Jerusalem Report

For submissions or letters to the editor, send us an email.

Misguided sanctions: Nations punish Smotrich, Ben-Gvir for protecting Israelis - opinion

Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich have the audacity to believe that Israeli citizens deserve protection from violence, a principle one might assume would be universally accepted.

 An illustrative image of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and former national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.Premium
 Former chief rabbi Jonathan Sacks congratulates new Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, during a ceremony at St. John’s Wood Synagogue, in London, in 2013. PremiumPremium

25 touchstones for a moral compass: Lessons from Rabbi Jonathan Sacks - opinion

MarriagePremiumPremium

'Are We There Yet?' Building and sustaining healthy marriages - review

 An illustrative image of grandparents playing with their grandchildren.PremiumPremium

Parents rule, grandparents are cool: A look at grandparenting today - analysis


'The Life of the Soul': A look at Judaism's view on 'gilgul' and reincarnation - review

With such erudite scholarship, The Life of the Soul is a landmark contribution and resource to the study of Jewish mysticism.

 An illustrative image of a young woman by the beach holding hands with a transparent figure.

Daniella Wexler: Retrospective or new exhibition?

In her current retrospective at the Jerusalem Theatre, the historical works appear in reproduction, embellished with painted decorative margins and additional new images. 

 Art by Daniella Wexler

Leap of faith: A lesson on embracing God - opinion

In philosophy, a leap of faith is the act of believing in or accepting something not on the basis of reason.

 An illustrative image of a man leaping over a chasm with bright stars behind him.

Fueling antisemitism, normalizing hate: The dangers of anti-Israel textbooks in education - opinion

The American Jewish community must stand up to anti-Israel textbooks making their way into the mainstream education system.

 Children take part in a demonstration in support of the Palestinian people at the Palestinian Embassy in Brasilia in June 2025.

Pretending to ‘grapple with genocide’: The anti-Israel fad in Western academia - opinion

The discussion focused largely on transcending the need to ascertain whether certain violent acts fit the “narrow and highly technical realm of criminal law” and the legal definition of genocide.

 A pro-Palestinian protester holds a banner in front of a Starbucks coffeehouse during a demonstration in Barcelona, in June 2025.

False equivalency of Gaza and Dresden: One was revenge, the other self-defense - opinion

Dresden was revenge against a defeated enemy. Gaza is self-defense against an enemy that still openly calls for Israel’s annihilation.

 Allied forces are seen bombing the German city of Dresden during World War II.

Ralph Vaughan Williams: A humanist composer who opposed the Nazis, helped Jews

So, next time you hear the rapt, silken poetry of The Lark Ascending, give a thought not only to Vaughan Williams the composer, but to the humanist who opposed the Nazis.

  A portrait of composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, c. 1920.

War Diary: How the Netanyahu gov't's absolute power renders current protests pointless - opinion

The reality is that the silent majority of Israelis have either been neutralized by the government’s published justifications of the war or are not prepared to face the consequences of their inaction

 A demonstrator uses a megaphone as people protest for a ceasefire agreement, near the US Consulate in Tel Aviv, in 2024.

From jihadist to president: Is Ahmed al-Sharaa's transformation true or false? - opinion

Ahmed al-Sharaa’s journey from jihadist commander to president presents the world with a highly dramatic transformation. Is it genuine or mere show?

 French President Emmanuel Macron and interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa attend a press conference after a meeting at the Élysée Palace, in May 2025.

Opening of Cairo’s Grand Egyptian Museum gets postponed yet again

The grand opening of the GEM, which was set for July 3 – much delayed by revolutions, wars, financial crises, and the COVID pandemic – has been postponed yet again.

  A view of the new Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, in April 2025.

The lie behind the chant: What ‘Free Palestine’ really means - opinion

If one truly cares about the Palestinian people – even if that’s all one cares about – a few questions must be asked: Free from what?

 People hold flags and a banner that reads ‘Stop the genocide in Palestine’ and ‘All hail the struggle of the Palestinian people’ during a demonstration in solidarity with Palestinians, calling for a halt in arms trade and relations with Israel, in Madrid, in May 2025.