.
Talking to Michal Herzog at the President’s Conference in Jerusalem, the famous actress shares that being Israeli abroad has become “very complicated.”
“It’s both a Jewish story and an American story at the same time,” a curator at the Washington, D.C., museum told JNS of a series by Mitch Epstein.
Egypt plays a critical role in border stability, and its president was keen to underline that fact as the Biden administration withholds military aid from Cairo over human-rights criticisms.
Apple released a software update to fix the hole in its security system.
Unlike its spyware rivals, Assac Networks does not attract global media attention as it quietly keeps companies, governments and security forces in many countries secure from hacking and eavesdropping.
“We are delighted that the state sees boycotts against Israel for what they are—a form of anti-Semitism,” said Israel’s Consul General to the Southwest Hillel Newman.
It is essentially an electronic skin capable of recognizing the range of movement human joints make, with up to half a degree of precision.
“I promise that good things will happen regarding Iran’s oil sales in the coming months,” said Iranian Oil Minister Javad Owji.
“We can leverage this opportunity not just for local prosperity, but for realizing opportunities and making a real contribution to our neighbors in the Middle East,” said Israeli Transportation Minister Merav Michaeli.
It is reviving a line established in the 1980s following an increased worldwide demand for such aircraft.
As you can imagine, getting into Israel was not easy and only possible at all because of our son being an Israeli citizen, since tourists were not being permitted to visit.
Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) said the ice-cream company should be held “fully accountable” if the boycott is found to be against the law.
The Shurat HaDin Israel Law Center claimed that Ben & Jerry’s move to stop distributing ice-cream in the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem resulted in an “abandonment” of its trademark there.
Israel went ahead with opening up shipping, despite recent rocket fire from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
The newspaper has spent decades cultivating a readership conditioned to accept grotesque narratives about Jews, fully aware of the historical consequences of systematic demonization.
“Beyond the beauty of the images themselves,” says Efrat Sinai, director of archives at KKL-JNF, “they reflect the way an ancient holiday took on new meaning in the Land of Israel.”
The holiday calls us to embody Jewish teachings and values 24/7.
The world around us is loud and uncertain, but the holiday invites us to quiet our hearts and listen. It invites us to receive the Torah anew.
Noa Arazi’s personal journey inspires a new organization to guide converts worldwide.
From Basque-style creations to classic Israeli dairy cakes, a seven-stop tasting tour showcased the capital’s growing cheesecake culture ahead of the holiday.
Last year, demand for dairy products rose 63% in the period leading up to Shavuot.
“In many ways, speaking openly about faith can actually feel more natural outside of Washington,” Arielle Roth, administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, told JNS.
If the Torah is meant to be lived, then it must shape how we treat other people.
Following the reception, participants gathered at Decatur House for a kosher Shabbat dinner.
Be’er Shalom Synagogue honors four members of the community’s security team killed on Oct. 7.
“Project Spire” aims to create a highly secure campus in southern Israel, according to a Hudson Institute report.
Radical Ventures leads funding round, with Nvidia among investors; Amazon joins as strategic customer.
“My hat is off to Israel,” the Tesla owner said in a video address at the Smart Mobility Summit in Tel Aviv.
Tel Aviv University researchers developed a method that may remove excess glutamate from the bloodstream in the first hours after injury, aiming to reduce the chain reaction of damage.
Implementation is scheduled to begin in September and will be phased in gradually.
“This is a strategic move designed to ensure Israel’s technological superiority, accelerate development in the field of AI, and maintain Israel’s position in the first line of world powers,” according to the Prime Minister’s Office.
‘Twenty soccer fields’ of mesh nets due to be used to protect Israeli troops from lethal threat.
In certain contexts, the Notch receptor may participate in “reverse signaling,” influencing neighboring cells directly.
The software giant examined whether Israeli security agencies’ use of its systems violated company ethics and transparency rules, Globes reported.
Transforming battlefield leadership into entrepreneurial innovation, the 18X Elite Impact program has helped soldiers who fought for Israel raise more than $15 million in funding.
Jerusalem is also advancing efforts to join the Mediterranean Fisheries Commission.
The findings could also point to the presence of these metals in smaller fish species commonly consumed by humans.
It’s vital to “honor the contributions—some of the many contributions—of Jewish Americans,” Katy Yaroslavsky said at a joint council meeting/honorary event.
Club inked a multi-year deal for Israeli co-founded payroll and HR platform to appear on the players’ jerseys starting next season.
In Atlanta, the two leaders shaped a coordinated approach to protecting Jewish life in America.
There have been frequent incidents in which Club Bruges supporters engage in violence and racist or antisemitic language.
“Lamine Yamal chose to incite against Israel and to encourage hatred while our soldiers are fighting the terrorist organization Hamas,” said Israel Katz.
A woman is accused of shouting anti-Jewish slurs at under-12 netball match in Sydney.
“He informed and entertained generations of fans with a theatrical and unapologetic style that was uniquely his own,” the New York Yankees stated.
“It’s time to understand that Israel should be sanctioned,” Jibril Rajoub said.
A California native, Jake Retzlaff played at Brigham Young University during the 2023 and 2024 seasons before transferring to Tulane University in 2025.
