Society

Aharon Darmon was the only child wearing a kippah in a secular school in France, despite the administration's opposition. The challenges did not stop him from seeking the truth, immigrating to Israel alone, and finding answers to his questions in the world of Hasidism.

Chief Rabbi Kalman Meir Bar spoke out against the decision to prosecute soldiers for alleged insubordination and argued that their right to maintain their way of life must be considered. "How unfortunate that those who absorbed their culture from a foreign culture and are far from the Torah of Israel determined the codes," he stated.

Jewish organizations have found a practical answer to threats in Europe. While Belgium and other European countries are taking action to restrict and even ban the practice of the Jewish custom, organizations are formulating a groundbreaking medical certification program for Mohels.

It all started with a personal miracle during the COVID-19 pandemic, when a relative was hospitalized in serious condition. Since then, Ron Shaharban, a security guard from Petah Tikva, has been traveling between synagogues across the country, distributing books and stickers, and leading a quiet but determined struggle for the observance of the laws of Lashon Hara (evil speech) and the sanctity of...

In honor of the 18th of Elul, the amazing figure who taught the founder of Hasidism is revealed, along with how they are directly connected to Moses, Elijah the Prophet, and King David.

Central Selichot services have been held in Jerusalem since the beginning of the month, and 50,000 worshipers arrived just last night. This represents a significant increase in the number of participants compared to previous years.

Despite the war in Ukraine and concerns about Russian attacks, desertion from the army, and a shortage of shelters, tens of thousands of Breslov Hasidim still intend to arrive for Rosh Hashanah. The state will fund the security system for approximately 700,000 shekels.

More than four decades have passed since IDF soldier Yehuda Katz (may God avenge his blood) fell, until his body was returned to Israel. During a shiva visit, Chief Rabbi of Israel Kalman Meir Bar recalled his days studying with Yehuda in the yeshiva.

Hadar Hertz began uploading ideas she learned in Torah seminaries to the network, and discovered that the messages reach far beyond the audience she expected. She tells about the community that was created, the decision not to expose her personal life almost at all, and the messages that remind her why she continues.

A storm surrounds the event planned at the Western Wall on the anniversary of the October 7 massacre: Rabbi Avigdor Nebenzahl and Rabbi Shlomo Moshe Amar issued a sharp protest today (Monday) against holding a joint prayer for Jews and Christians in the Western Wall area, and call on the public not to take part in the event and to work for its cancellation.

The National Land Enforcement Authority demolished structures built without permits at the complex as part of a move to regulate the site, rehabilitate it, and improve visitor safety. The activity comes against the backdrop of infrastructure defects and hazards identified at the site, which is visited by hundreds of thousands of people annually, and follows lessons learned from the Meron disaster.

Libkind, 74, managed the Jerusalem yeshiva for about a quarter of a century and worked for the benefit of the needy and at-risk youth. In 1974, he immigrated to Israel alone, served as an officer in the Air Force, and was awarded the 'Yakir Yerushalayim' (Worthy Citizen of Jerusalem) title.

A new animation video by content creator Zack D. Films explained to millions of followers how the Halachic Eruv works in Manhattan. The popular documentation sparked a huge wave of questions, mockery of Jewish law, and even explicit antisemitic responses and calls to damage the wire.

A revolution in the Ketubah: The Council of the Chief Rabbinate has for the first time set a uniform threshold for amounts recorded at wedding ceremonies — between 36,000 and 360,000 shekels, addressing cases of excessive sums that grooms cannot realistically meet.

Tens of thousands participated last night in the central Selichot prayers at the Western Wall plaza, with the participation of captives survivors Noa Argamani, Itay Regev, Omer Shem-Tov, Bar Kupershtein, and the newlyweds Elia and Ziv Cohen. During the evening, the Rabbi of the Western Wall, together with the returnees and the crowd, recited a special prayer of thanksgiving for their return...

Tens of thousands of people participated on Saturday night in the central Selichot ceremony at the Western Wall plaza, held in the presence of hostage survivors. Among those present were Noa Argamani, Itay Regev, Omer Shem-Tov, Bar Kupershtein, Elia Cohen, and his wife, Ziv Cohen.

The Chief Rabbi of Safed reveals for the first time the personal trauma that shaped his life and his struggle, and tells of the frightening moment he was saved from an attempted assault by a stranger in his childhood.

A festive appreciation evening was held on Wednesday in honor of the Ariel movement coordinators with the participation of the Minister of Settlements, movement rabbis, and national leadership. Ahead of the new activity year, the coordinators completed their training seminar in Neve Tzuf before taking up their roles leading thousands of students nationwide.

After a long period during which tensions between Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef and the IDF over the issue of Haredi conscription repeatedly made headlines, the Shas party managed to lower the flames today. The former Chief Rabbi published a particularly conciliatory message toward IDF soldiers, blessed them, and defined them as "messengers of the Almighty to protect the people of Israel."

