Newsletter
Newsletter Support JNS

Culture and Society

Original reporting, features and analysis on culture and society.

“Think Twice” with Jonathan Tobin with guest Jonah Platt, Ep. 221
Dressing ideology in the language of art doesn’t make it less ideological. It merely makes it more socially acceptable.
The primary domestic tensions are directed toward the regime itself, rather than between completely fractured armed population groups.
City says food fair reflects the metropolis’s spirit, offering public space for culture, connection and celebration amid challenging times.
The proposed reforms would phase out smoked medical cannabis in favor of oils and inhalers.
“Parents need help, because they are the anchor for their children,” the lead researcher told TPS-IL.
“I cannot express how much I love that my black kids get to watch Jews of Color talking about matzah-ball soup on Sesame Street,” said Carly Pildis about the video, which featured actress Kat Graham, who is black and Jewish.
An exhibition in Tel Aviv supports thousands of IDF troops from abroad serving in Israel.
The Kan broadcaster described the structure as the largest prop of this year’s event.
The judges resigned from the prestigious art show following controversy surrounding policy on countries with leaders facing ICC charges.
Four of the most devastated communities during the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks are in advanced stages of reconstruction.
“I was brought in to unite the room in a sense of wonder,” the mentalist Oz Pearlman told JNS prior to the event, which was cut short after an assassination attempt.
Ephraim Sneh may be a Knesset has-been, but his attitude isn’t the least bit passé in certain snobbish circles.
Dressing ideology in the language of art doesn’t make it less ideological. It merely makes it more socially acceptable.
City says food fair reflects the metropolis’s spirit, offering public space for culture, connection and celebration amid challenging times.
Online critics accused the bestselling author, who is a supporter of the BDS movement, of “normalizing” Israelis over a brief reference in her book, Taipei Story.
An exhibition in Tel Aviv supports thousands of IDF troops from abroad serving in Israel.
The Kan broadcaster described the structure as the largest prop of this year’s event.
“I am very happy and excited to represent our beautiful country,” contestant Noam Bettan said.
The move follows a dispute over efforts to exclude Israeli and Russian artists from top awards at the prestigious global exhibition.
“I was brought in to unite the room in a sense of wonder,” the mentalist Oz Pearlman told JNS prior to the event, which was cut short after an assassination attempt.
But to be able to turn feelings into violence is another matter completely.
As the arts world legitimizes bias against Israel in the post-Oct. 7 world, a hit play about author Roald Dahl’s Jew-hatred explores the intersection of culture and prejudice.
Public letter says kicking the Jewish state out of song contest would be “inversion of justice.”
The 30 defendants are “accused of scoring significant profits from expected market moves and making out like bandits,” the FBI said.
The millions of Jews who receive assistance and benefits are not being served less because people care less. They are being served less because the math no longer works.
The facility will be able to produce about 50,000 meals a day.
Kela Technologies, which integrates commercial technologies for military uses, has received the financial backing of U.S. billionaires Bill Ackman and Eric Schmidt.
The Bank of Israel warned that the measure may not benefit customers while causing harmful second-order effects.
The Hungarian low-cost carrier was in negotiations to open a Ben-Gurion base this year.
There is surplus production that can be sent to the Federal Republic.
The Israeli currency strengthened to 2.90 against the greenback, its strongest level since October 1993.
It did something without precedent in the history of petro-statecraft, converting abundance into a weapon of war.
Professionals in tech, finance, real estate, law and beyond routinely navigate their careers without access to a network organized around shared identity or interest.
Three Israeli companies—Tnuva, Tara and Strauss—control 85% of the market and charge prices more than 50% higher than those abroad.
Four of the most devastated communities during the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks are in advanced stages of reconstruction.
Author Ian Pear explores faith, suffering and morality in a long-developed work he says has a “greater-than-zero chance” of someday becoming a movie.
Israeli attorney on trek with friends falls short of world record.
America has long assumed that its scale, constitution and civic ethos insulate it from hostile religious environments. That’s a fragile assumption.
Officials condemned prosecutors’ alleged decision to go after Jewish circumcisers, calling it antisemitic and a threat to religious freedom.
The president’s call for a national Shabbat “celebrates our religion and it refocuses on our job to become a light unto the nations,” Rabbi Steven Burg of Aish told JNS.