The godfather of Israeli ice hockey continues to play, mentor and inspire, even in wartime.
The team’s success builds on a strong track record in international competition.
Raz Hershko beat France’s Lea Fontaine, winning gold for the second time in her career.
Israeli winemakers hope the designation will boost tourism and encourage the opening of new wineries.
Last year, demand for dairy products rose 63% in the period leading up to Shavuot.
Israel’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the Tekuma Authority will invest $24 million.
KKL–JNF says that its decision to stop support for some of the agricultural holdings has nothing to do with where they’re located in relation to the ‘Green Line.’
“When we talk about irrigation or plants, we see that this common language can overcome many political difficulties,” Tomer Malchi told JNS.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar congratulated his newly appointed counterpart, as the two diplomats discussed the situation of both countries.
Michael Lotem finished a three-year tour as envoy to Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi and the Seychelles in August 2025.
The assessment calls for the return of Palestinian Authority governance and efforts to “advance a durable political settlement based on the two-state solution.”
Michael Lotem has previously served as Israel’s ambassador to Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi and the Seychelles.
It appears as “a living educational framework—a connection between Jewish communities in Israel and abroad, and a reflection of the strength of these communities across generations.”
The campaign, named for slain farmer Omer Weinstein, aims to place protective shelters on agricultural land as “Operation Roaring Lion” continues.
The route links Russian and Iranian ports and allows the countries to swap weapons, drones, ammunition, oil and foodstuffs.
Israeli winemakers hope the designation will boost tourism and encourage the opening of new wineries.
From Basque-style creations to classic Israeli dairy cakes, a seven-stop tasting tour showcased the capital’s growing cheesecake culture ahead of the holiday.
Last year, demand for dairy products rose 63% in the period leading up to Shavuot.
Rich and creamy, dairy is the rule and not the exception for this two-day holiday.
City says food fair reflects the metropolis’s spirit, offering public space for culture, connection and celebration amid challenging times.
At a Park Slope Food Coop meeting about boycotting Israel, a member, who reportedly compared Jews to Nazis, was applauded for saying that “Jewish supremacism is a problem in this country.”
Israel’s foreign minister said that no evidence had been provided by Kyiv, which he criticized for raising the issue in the media rather than diplomatic channels.
From Miami suites to Mexico City kitchens, a new generation of Jewish food influencers is using cuisine as a powerful form of cultural diplomacy.
“It becomes comfort, continuity and a way to feel connected to tradition and to one another at home,” Talia Sabag, of the Manischewitz parent company Kayko, told JNS.
The brand told JNS that it will be “evaluating packaging differentiation and working with our retail partners to ensure clearer in-store separation and signage where needed.”
A scholarly showdown over Jewish holiday foods spreads to more campuses across the United States.
“It has been a very tough time for the Jewish community,” Julie Menin said at the event. “The support of all of the colleagues who are here today is so incredibly meaningful.”
“There are very few peoples whose capital today is the same as it was 3,000 years ago,” the Israeli prime minister noted.
The discovery near Kibbutz Ramat Rachel has left researchers puzzled about its purpose and age.
The coins were allegedly looted from archaeological sites in Israel and smuggled to the United States.
Dor Wolynitz found a 1,700-year-old statuette fragment while hiking with his family in the Ramon Crater in the Negev Desert.
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem reported that Natufian hunter-gatherers produced 142 beads and pendants uncovered by archaeologists.
The rare find, bearing the menorah symbol on both sides, was uncovered during recent excavations in the Temple Mount area.
Because of its importance not just to Jews, but to the West, excavating the City of David has engendered much hostility, speakers said at a Dec. 9 event.
Hebrew University researchers uncovered 8,000-year-old pottery showing floral patterns built on precise geometric progressions.
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.
The section of the wall unearthed at the Tower of David Museum is among the longest and most intact segments ever uncovered.
“They could go to a museum even in the Gulf, where people could see another side of Israel, an artistic side, a beautiful side,” Bernard Shapero told JNS.
“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.
The late Jewish representative from Massachusetts “approached Israel as a liberal Zionist: engaged, critical and deeply committed,” William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents, told JNS.
The responsibility now falls on us and future generations to carry out the research, craft the messages and build the alliances that will overcome this current, terrible moment.
His greatness was not that he chose between the fire and the light. It was that he spent his life carrying both.
While leading the ADL for three decades, he epitomized many of the best things about the community he defended. But Jewish liberalism’s failures cloud his legacy.
“Abe believed that hearts could change,” said Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove of Park Avenue Synagogue.
“He carried that experience not with bitterness but with purpose,” William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, told JNS.
A passionate supporter of Israel, Joni Lamb received the Israel Allies Award in 2024.
“Doris Fisher leaves behind a legacy of deep commitment to her family and our city,” San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said.
“He informed and entertained generations of fans with a theatrical and unapologetic style that was uniquely his own,” the New York Yankees stated.
The author of “The Choice” urged others to choose hope and healing.
After Scott’s death, anti-Israel group Track AIPAC touted the possibility of replacing him with a primary opponent who accuses Israel of “genocide.”
Godoff’s four-decade career helped launch and shape the works of leading writers, including Ron Chernow, Salman Rushdie and Zadie Smith.