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Issues 1-50

Articles

Curator or Creator? – Holy Sites

Doron Bar

After the Old City of Jerusalem fell to the Jordanians, Dr. Shmuel Zanwil Kahane took charge of Israel’s few remaining holy sites. Pitching new pilgrimage destinations with boundless creativity and more than a little nerve, Kahane even adde

The Price of Dissent – Uriel da Costa

Moti Benmelech

A converso who returned to his roots, Uriel da Costa found the Judaism practiced in Amsterdam a far cry from the faith he’d encountered in the Bible. The Jewish community’s response to his puzzled objections forced him back into hiding, thi

Messianic Mania – Shabbetai Tzvi

Yehuda Yifrach

The synergy between Nathan of Gaza, a charismatic young genius, and Shabbetai Tzvi, a complex, troubled personality, led to a dramatic upheaval among the Jewish people. A glimpse into the unbelievable Sabbatean story Yehuda Yifrach

The Shrine on the Mountain – Herzl’s Tomb

Ophir Yarden

Herzl’s tomb and the nearby military cemetery have become central locations in the celebration of Israel’s national holidays. Why did this hill in modern Jerusalem supersede more traditional sites? And what does that choice reveal about the

Esther: The Persian Version – Book of Esther

Thamar E. Gindin

Is the story of Esther a myth, or were its dramatic heroes and villains real people on the stage of Persian history? Iranian sources paint a complex but fascinating picture, which could – like the book of Esther – go either way Thamar E. Gi

Spark of Rebellion – Treblinka Revolt

Lior Alperovitz

Few have heard of the Treblinka uprising, perhaps because the camp commanders pretended it never happened. Yet dozens of Jews who took up arms against their oppressors survived, a living testimony to the stubborn struggle against the ultima

The Best Defense – Ben-Gurion

Yagil Henkin

Ben-Gurion could never have declared a state in May 1948 without first painstakingly transforming Palestine’s ragtag Jewish militias into an army Yagil Henkin What was David Ben-Gurion’s most significant accomplishment? Most peo

Columns

Portrait of a People | Drawing for Dear Life

Naomi Samuel

Naomi Samuel From the Life? or Theater? seriesSouth of France, 1941–2Gouache on paper20 X 25 cmJewish H

Portrait of a People | Nothing But Art

Naomi Samuel

Naomi Samuel Southampton City Art Gallery   The Rabbi and His GrandchildLondon, 191346 X 51 cmOil on ca

Picture of the Month | Planting Seedlings

Yisrael Goldman

Yisrael Goldman Tu Bishvat, the new year for trees in the Jewish calendar, has gained significantly in popularity over the generations. From a date of mainly fiscal significance for calculating agricultural tithes, it was expand

From the Archives | The Jewish American Secret Police

Hadassah Assouline

A Jewish community organization in New York dealt with myriad issues, even creating an internal police force to deal with rising crime Hadassah Assouline In early September 1908, the chief of the New York City Police Department