Torah

Parashat Ki Tavo: The finest generation

Elul's call to confession requires more than admitting failure. Authentic teshuva also means recognizing personal growth and the courage, sacrifice, and resilience of this generation.

HONEST ACCOUNTING cannot be selective
REJOICING UPON the release of Hamas hostage Bar Kupershtein, Nov. 2, 2025.

Parashat Ki Tavo: The power of joy

Yehuda Katz.

Beyond the Headlines: Yehuda Katz, whose remains returned from Lebanon after 44 years, and us

Jewish worshippers and visitors gather at the Western Wall in Jerusalem a day before the eve of Tisha B’Av, July 21, 2026.

Haftarat Ki Tetze: When others destroy, Jews rebuild and make things greater


Your Investments: Should everyone be equal in a will?

From Torah teachings to modern estate planning, one expert explores why fairness and equality matter when dividing assets among children.

Illustration: A succession order

Parashat Ki Tetze: Set adrift on the island of Elul

Parashat Ki Tetze abruptly shifts from collective responsibilities to personal ones. It is the densest legal section of the Torah, containing more commandments than any other parasha.

‘NO MAN is an island, entire of itself...’

Parashat Ki Tetze: Creating a deep bond and the secret of marriage

The relationship between a man and a woman is also, in a sense, a reflection of the relationship between a person and his Creator.

UNDER THE HUPPA.

What is the connection between Zionism and planting trees in Israel?

Trees have repeatedly been destroyed by war, fires, and other causes, but we have always planted again as an expression of Jewish resilience and rebuilding.

‘MAN IS like the tree of the field.’

Rediscovering an ancient gift: What Nigerian Jews taught me about the meaning of Shabbat - opinion

Where do you begin to explain Shabbat from scratch? I found myself going back to the beginning. Literally. The first Shabbat in the Torah is found in the opening chapter of human existence.

Congregants of an Igbo synagogue gather to pray

This week in Jewish history: Moses ascends Mount Sinai, a massacre shakes Hebron

A highly abridged monthly version of Dust & Stars.

ADELHEID AND Edmond James de Rothschild visit British Mandate Palestine, 1914.

Parashat Shoftim: Wholehearted – and well

“Wholeheartedness is greater than wisdom, but great wisdom is required of a Jew before he reaches the level of ‘You shall be wholehearted with the Lord your God.’” - Rabbi Naftali of Ropshitz.

SORCERERS, MAGICIANS, diviners: The Torah rejects them all.

‘We are not going anywhere’: Danon defends West Bank settlements at UN meeting

Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon rejected claims that West Bank settlements are obstacles to peace, telling the Security Council that they would remain and continue to grow.

Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon speaks during a meeting at the United Nations headquartes in New York City, March 20, 2025.

Israel’s ultra-Orthodox community feels misunderstood. Here’s why - opinion

If haredim see that they are treated with understanding, respect, and sensitivity, they will more readily change and adapt in the service of the greater good

Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) people in Tel Aviv in June.

Beyond the Headlines: Have you heard Elkana Levi’s speech? - opinion

Elkana did not gloss over the pain or the difficulty. He spoke about friends who had been killed, and about his darkest moments.

Elkana Levi giving a speech on gratitude.