First, I would like to welcome all the new readers who have joined The Jerusalem Report via the International Jerusalem Post as we bring the two publications together.
The Report’s underlying goal is to provide original, in-depth content to help readers better understand Israel, the Middle East, and the Jewish world, while the International Jerusalem Post offered a comprehensive round-up of the week’s news. Now merged, this magazine will feature an expanded 14-day section along with a selection of Jerusalem Post features and analytical articles. I hope the Report’s loyal readers will benefit from this and recognize that some changes truly are good.
This issue of the Report is all about change. From the strides Israeli women have made over the past two years in the military, defense sector and beyond, to the quiet, gradual shifts happening in some parts of the ultra-Orthodox community, as well as within Israel’s minority sectors and across the wider region.
The cover story highlights Lital Leshem and Lee Moser, two powerful and trailblazing women who have succeeded against the odds – in a traditionally male world – to establish the first venture capital fund dedicated to supporting cutting-edge Israeli defense tech developed during this war.
Longtime Jerusalem Post film critic Hannah Brown examines how female soldiers are portrayed in Israeli cinema and how those portrayals are evolving to reflect current realities. Staff writer and editorial assistant Chani Kaplan profiles one of the heroines of October 7, Lt. R, while Jehudit Basha explores the PTSD many female soldiers have endured throughout this conflict.
Retired colonel Pnina Sharvit Baruch – now a senior research fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies and chair of Forum Dvorah – contends that it’s time for the IDF to open all units to women. And retired British Army officer Andrew Fox urges militaries to develop uniforms and equipment to accommodate the rising number of women who are serving.
Dana Ben-Shimon interviews the army’s head officer for minority affairs, who reports that the number of Druze, Christian, and Muslim soldiers is also growing. Meanwhile, Eric R. Mandel and Inbar Giti write that it is time for the ultra-Orthodox community to also make a shift and contribute to the people’s army.
In her second article in this edition, Chani Kaplan speaks with Rabbi Menachem Bombach, who is already driving change in the haredi world through his network of schools and programs.
In an emotional interview, Tzur Goldin – the twin brother of Hadar, the Israeli soldier killed by Hamas in 2014 and held hostage for 11 years in Gaza and who was recently returned home – talks about his struggle and how it changed him.
Other stories in this edition explore how the Abraham Accords are evolving and might soon be expanding, despite being tested throughout the war.
Feature writer Rachel Fink examines a new trend of erotic novels aimed at religious Jewish readers. The article is the first in our new series of literary features and reviews. More are on the way!
With many more exciting and thought-provoking editions of the Report planned, I really hope that both the longtime Report readers and the new International subscribers will enjoy the changes to this venerable magazine.