They light candles on Shabbat but go out to a party in the evening, and say "God willing" without wearing a head covering. The "both and" generation refuses the old categories of Uri Zohar, and since October 7th, it finds a refuge in God - without turning off the light in the secular home.

A 725 kg granite block commemorates Judah Philip Benjamin, the only Jew in the Confederate cabinet and a supporter of slavery. After the Black Lives Matter protests, the monument was removed, and now no one knows whether to display it or leave it in the dark next to a vacuum cleaner in New Orleans.

Rabbanit Tzila Elchanati and Rabbanit Pri Cohen explain why suppression does not truly make pain disappear, how to give the past a place without sinking into it, and why dealing with what was can become an engine for growth and faith. Watch the episode from the program "Meshivat Nefesh".

Right-wing activist Mordechai David began a series of prayers that he plans to hold twice a week until Yom Kippur. About 20 men and four women arrived at the first event. After municipal inspectors requested to remove the partition, clashes developed at the scene.

On Kristallnacht, the Torah scroll was hidden in the Rossman family home in Wölfersheim while many other Torah scrolls were set on fire. Now, after nearly nine decades during which it was kept in a Jewish community in New York, new immigrants Michael and Rina Rossman have closed an emotional historical circle and brought it to their new home in Efrat: "A story that embodies the journey of the...

The Persian synagogue that has been revived and attracts hundreds every night. The ancient Jerusalemite rite that made its way to Rome and returned. And the son who travels every year from Ra'anana to preserve 30 years of melody. A journey between the Selichot, traditions, and stories that fill the alleys of the capital in Elul.

In an interview with Ynet, Eric Fingerhut warns of a sharp rise in the antisemitic threat in the USA: "The Jewish community is on the edge." According to him, alongside Iran and the global situation, American politics is also fueling the violence: "There is a very tense security environment."

The "groupies" in Nazi Germany who adored the tyrant were not necessarily attracted to his physical appearance, but desired him because in their eyes he radiated power and control. Particularly persistent women, who obsessively sent him explicit letters, were punished and sent to a concentration camp or labor camp on the grounds that they were "distracting the Führer from his important work."

Ahead of the month of Elul, four content creators who regularly upload videos to TikTok from Slichot events in synagogues and at the Western Wall, which become viral, talk about the phenomenon, the embrace they receive from the audience, and the sense of mission and connection to tradition.

Birobidzhan awakens to Jewish life: Chabad strengthens the community, a Torah scroll was introduced to the synagogue, Mehadrin kosher honey is produced in the region, and the community deepens its social involvement.

The Council of the Chief Rabbinate has approved the immediate renewal of practical exams for shochets and a temporary certification track for team leaders. The move aims to address a manpower shortage that has driven up koshering costs for imported meat, though consumer price relief is not guaranteed.

Peace at home is not built on winning arguments, but on the ability to stop, think, and choose correctly. Rabbi Zamir Cohen explains why it is sometimes worth giving in even when we are right, how one phrasing can build a bridge or a wall, and what can be learned from the wife of On ben Pelet about wisdom in marriage.

Social media star Sivan Toledano, who shares her process of returning to religion, revealed yesterday (Monday) that in honor of the month of Elul, she decided to move into a midrasha: "I wanted a spiritual leap in Elul, I had a dream to enter a midrasha." According to her, the thought of changing her daily routine significantly was not simple. "It was very challenging to think about it, I am...

Viki Cohen reveals what happened behind the scenes of the struggle to bring her son Nimrod back from Hamas captivity - from the initial shock, through the drawings, to the anxiety she felt moments before the deal was executed. "I always believed there was a higher power that would help me."

A survey by the Jewish People Policy Institute found that 22% of non-religious teenagers pray more and 14% read more Psalms. 46% testify that their friends observe more Jewish customs. Among the "completely secular," the opposite trend is recorded.

Strengthening faith: weekly Torah lessons, separating challah, and tzitzit under school shirts — in recent years, there has been a trend of teenagers from secular or traditional homes moving closer to religion. Principals and teachers in state "secular" schools have found themselves dealing with issues they had not encountered before. Is this related to October 7, and how much have social networks...

Right-wing activist Mordechai David announced in an interview on the program "Riklin and Partners" that starting Wednesday he intends to hold a series of Selichot prayers with full gender segregation in public spaces in Tel Aviv. The first event will be held at 18:00 at Habima Square, followed by a planned prayer at Dizengoff Square.

At a protest in the Netherlands, Stars of David with the letter B were distributed, comparing the situation to the persecution of Jews during the Holocaust. The organization's leader justified it: "A great injustice is being done to us." The Jewish organization CIDI: "Misuse of history, desecration of the Holocaust."

From millions of views to surprising messages from Iran in the midst of war: Itay Ben David on the power of music as a tool for bridge-building and overcoming prejudice.

"Life after death" is perhaps the most mysterious and fascinating phrase that exists, but is there any truth in it? Is death really the end of the road, or just a transition? The daily question from the "70 Difficult Questions in Judaism" website.