Without Hebrew, Jews Can't Fully Immerse in Jewish Culture and Religion
It is language that provides the link with a nation’s past, thereby allowing for continuity of national culture, norms and worldviews.
Yael Shahar
After a career in security and intelligence, Yael Shahar now divides her time between researching trends in asymmetric conflict and learning Talmud. She is the author of “A Damaged Mirror: A story of memory and redemption,” recently published by Kasva Press, and a sought-after public speaker. Her writing on Jewish education and philosophy can be found at www.damaged-mirror.com.
What Counting the Omer Says About Who Is Entitled to Interpret Jewish Law
A historical feud over when to start counting the period between Pesach and Shavuot exposed a fundamental question about the nature of Jewish legislation.
The Purim Story: A Parable for the Rise of Donald Trump
But does it also predict his demise?
The Peculiar Nature of Jewish Politics
Centuries in exile taught us to mistrust our leaders. Now, in the modern State of Israel, we are finding it hard to shake that off, and our leaders – like Ehud Olmert and others – seem ambivalent as to whom they are accountable.
Israel's Chief Rabbinate Doesn't Represent Anyone
It is ironic for Rabbi David Lau to berate the Conservative movement, given that he and his colleagues have done more to distance Jews from Judaism than anyone else.
Does Jewish Law Permit Neutering Animals?
While castrating animals is prohibited, rabbis have spent hundreds of years looking for loopholes.
No Kryptonite, No Batmobile: Why Israelis Aren't Into Superheroes
Are we disenchanted with enchantment; realists or cynics? Or does it have to do with Jewish heroes being all too human?
The Ten Commandments
The first ten of the 613 commandments given by God to the Jewish people form the foundation of Jewish ethics, as well as civil and religious law.
ARCHIVE Why School Shootings Don't Happen in Israel
Why is it that in Israel – a country surrounded by weapons of war – we don't see the same gun violence as that which cost the lives of students in Oregon and little McKayla from Tennessee?
A Jewish Lesson in Raising Responsible Children
It all starts with independence and respect.
Shaming Has No Place in the Synagogue
A new rabbinical ruling puts human dignity above the letter of the law. Will this extend to women's rights?
What Stops Jewish Communities From Holding Their Rabbis to Account?
Some Jewish communities are reluctant to report rabbis' sexual improprieties to the authorities. While this is understandable, it is dangerous.
Where Did Shavuot Come From? Hint: Not the Torah
Nowhere in the Torah is it written that the Law was handed down to Jews on Shavuot. That interpretation of the harvest festival came later.
The Curious Timing of Holocaust Remembrance Day
Israel's founders appeared to flout Jewish tradition by scheduling Yom Hashoah during a month reserved for celebration. Their decision may not have been as subversive as it seems.
Opinion Why It Doesn't Matter Whether the Exodus Happened
New research suggests that there is a core of historical truth beneath the literary embellishments of this biblical story – despite the lack of archaeological evidence. But that doesn't matter, either. Here’s why.
Why International Holocaust Remembrance Day Isn't Marked in Israel
Israel's founding generation faced a conundrum: How to commemorate the Shoah even though for many the horrors remain all too real?
The Rabbis and the Great Hanukkah Cover-up
What self-censorship in Jewish tradition teaches us about national survival.
Living by the Pen: Why the World Is Catching on to the Jewish Emphasis on Education
The traditional Jewish emphasis on education has become a model for success in the information age. Countries are realizing that education is no longer necessary just to thrive, but to survive.
Is Israel Immune to the Forces Pulling Other Middle Eastern Nation States Apart?
The Jewish people have a long history of defeat. Our experience with prolonged helplessness gives us an edge over our Arab neighbors.