Sorrow and Hope

Dispatch from Jerusalem

Stone Mask Uncovered

A fascinating and rare stone mask was discovered recently, its characteristics and context testifying that the mask is 9,000 years old and dates to the Neolithic (new stone age) period. According to Ronit Lupu of the Israel Antiquities Authority Antiquities Theft Prevention Unit, “The mask is a unique finding in the archaeological world. The fact

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Friend or Foe? Israel’s Complicated Relationship with Russia

Twenty-three minutes. It took less than half an hour for a crisis to raise tensions between Israel and Russia to levels not seen in years, perhaps decades. It started at 9:42 p.m. on September 17—when Israel first launched a strike on weapons bound for Hezbollah in Syria as detailed in Israeli journalist Amos Harel’s recap

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EU Bites the Hand that Feeds Israel’s Bedouin

Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman has had it with the European Union’s (EU) flagrant interference in Israel’s internal affairs, and he is certainly not alone among Israeli politicians. The source of this current frustration is the EU’s reaction to Israel’s plans to relocate the illegal Bedouin herding village of Khan al-Ahmar in Judea and Samaria. Europe

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2018: Israel’s Big Year

No year in Israel can be considered ordinary. This is the land held in title deed by the Almighty, pledged in an everlasting covenant to the children of Abraham. Here, the astounding and against-all-odds serve as the building blocks of history. Yet the fulfillment of promise is more than a historic fact. In Israel, the

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Understanding Jewish Symbols: The Hanukkiah

Everyone has a favorite time of year to come and enjoy all the Land of Israel has to offer. While winter is perhaps not the preferred time to visit for many, it is the season in which the beautiful holiday of Hanukkah occurs. Known as the Festival of Lights, the Feast of Dedication and the

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Living the Bible–Visiting Israel for the Biblical Holidays

When you visit Israel, you can see the Bible come to life. This is the land where Jesus walked on water and where David wrote the Psalms. But when you visit Israel during one of the biblical holidays or the extra-biblical festivals of Hanukkah (Feast of Dedication or Festival of Lights) and Purim (Feast of

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In Search of a Safe Haven: Jewish Aliyah after World War II

In the wake of the Holocaust, surviving Jews were faced with the harsh reality that life could never go back to the way it was before the tragedy. Sadly, the atrocities committed against the Jewish people did not end when the concentration camps were liberated, and anti-Semitism was still alive and well in post-war Europe.

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Coming Home to the Jewish Quarter

At the tender age of 18, Esther Weiss prayed a strange prayer. The year was 1968. Months earlier, Israel had liberated the Old City of Jerusalem from Jordanian rule. The divided city was newly reunited. The Jewish people had just regained access to their holy sites and could finally return to the decimated Jewish Quarter.

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Guess Who Created These Games

Think of a game you played as a child. What comes to mind? If you said Guess Who?, Mastermind or Rummikub, you have an Israeli to thank for those hours of fun. Growing up, all three of these games were favorites of mine. I fondly remember pulling them out of the cupboard and lying on

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Winter-warming Orange and Pineapple Chicken

This recipe combines an Israeli staple—chicken—with the tangy sweetness of another national favorite: sun-kissed oranges. Teamed with pineapple, this dish offers the perfect comfort food to ward off the winter chill. Serve with spicy rice and green salad for a hearty, satisfying meal.   Ingredients 3.3 lb. (1.5 kg.) chicken pieces 4 tbsp. (60 ml.)

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