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 […]

Israel won the 2018 Eurovision song contest. Great! This means that next year (2019) – the contest is due to take place in the Holy Land. It’s a big opportunity for income and public relations. For many it’s also a good opportunity to strengthen the status of Jerusalem, or at least its sectors that are […]

Traditionally, Passover (‘Pesach’ in Hebrew) represents the holiday of freedom. According to the legend (perceived as history by many), it was the time the ancient Hebrews escaped slavery. In Passover many Jews read the ‘Haggadah’, which tells all these ancient stories. Yet, Passover is identified by one distinct famous tradition: The avoidance of bread. Actually, […]

Many of Israel’s officials have condemned Poland’s recent legislation and announcements about denying Poland’s part in the Holocaust, and rightfully so. It’s bad to twist history to suit one’s agenda. It’s even worse when performed by official representatives of a big country. Not only have they condemned the actions, but they have also mentioned the […]

It’s that time of the year again… when the number changes and people celebrate. Progress has taken its toll, and terms like “Christmas”, “New Year’s Eve” and “Silvester” have all mixed up worldwide into something vague, often called “the holiday season”. This may include vacations, Christmas trees and pictures or dolls of the imaginary Santa […]

“Even if we are all wise men, all understanding people, and we all know the Torah — we have been given a mitzva (religious commandment) to tell about the redemption from Egypt.” The above is a well-known passage from the ‘Hagadda of Pesach’ – the traditional text read and spoken by millions of Jews every […]