Jewish history

The Acre Fortress, once a Mamluk stronghold and later an Ottoman fort, became notoriously known as an asylum in Israel. The conditions inside were dire, prompting most outsiders to steer clear.

Zalman left the castle delighted, planning which mezuzah he would buy for the bishop, imagining his future. Yet, upon reaching home, his wife posed a simple question: "Is it permissible to sell a mezuzah to a non-Jew?"

The Chafetz Chaim did not remain silent against the disrespect towards Torah and responded with a detailed letter, affirming that his words reflected Torah wisdom and the duty of the moment, devoid of any trace of gossip.

In 1306, on Tisha B'Av, King Philip IV of France, known as Philip the Fair, ordered the Jews to leave France without any of their possessions. Leaving behind their homes and wealth, including loans owed by non-Jewish merchants, their expulsion left a significant mark on Jewish history.

Benny Wexler has traveled to over a hundred countries, but his visits to hostile Islamic nations will never fade from memory. "Taliban soldiers patrolled back and forth," he recalls.

Amidst the challenges of a brutal siege, the residents of the kibbutzim in Gush Etzion faced not only physical threats but profound spiritual and ethical questions. Could they train on Shabbat when the threat wasn't immediate? This conundrum was among several posed to religious authorities.

At the eleventh hour, the wise Moshe Kalantar pleaded for the lives of the Jews. The general agreed, but how could the soldiers distinguish who was Jewish? Rabbi Moshe stood on a table, lifted his *tzitzit* above his head and declared: "Like this – do not touch."

In the Berlin State Library's scans, discover bloodstains on the Torah scroll signifying a haunting past from 700 years ago.

He delivered a daily lesson in the Talmudic tractate Bava Metzia under the harshest conditions, as regularly as he could. From his place in the Bergen-Belsen camp, he also provided halachic answers on issues of agunot. For four and a half years, Rabbi Neubauer lived in the inferno of Bergen-Belsen, radiating wisdom, Torah, and spirit to the suffering prisoners.

Anyone who studies the Talmud knows the "page layout"—the format where the central text is surrounded by Rashi and Tosafot commentaries, which has been the default in every edition of the Babylonian Talmud for centuries. But few know that the designer of this "page layout" was neither a rabbi, a yeshiva student, nor even Jewish.

The son of the community leader, symbolically named 'Antiochus', converted and incited the Gentile residents by claiming that the Jews planned to burn the city. The locals had already prepared for an assault on the Jewish community.

He bought every shovel and sieve he could find for just pennies. Once he stocked his tools, he raced around San Francisco shouting, 'Gold in the river! Gold in the river!' Long before any gold was found, Samuel Brannan became a millionaire by selling each shovel or sieve for ten dollars...

Why did the Israelites have to go to Egypt? The Torah doesn’t explicitly explain. Could they have committed a sin so grievous that it warranted centuries of hardship and enslavement?

In 1144, the city of Norwich, England, became the site of the first recorded blood libel against Jews, a tragic turning point that set the stage for centuries of persecution and baseless, dangerous accusations known as blood libels.

Created for easy communication, Esperanto shares some design principles with Hebrew, built on small roots allowing versatile use with different endings. This means fewer new words to learn.

The founding of the city of Rehovot aimed to establish an independent city that would adhere to Jewish law, without relying on Baron Rothschild. While the Baron was incredibly generous with a warm Jewish heart, the clerks in his offices were modern and often not observant of the faith, making dealings with them difficult.

Muhammad saw himself as reclaiming Abraham's heritage, not as an equal brother to Isaac, but as the elder, claiming the final say. When Jews didn't acknowledge his leadership, he lost his composure.

The camp was brutally oppressive, like other Nazi labor camps, but the two friends constantly planned their escape. They knew staying meant death, while escaping carried the risk of death.

What do Pardes Hana, Zikhron Yaakov, Binyamina, and Givat Ada have in common? They are all places in Israel, connected through a unique historical link.

A mine was hidden under the dog's body. It was remotely activated from a nearby Arab ice factory. The truck exploded and caught fire. Some guards were killed instantly, while others were brutally attacked by a mob.