Some interesting conclusions of the mainstream research nowadays: During the period that religions attribute to the Exodus – Egypt ruled Israel. The story of Goliath describes ancient Greek armor. The Hebrew ‘Elohim’ and Jehovah/Yahweh were originally two different gods. Some passages from the Psalms are taken from ancient Phoenician texts. The Book of Isaiah was […]

Israel is a country trained in suffering from terrorism. It’s therefore very common to meet guards at the entrances of public buildings and institutions, searching for hidden weapons (or other dangerous things) in the belongings of people entering the place. Israel is also a country trained in suffering from self-religious coercion. Therefore, some of these […]

I love my country. I grew up in it. I walked its paths. I drove on its roads. I visited the many historical places of my people, located there. I am proud of its achievements. I love my people. I was born one of them. I contributed to their progress. We are an ancient nation […]

“Sukkah” is the Hebrew word for a hut (as in “Pizza Hut”) – a small house, typically temporary and wooden, in someone’s territory. “Sukkot” is the plural of “Sukkah”, i.e. “huts”. One of the most interesting Jewish holidays is Sukkot. We often refer to it as the “Gathering Festival”, following the Biblical phrase: “Also in […]

Rumor has it that during the “Black Plague” in the Middle Ages there were those who blamed the Jews for its spread, because of the lower mortality among them, which was associated with the religious customs of washing hands. Much water has flown since then, even in Jordan River. And nowadays? Miraculously, various elements related […]

Tens of thousands of Breslev Hasidic Jews intend to fly to Ukraine, to the town of Uman, in order to attend the yearly ceremony near the grave of their rabbi. This is generally an extremely crowded event, and the people in charge of public health in Israel want to prevent this madness from taking place, […]

Today is the Jewish holiday of Shavuot. Supposedly the day in which the “Torah” was “given” to the people of Israel. According to the tradition, it was since passed between generations without changes, and its verdicts and commandments always kept… well, mostly. So, ancient holidays like “Pesach” (Passover) and “Sukkot” have always been celebrated since, […]

One of the most interesting holidays in the Jewish calendar is ‘Sukkot’, when religious Jewish people (as well as many secular kids) spend time in small wooden huts near their homes. This is also known as the “Collection Festival”, following the old Biblical command: “Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye […]

The big parties in the Israeli parliament (the “Knesset”) quarrel over the image of the future government. One of the main issues? Things associated with a bit more separation of church and state. In particular: Public transportation in the weekends, the right of every couple to get married regardless of religious constraints, compulsory basic education […]

So we’ve just finished celebrating the holiday of Passover – “Pesach” in Hebrew. Without getting into the real origins of the holiday, which are mainly agricultural, let’s observe its relatively new flavor: “The Holiday of Freedom” – named after the story of the ancient Hebrews escaping slavery in ancient Egypt. I’m skipping the scientific research […]