Feature

The Masorti (Conservative) Movement in Israel, the Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism, and the Women of the Wall prayer rights group brought a petition to Israel’s High Court of Justice in an effort to force the expansion of the existing egalitarian prayer section at the Western Wall.

A group of 196 North Americans landed in Israel this week on a flight chartered by the Nefesh B’Nefesh (NBN) aliyah agency, bringing the total number of immigrants to the Jewish state from that continent to 3,633 this year.

The ruins of a 1,500-year-old church and monastery have been unearthed near the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh in an excavation led by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA).

A planned cable car system linking key landmarks in Jerusalem “will be yet another boost to tourism” in the capital city, Israeli Tourism Minister Yariv Levin said.

A total of 162 members from the Bnei Menashe Jewish community of northeast India arrived in Israel last week, marking the latest wave of so-called “lost” Jews to immigrate to the Jewish state.

A Russian-Muslim billionaire is funding an Israeli project that will digitize Jewish manuscripts that were seized by the Soviet Union a century ago and are held in the Russian State Library.

Israeli archaeologists have unveiled the results of large-scale excavations that lend unprecedented insight into the transformation of Jerusalem around the time of its destruction during the Second Temple period more than 2,000 years ago.

A collection of First Temple-period seals has been discovered during excavations in Jerusalem’s City of David.

Israel’s High Court of Justice has criticized the Israeli government over its stance on the issue of egalitarian prayer services at the Western Wall.

Ateam of Israeli, Lithuanian and American archaeologists has unearthed the remains of two mikvahs used by congregants at the Great Synagogue in Vilna, which is the modern-day capital of Lithuania.

It was a joyous occasion on July 27, when members of Congregation Or Tzion participated in a Torah procession to the synagogue’s new home in Scottsdale.

A poignant handwritten note proves the value of the Roving Rabbis program.

Ten ancient jugs unearthed at the Samaria site of the ancient city of Shiloh could lead researchers to new discoveries about the Jewish tabernacle that existed there before the First Temple was built in Jerusalem.

In response to the recent move by Israel’s Cabinet to freeze a government decision to expand a non-Orthodox prayer section at the Western Wall, a Valley rabbi has joined forces with another rabbi and a peace activist to lead a women’s peace mission and spirituality tour in Israel in November in support of the Women of the Wall.

Construction for the Phoenix Mikvah is in progress this summer with plans to open by Rosh Hashanah.

A Torah created 300 years ago in the Moroccan desert has found its 21st-century home in the deserts of Arizona.

Described as one of the most significant archaeological finds in modern Israel, the Magdala Stone, unearthed in 2009 near the shores of the Sea of Galilee, has been unveiled to the public for first time as part of a joint exhibition on the history of the menorah from May 15 to July 23 between the Vatican Museums and the Jewish Museum of Rome.

In today’s climate, now is the time to reach out to other communities to share our cultures and learn about different beliefs. A little over a month ago, my mom and I were invited to an interfaith dinner at a local mosque, where we were introduced to the Islamic faith, food and what a service looked like. They had a speaker there who instead of talking about differences, talked about the similarities between the Abrahamic religions. It was a very eye-opening experience and I wanted to share it with my youth group, BITY.

It’s not easy making Passover seder. There’s the cleaning, the cooking, the logistical and emotional challenges of hosting guests. Then there’s the cost.

When people find out I’m a Jew by Choice (otherwise known as a convert), one of the first questions I get is, “Was it hard to give up Christmas?”

With the passing of Shimon Peres, Israel lost a piece of its history. As the last of the living founding fathers of the State of Israel, many people – not just Israelis – feel like it is the end of an era. Peres’s living testimony of the establishment of the State of Israel, fraught both with enormous challenges and miracles, provided hope and inspiration to many people.

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are boring. There, I said it. Seriously, what do Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur offer from a child’s perspective?

Rabbi Shmuel Notik was on his way to blow the shofar on a Friday evening in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi when six men armed with knives intercepted him on a dark street.

Cholent on Shabbat day. Brisket on Rosh Hashanah. Matzah balls and challah – lots of challah. Jews love food, and much of Jewish culture centers on sitting around the holiday table together, sharing stories and a meal.