Culture and Society
Original reporting, features and analysis on culture and society.
A Shavuot benefit at Jerusalem’s Tower of David raised funds for HaGal Sheli’s surfing-based rehabilitation programs.
Oscar-winning filmmaker László Nemes said his Holocaust films would likely be ignored in today’s “shameless orgy of antisemitism.”
The groups most opposed to the current government no longer see the external enemy as the principal danger; they see it inside the country itself.
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.
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.
Construction of the West-East Pipeline is about half complete and being pushed toward 2027, according to the head of state oil giant ADNOC.
Industrial decay, hyperinflation, sanctions and the rise of the IRGC’s shadow economy have eroded the Iranian state’s capacity to govern.
See which countries came closest to matching the Zionist cow.
At the Samaria–Tayibe station, the prime minister said the new line would ease congestion, boost service and spur development across the country.
Radical Ventures leads funding round, with Nvidia among investors; Amazon joins as strategic customer.
The United States and Israel are both coping with the emergence of a new type of gambling that could potentially put military operations at risk.
Last year, demand for dairy products rose 63% in the period leading up to Shavuot.
Earlier forecasts feared a 9.5% drop in GDP in the first quarter, but current data point to a much more positive outcome.
The Dallas-based carrier has not flown to the Jewish state for over two and a half years.
Club inked a multi-year deal for Israeli co-founded payroll and HR platform to appear on the players’ jerseys starting next season.
Ventures that strengthen relationships with one of the world’s most innovative economies will indirectly support economic activity and job creation.
The U.K.'s Maritime Trade Operations said armed men boarded a commercial ship near the UAE port of Fujairah and began sailing it toward the Islamic Republic.
The group, prohibited in more than 25 countries, is steeped in deeply radical, antisemitic and anti-Western rhetoric.
“It’s just a random day. They’re not doing anything for the Jewish community by giving us off that day,” one parent said.
A class action lawsuit against the DNA-testing company claims it didn’t notify customers that their personal information had made it onto the dark web.
“It amazed us to find such a pure place in this cursed area,” said the IDF commander of the 74th Armor battalion.
The Blue and White went undefeated at the world championships in Bulgaria, earning a promotion next year.
We must have the courage to understand that Israel is the frontline in the battle for freedom and life itself.
The board voted 5-3 to remove Veterans and Columbus Days as official holidays.
No one should be the target of hate because of their race, ethnicity, religion or any other status,” said Mark Totten, the U.S. attorney for Michigan’s western district.
New York Jewish community members have attempted to exceed the length of a 32-foot-long challah made by Grandma Moses Bakery in Australia, which broke a Guinness World Record in 2019.
The report is “a nasty present” to Russian President Vladamir Putin, says a Jewish American expert on Soviet and contemporary left antisemitism, publicized on the anniversary of the Red Army’s liberation of Auschwitz.
A police report doesn’t indicate a potential hate crime, but Menachem Shemtov told The Washington Post, “I don’t know what other energy he could be referring to.”
White light, driven not simply by brightness but by geometry, consistently triggered the unusual behavior in woodlice.
“The Alumot Unit will work to make artificial intelligence capabilities accessible to the fighters at the operational edge.”
Israel Aerospace Industries unveils DIAMOND, a system based on small vessels that are remotely controlled and carry a range of weapons to increase firepower and defense capabilities.
“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.
“We feel that Israeli athletes are doing much more than sports,” Yael Arad, Israel’s first Olympian to medal and president of its Olympic Committee, told JNS.
The International Roundnet Federation no longer plans to bar the team from displaying an Israeli flag or symbols at the championships but warned that further accusations of antisemitism might lead to legal action.
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.
Ahead of the holiday, President Isaac Herzog celebrates the country’s farmers, who provide Israelis “with all the bounty of the land.”
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.
Emphasis was placed on sweets “to provide troops with a real holiday atmosphere.”
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.
Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu said: “After years in which sites were neglected or looted, Israel is making historical corrections.”
“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.
Yitzhak Ben-Hebron escaped Arab riots as a child and later returned to rebuild the Jewish community in the holy city.
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.”