Yeshiva students

The long way home: Free after decade in Iraqi prison, Benjamin Hassin begins new life in Jerusalem

DIASPORA AFFAIRS: Just over a month ago, on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, Benjamin Hassin landed on Israeli soil for the first time in 12 years.

Benjamin Hassin overlooks the Western Wall, just weeks after returning to Israel following more than 11 years in Iraqi prisons, including nearly five years under a death sentence.
Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men block a road and clash with police during a protest against the jailing of yeshiva students who failed to comply with Israeli military draft orders, in Jerusalem, August 2, 2026.

Israel Police says 143 draft evaders were released as IDF failed to meet detention deadlines

Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion addresses Torah MiTzion’s 30th-anniversary celebration at the International Convention Center in Jerusalem on October 13, 2026

Torah MiTzion marks 30 years of strengthening ties between Israel, Diaspora Jewry

Argentina's President Javier Milei attends a meeting of the Shield of the Americas on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, US, September 22, 2026.

Argentine President Javier Milei dances with yeshiva students after receiving Lover of Israel prize


Editor's Notes: High Court ruling on women in tanks deepens religious divide in IDF - comment

Women who made history in tanks on Oct. 7 fought in all-female crews. Both camps in the Armored Corps dispute should be claiming that morning as a victory. Instead, both pretend it never happened.

DF armored forces at a staging area in southern Israel near the border with Gaza. January 01, 2024.

Some 25 hesder yeshivot boycott IDF's tank corps over new pilot to incorporate women

The Yeshivot Heseder leaders believe that mingling between men and women in such a small, secluded space would compromise modesty.

IDF reserve Infantry and Merkava Tank soldiers train in a military exercise in the Golan Heights on October 23, 2023

WATCH: 'All of Israel is ours': Smotrich calls to annex West Bank in Jerusalem Day speech

"The time has come for us to finally erase the lines that distinguish between Areas A, B, and C, the entire Land of Israel is ours," Smotrich said at the Religious Zionist Merkaz HaRav Yeshiva.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich gives a Jerusalem Day address, May 14, 2026.

Satmar HQ condemns Mamdani for vetoing no protest buffer zones around educational facilities

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani vetoes bill aimed at protecting educational institutions from protests, citing concerns over free speech and constitutional rights.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani arrives to deliver his 100 Days Address, a speech dedicated to outlining the progress made on his core campaign promises since taking office, in Queens, New York City, U.S., April 12, 2026.

'May God kill, destroy the judges,' Yitzhak Yosef denounces ruling restricting Western Wall prayers

Former Sephardi Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef criticizes the High Court’s decision restricting Passover prayers at the Western Wall, calling the judges "heretics" and "Shabbat desecrators."

 Shas spiritual leader and former Sephardic chief rabbi, Yitzhak Yosef, seen during a weekly lecture at the Yazdim synagogue in Jerusalem, June 07, 2025; illustrative.

Staying put: Realizing a modern Exodus amid times of challenge - opinion

In this sense, remaining in the land at this time is a particularly profound expression of that ancient story. It says: We are already part of the journey, and we want to be nowhere other than here.'

YOUNG WOMEN study at Jerusalem’s Midreshet Lindenbaum

After October 7, this haredi woman refuses to stand apart from Israeli society

Born into the heart of haredi Jerusalem, Sari Kroizer has built a religious and Israeli identity that refuses to stand apart.

Sari Kroizer.

Entering Pardes: Discovering Jewish identity and tradition through role-playing games

At the recent Roll for Destiny exhibition at the Schechter Gallery in Tel Aviv, an overlap between geekdom and religiosity was taken into outright experimental art.

The players are set to enter Pardes. From L: Chana Ner-Gaon, Victoria Kaufman, Tzvi Jasper, and Aaron Reich.

Beyond the Headlines: Stronger than we think

A weekly glimpse into the Israel you won’t read about in the news.

A protester waves the pre-Islamic Revolution Iranian flag outside UN headquarters during a United Nations Security Council meeting on Iran in New York on January 15, 2026.

This high school’s library is now a memorial to 25 fallen alumni in Efrat

Modern Orthodox high school in Efrat, south of Jerusalem, unveils a memorial to 25 graduates who fell in Israel’s wars and terror attacks, integrating remembrance into daily study.

Ohr Torah Stone’s Neveh Shmuel Yeshiva High School dedicated the “Hall of Heroes,” a permanent memorial honoring 25 alumni of the yeshiva who fell in Israel’s wars and terror attacks over the past decades, including 11 who fell in the past two years.