History

Israel's fourth founding: When the state proved it alone could not keep Israelis safe - opinion

The fourth founding begins with what died on October 7: the idea that the state alone could keep Israelis safe. The onslaught did more than murder and kidnap; it forced a Jewish reckoning. 

A memorial ceremony at the Nova festival marking two years since the October 7 massacre when Hamas terrorists infiltrated southern Israel, murdering more than 1200 people. October 07, 2025.
An anti Zionist protester stands in front of banners at Cable Street on October 4, 2026 in London, England on the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Cable Street.

Jewish contingent marches separately on 90th anniversary of the Battle of Cable Street

IDF "Sayeret Matkal" soldiers rescuing hostages on a "Sabena" plane at the Lod Airport. above from R to L- Danny Yatom & Ehud Barak who participated in the rescue, May 9, 1972.

Flydubai terror attempt brings to mind the hijackings of 1970s in Israeli consciousness - comment

Palestinians hurl rocks at Israeli security forces during clashes in the West Bank town of Hebron October 16, 2000.

On this day: Second Intifada triggered following Ariel Sharon's visit to Temple Mount


On This Day: Jean-Francois Champollion announces his success at decoding the Rosetta Stone

The Rosetta Stone is inscribed with an official decree carved in three different languages: two forms of Egyptian script, hieroglyphs and Demotic, as well as ancient Greek.

The Rosetta Stone.

The women who should enter Israel’s sukkah this Sukkot - opinion

It is not about who receives a ceremonial invitation to enter for one evening, but about what kind of sukkah we build in the first place.

Prime Minister Golda Meir

KKL-JNF unveils archival photos showcasing Sukkot celebrations in honor of the holiday

Long before elaborately designed sukkahs, store-bought decorations and photos shared on social media, Sukkot in Israel was very much a communal celebration.

Families and children celebrate Sukkot at Horshat Tal in 1963.

US National Archives recovers over 120 previously unknown American POW statements from WWII

The documents were discovered by Waterloo resident Jason Hurdle inside a cardboard box hidden in a previously unknown crawlspace in his garage, The Washington Post reported last week.

 A force of hard-hitting and aggressive American soldiers in large-scale manoeuvres, circa 1942.

Israeli public broadcasting icon, journalist Prof. Gideon Kutz dies at age 78

Kutz served for four decades as Voice of Israel's correspondent in Paris and was one of the most recognizable voices of Israeli public broadcasting in the French and European arena.

Israeli radio journalist Gideon Kutz. October 11, 2019.

Far from the Holy of Holies: How did ancient Jews observe Yom Kippur 2,000 years ago?

New research into ancient Jewish life reveals how Yom Kippur was observed beyond the Temple, from fasting and private prayer to communal reflection.

On the eve of Yom Kippur (Prayer). Artist Jakub Weinles (1870–1935)

'My Wanderings in the Gardens': Hansen House, a Jerusalem architectural and cultural gem - review

My Wanderings in the Gardens: The Legacy of Hansen House in Jerusalem is a charming, arresting, evocative, historical, information-laden portrayal of the backdrop to the architectural and cultural ge

HANSEN HOUSE in 1887 when it was still known in German as Jesus’s Help. The vineyard in the front was planted before the building was completed.

'Voices From The Last Days Of Freedom': Showcasing the pre-communist Cuba we lost - review

Below are some excerpts from the book, which showcases the personal accounts of those who were young children when they fled with – or without – their parents and families as Communism took over.

GENIE AND Michael Milgrom pose in their home in Miami.

The Yom Kippur War: How Israel missed the warning signs before the surprise attack - opinion

Israel’s greatest failure in the Yom Kippur War was self-inflicted, as intelligence chief Eli Zeira’s confidence in his own assessment led Israel to dismiss mounting warnings of an Arab attack.

Then-prime minister Golda Meir (R) accompanied by then-defense minister Moshe Dayan, meets with Israeli soldiers at a base on the Golan Heights after intense fighting during the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

The surprising history of Kol Nidre: How Yom Kippur’s legal formula became a sacred anthem

Beyond its connection to Yom Kippur’s theme of repentance, experts believe the answer lies in Kol Nidre's core musical architecture. 

(L-R): Photo of Maurycy Gottlieb’s “Jews Praying in the Synagogue on Yom Kippur”; One of the earliest surviving illuminated medieval texts of Kol Nidre (Worms Machzor, c. 1280).