Judaism

Judaism is the oldest monotheistic religion in the world, having originated in the Middle East more than 3,000 years ago with patriarch Abraham.

As the first Abrahamic religion, Judaism has played a major role in shaping the history of the world, having greatly influenced the development of Christianity and Islam, despite having always had a relatively small amount of adherents by comparison.

The religion itself is built off of the "written Torah" of the Bible, known in Judaism as the Tanach, and the "oral Torah" of the Mishna, Talmud and other great works of leading rabbis throughout history.

Judaism itself has no single leading figure, and is divided into multiple streams, such as the ultra-Orthodox (haredi), Orthodox, Conservative and Reform. Further differences also exist along the lines of historic Diasporic communities, such as Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jewry.

Today, the largest concentration of adherents of Judaism can be found in Israel, with the US having the second-largest.

From Der Judenstaat to modern Israel: Herzl’s vision in today’s world - opinion

Over 100 years after Herzl’s Der Judenstaat, Israel faces global antisemitism, internal divisions, and the ongoing fight for its survival.

FEBRUARY 14, 2026|ByBRENDA KATTEN

Supporting a ‘Free Palestine’ as part of a ‘Stop Bombing Iran’ protest following the US attack on Iranian nuclear sites, near the US Embassy in London, June 23, 2025.

Temple Mount

Temple Mount’s delicate balance tested as Jewish prayer, Ramadan crowds meet

For decades after 1967, the Temple Mount was defined by a simple rule: Jews could visit but not pray. Small but meaningful changes are quietly shifting that balance.

FEBRUARY 13, 2026|ByNATAN ROTHSTEIN

Shabbat candles

Shabbat candle lighting times for Israel and US

See Shabbat times for your area.

FEBRUARY 13, 2026|ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas addresses the general Conference of Fatah Youth in Ramallah, with a backdrop including a portrait of Abbas and Yasser Arafat, November 27, 2025; illustrative.

PA drafts constitution, omits Jewish ties to Jerusalem, calls for Sharia legal system

The draft constitution also called for the "right of return" for refugees, caring for families of "martyrs, prisoners, and exiles," and reaffirming the PLO's position as representing Palestinians.

FEBRUARY 13, 2026|ByJAMES GENN

Levi Preger: From a Dutch town to the IDF

Preger, aged 27 is a lone soldier who made aliyah from the Netherlands. For the past four years, he has been active with the Growing Wings Foundation, a nonprofit that supports lone soldiers.

FEBRUARY 12, 2026ByBATSHEVA SHULMAN

Levi Preger (L) and Max Long, the founder of the Growing Wings Foundation.

Bill Aron, photographer of Jewish countercultures, gets his due in a sweeping retrospective

A trained sociologist and street photographer, Aron took iconic photos of his fellow members of the New York Havurah in its 1970s heyday.

FEBRUARY 9, 2026ByANDREW SILOW-CARROLL/JTA

Bill Aron, whose early projects included a series on Jews living on New York's Lower East Side, discusses a new exhibit of his work at the Center for Jewish History in Manhattan, Feb. 4, 2026.

Jerusalem Orthodox churches don’t represent all Christians - opinion

Evangelical Catholics reject claims that Christian Zionism is harmful and believe in the Jewish people’s covenant with god.

FEBRUARY 8, 2026ByPADDY MONAGHAN

Church of the Holy Sepulchre

New York’s Jews are rightfully wary of Mamdani’s interfaith outreach. He should listen - editorial

Declining to sponsor the event was not a rejection of interfaith dialogue. It was an acknowledgment that dialogue alone is not enough.

FEBRUARY 8, 2026ByJPOST EDITORIAL

NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani delivers a speech to members of the New York State Nurses Association union, next to U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), during a picket outside Mount Sinai West in New York City, U.S., January 20, 2026.

Hiking in the Holy Land: The almond tree, Israel's ancient clock

Spring has not arrived, yet blossoming almonds in Israel signify the arrival of Tu Bishvat, the new year for trees, a time when some seasonal quality has shifted.

FEBRUARY 8, 2026BySUSANNAH SCHILD

THE ALMOND TREE has been watching over the Land of Israel for longer than we can fathom.

Israeli voters deserve representatives they can trust - opinion

Reform is needed to make Israeli democracy meaningful as voters don't have enough influence over Knesset members.

FEBRUARY 7, 2026ByTOVA HERZL

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee meeting at the Knesset, in Jerusalem, February 5, 2026

The Epstein scandals and the collapse of moral restraint - opinion

Trust in today's world feels increasingly fragile, and Judaism offers hope that societies can recover not by lowering standards to match disappointment, but by reaffirming religious values.

FEBRUARY 7, 2026ByJONATHAN LIEBERMAN

US financier Jeffrey Epstein appears in a photograph taken for the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services' sex offender registry March 28, 2017 and obtained by Reuters July 10, 2019.

Jerusalem through Ethiopian eyes: Understanding Israel's capital through its Ethiopian communities

As Jerusalem continues to evolve, the rhythms of Ethiopian heritage shape its character in unmistakable ways.

FEBRUARY 6, 2026BySHIR PERETS

Ethiopian Jews take part in a prayer of the Sigd holiday on the Armon Hanatziv Promenade overlooking Jerusalem on November 28, 2024.

Shabbat candle lighting times for Israel and US

See Shabbat times for your area.

FEBRUARY 6, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

Shabbat candles

Parashat Yitro: Illuminating the fog

Moses understood that genuine service of God is not found in thunder and lightning but rather in the place of fog, confusion, and lack of clarity.

FEBRUARY 6, 2026ByRABBI SHMUEL RABINOWITZ

The God one seeks is found precisely in the confusing, unclear place.