Even antiquity had its celebrity culture, with intellectuals chronicling the lives of the famous. The conversion of an entire royal family to Judaism thus fascinated both the sages and Josephus, who recorded the wondrous deeds of Helene, Monbaz, and Izates of Adiabene
Tal Ilan
Illustration by Moran Barak
Joining Forces – Ultra-Orthadox Soliders
Though Israel’s ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students have long been exempt from military service, they weren’t always. In the struggle to secure what became the Jewish state, this camp’s rabbis and public figures were clear that their followers had to fight for Israel’s independence alongside everyone else
Moshe Ehrnvald
Courtesy of the Central Zionist Archives
Feeding the Heavens – Jewish Birdfeeding Customs
Both Polish and Ethiopian Jews traditionally fed birds at specific times of year, ascribing deep meaning to this practice. Did the custom spread from south to north with the migratory flocks, or was it simply the Jewish imagination that took wing?
Yossi Ziv
Photo: oliale72, Getty Images