Jewish holidays

Rosh Hashanah 2026: Humor, the shofar, and the ability to accept the absurdity of life

When confronted by our own absurdity and inadequacy, Judaism turns the tables and asks us to eat festive meals, sing optimistic songs, and make Rosh Hashanah into a holy celebration.

THE HIGH HOLIDAY repentance cycle, year after year, can be brutal.
Avi Kaiser and Sergio Antonino (see Tuesday).

Jerusalem highlights: September 11-17

A man blows a shofar outside the Jerusalem Central Bus Station.

Your Investments: Turning Rosh Hashanah reflection into financial action

Yael Eckstein with food packages delivered to the Christian community in Syria.

Going where the need is greatest


Passover has never been sweeter: The desserts you must not miss

Chocolate cakes, tiramisu, mascarpone, and beloved classics in kosher versions: The new collections prove there is no reason to compromise on desserts during Passover.

Passover 2026 Collection at Biscotti Patisserie.

A Passover tribute: Kindness from a Jerusalem neighborhood pharmacy

Every year as Seder approaches, we all look for inspiration in how to make our Seder even richer than the year before.

Mrs. Glassman enjoys a cup of coffee at one of the Jerusalem cafés she frequented

Rewriting the ‘Pharaoh Constant’: A sci-fi reimagining of the Exodus - opinion

Future historians would deride this as the “Pharaoh Constant” – a civilization of unbroken empire, universal slavery, and global misery.

The Staff's ultrasonic emitter, broadcast at 800 hertz, drove every frog in the delta inland.

Freedom is not free: Passover 5786 in the shadow of war - opinion

This Passover, Jews sit at the Seder table amid sirens, reflecting on freedom, oppression, and existential threats in today’s world.

An illustrative image of the Korean War Memorial in Washington.

Seder night: A crumpled white shirt reveals Passover’s deeper meaning

Rav Amital’s lesson shows that even a rushed Seder can be meaningful and spiritually powerful.

‘Our revered Rosh Yeshiva Rav Yehuda Amital (pictured 2007) gathered us and shared his experiences from the labor camps during World War II.’

Beyond the Headlines: Invisible fighters - opinion

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

An Israeli family enjoys a "Seder" Pesach on the first night of the Jewish holiday of Pesach. April 22, 2024.

A Passover Seder's lost integrity: Why inviting Zohran Mamdani was a strategic misstep - opinion

A Passover Seder is a structured transmission of Jewish memory, beginning with oppression in Egypt and culminating in the affirmation of Jewish continuity.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks during a Passover seder in Manhattan on March 30, 2026.

The Passover playbook: Jerusalem activities the whole family can rally around during war

This year, everything will be operating according to the instructions from the Home Front Command. Things may be subject to last-minute changes.

Kol HaOt Passover Festival.

Passover 2026: How to find meaning this year - opinion

We are living in an emotional mosaic of difficulty and inspiration, pain and resilience.

The best desserts of Passover 2026

Cultivate a Zionist I-Thou at Seder with JPPI’s Zionist texts - opinion

Martin Buber urged individuals to cultivate profound, expansive, I-Thou relationships with others – and with broader phenomena like God.

 An illustrative image of a Passover Seder plate.