The Israeli consul general in New York told JNS that this year was the first time the Jewish state held an Independence Day celebration in New York City under a mayor who doesn’t recognize it.
“Especially in New York City, which prides itself on being a safe place for people of all faiths, the DMV needs to do better,” Sara Fellig’s attorney told JNS.
The Israeli president was joined by Jerusalem College of Technology students and academic leaders to promote respectful dialogue in Israeli society.
Any thinking human being should want to search beneath the material superficiality of this world to discover truth, depth and authenticity.
“Celebrate responsibly,” said Israel’s Fire and Rescue Authority.
It’s been a year when everything felt different.
Police enforce road closures and warn of zero tolerance for violence following online incitement.
The country saw a flurry of white stuff, blanketing the north and bringing many out to play.
The initiative includes training 70,000 teachers to use the technology in classrooms.
Despite the near halving of rainfall, desalination and recycling mean that the country is not expecting shortages in the foreseeable future.
Some 2 billion gallons of wastewater has seeped into the ground in the area since 2009.
“Israel, despite being a small country, stands at the global forefront of the space field,” President Isaac Herzog said.
Nearly one in seven of the emergency medical service’s volunteers was called-up during the war.
Israeli startup FireDome is developing an AI-driven defense system to protect property from blazes like those currently raging around Los Angeles.
The 10,000 square meter facility will be one of the largest and most advanced data-center labs in Israel, according to the company.
According to the administration, Israel is not a security ally, tech ally, democratic ally or any other kind of ally.
“The return of President Trump and the ongoing development in the Middle East introduces fresh opportunities for Israel’s tech ecosystem,” said Startup Nation Central CEO Avi Hasson.
The project will bring blue-and-white solar power innovations to Historically Black Colleges and Universities and African-American farmers.
An inside look at how the pilots get trained on simulators before they get sent thousands of miles to defend Israel, including in Yemen and Iran.
“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.
Runners from Israel and abroad join subdued race following Lebanon truce.
Visa refusals could prevent Palestinians from attending pre-World Cup gathering in Vancouver.
Twenty honorees, including Julian Edelman, Omri Casspi and Bruce Pearl, will be inducted June 29 in Israel, highlighting global Jewish achievement across sports.
“I went to see them. They are actually quite a good team as well,” said Gianni Infantino.
The 25-year-old forward erupted for 41 points and a clutch three-point play as he carried Portland past Phoenix in the play-in to reach his first NBA postseason.
The team said that the person it banned purchased tickets, which were used by people who performed a Nazi salute.
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.
Nuriel Dubin, 27, was a resident of Moshav Margaliot.
José Tomás Zambrano says U.S.–Israel campaign could weaken Tehran’s terror reach in Central and South America.
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.”
It literally marks the first time since 2014 that no Israeli is being held captive by Hamas or any other terror group in the Gaza Strip.
A falafel flap exposes the new rules of student speech on American college campuses.
“The quest for the L’Cheisman continues,” Eitan Levine said.
“Be ready, the Pitmaster show is on the way,” the restaurant wrote.
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 Dubai gathering comes as the landmark 2020 Abraham Accords continue to broaden in the wake of last month’s ceasefire in Gaza.
University of Haifa study reveals that Natufian hunter-gatherers relied on waterfowl from Ice Age marshes rather than fish in the ocean.
The 5,000-year-old factory was found along intact Canaanite ritual vessels, offering rare insight into early worship and life in the Jezreel Valley.
Sotheby’s said that the silver ritual cup set a record for most expensive ceremonial Judaic object.
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.
“Jesse was a force of nature like few others before him,” U.S. President Donald Trump wrote.
The prolific singer, composer and arranger helped shape Israel’s musical landscape for almost six decades.
Her brother Gil, who was with her in the car to celebrate their mother’s birthday, is in critical condition at Soroka Medical Center.
“He lived to help people become better versions of themselves,” his wife of 40 years, Susan Gelber, told JNS.
Lupolianski led the capital through a complex period and built up Yad Sarah to provide medical equipment and social services across Israel.
Rabbi Josh Joseph, executive vice president and COO of the Orthodox Union, said that he “can’t imagine an American Jewish world without the impact and influence of Rabbi Julie Berman.”