The Blogs | The Marketplace of Ideas

Open Search form

Apply for a Blog

The documentary "Torn" (2024) examines the poster wars in New York City, when activists put up signs calling attention to Israeli hostages in Gaza, and others ripped them down. (Courtesy Nim Shapira)

Nim Shapira

I made a film about hostage posters. I was accused of centering ‘whiteness’

It takes a particular habit of mind to look at a grainy photo of a kidnapped person and start by asking what color they are

People rally at the National Mall during an anti-Israel demonstration in Washington, October 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Chana Svei

I’m an ultra-Orthodox woman whose Jewish experience changed on October 7

At first, I hid my identity, but when I encountered a group spouting anti-Zionist propaganda, I spoke up – and discovered I needed a police escort to my car

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani attends a coexistence vigil marking the third anniversary of the October 7 massacre, October 7, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Ruthie Hollander

5 reasons to be upset about Mamdani’s October 7 tweet

If only New York’s mayor had stopped his message after the first 40 words of sympathy for Israeli victims. But no

A screenshot from the trailer for the film 'NAZA' published on September 25, 2026. (Screenshot: Youtube, The Guardian)

Avi Lewis

The airstrikes we canceled: What NAZA leaves out

The film has it backwards: I worked with the IDF’s casualty estimate system. It’s a brake on civilian deaths, not a license to kill

Shlomi and Deborah (Shahar) Matias (Courtesy)

Aron Troen

We are still waiting for someone to say: We failed you

My sister and brother-in-law were murdered on October 7. Their children survived. No government representative has ever come to look us in the eye and take responsibility

Linda Lovitch

An oasis of unity and comfort in Hostages Square

Amidst the post-October 7th discord and divisiveness, the Masorti Movement’s daily singing and prayer circle was a safe place of comfort and unity for all

The author pictured while fighting in the Swords of Iron War. (Courtesy)

Shahar Varon

Israel needs repair, not a return to normal

My generation stepped up when the government failed. Now we deserve a country where service is shared, sacrifice is honored and leaders are held accountable

See all Featured Posts

Blogs topics

Latest posts

Oct 9, 2026, 12:42 AM

Parshas Bereishis: It Ends With Us

Rashi and Ramban on the Story of Lamech and the Pre-Flood Breakdown The short, enigmatic narrative of Lamech (Ber. 4:19–24) serves as a critical bridge between the exile of Cain and the ultimate destruction of the world in the Great...

Oct 9, 2026, 12:35 AM

The King’s Servant on Trial

JERUSALEM, In the murky engine room of the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, Tzachi Braverman operated for years as the regime’s ultimate, ruthless enforcer. As Benjamin Netanyahu’s chief of staff, he was the quintessential gatekeeper and institutional bouncer, tasked with...

Oct 9, 2026, 12:29 AM

Mayor Mamdani, October 7 Was Not Your Day To Rewrite

Eight days after unveiling his strategy to combat antisemitism, New York City's mayor turned the anniversary of the Hamas massacre into an indictment of Israel. His words, promises and decisions deserve to be examined together. I wasn't planning to write...

Oct 8, 2026, 11:59 PM

Beyond the Reactor Core: India-Israel Civil Nuclear Cooperation

India-Israel Civil Nuclear Cooperation. An AI Illustration.

The conventional question is whether India and Israel should cooperate on nuclear energy. This is partly answered by the recent elevation of their ties to a special strategic partnership, wherein they decided to extend cooperation in civil nuclear energy....

Chavi Eisenberg

Oct 8, 2026, 11:56 PM

Teaching the stories that disturb us

On difficult narratives in Tanakh and the responsibility of teaching them. This week, I taught a group of 18-year-old seminary students one of the most disturbing stories in all of Tanakh. Actually, I taught them two. We were learning about intertextuality,...

Michael Laitman

Oct 8, 2026, 11:54 PM

What Does It Mean to Be Jewish in Modern Israel?

The key to a good life is in harmonious human connections. If we build a society that feels like a family, the problems from which we all suffer will be resolved. Where do these ideas come from, and why...

Priyanka Chandel

Oct 8, 2026, 11:52 PM

Children of Israel-Gaza: War, Trauma & Healing

The third anniversary of 7 October 2023 arrives this week. On that day Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostages, children among them. The last hostage was returned to Israel on 26 January 2026,...

Oct 8, 2026, 11:34 PM

Rosh Chodesh – the hidden holiday (and a celebration of feminine spirituality)

With the conclusion of the Biblical holidays of Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret, it could appear that there will be a little break now until we celebrate our next holiday from the 5 books of the Torah (Hanukkah is of...

Oct 8, 2026, 11:30 PM

From Campus to Country: Building Israel’s Future in a New Academic Year

Students at the Bar-Ilan University campus. Photo courtesy of Bar-Ilan University.

When students walk onto Bar-Ilan University’s campus this month, they will be carrying far more than backpacks. They will bring with them the weight of a year marked by war, reserve duty, loss, financial pressure, interrupted studies, and uncertainty...

Oct 8, 2026, 11:27 PM

Harry Potter and the Epidemic of Israel-hate Raging Across Planet Showbiz

For quite a while now, I have been puzzled about the epidemic of passionate Palestine partisanship raging across Planet Show-biz. I have asked myself why so many actors and musicians have contracted what we’ll call Palestine Delusion Syndrome (PDS),...

Load more