Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan claims Israel is carrying out “systematic genocide” in Gaza. South Africa’s ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC), asserts that Israel’s actions in Gaza “remind [us] of the atrocities of Nazi Germany.” Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas is accusing Israel of “genocide,” and the PA’s newspaper is calling the current war “Israel’s Holocaust.” It seems as if every time Israel defends itself, somebody yells “Genocide!” more

The wider world of traditional Judaism is moving in fits and starts toward a renegotiation of the terms of halakhic observance. At question is the importance of social change in the understanding and application of the legal logic of the sages of old. more

The Shmira project, billed as “guard duty for the rest of us,” matches Israeli soldiers with Jews who pray, learn Torah and do acts of kindness on their behalf, creating a “spiritual dome” to enhance the soldier’s spiritual merit and protection. more

“This is a war, not an operation,” Rambam Mesivta’s principal, Rabbi Yotav Eliach, told The Jewish Star. The Lawrence school has long had boots on the ground in Israel and it is embedded in the current conflict. more

A group of pro-Israel Jews have formed a 2016 campaign group called, “Jewish Americans Ready For Hillary!” On their website, “Jewish Americans Ready For Hillary!” claim, “Throughout her career, Hillary Clinton has fought for the issues that matter most to Jewish Americans.” That claim is not true. more

The debate about whether Jews have a future in Europe has once again surfaced, as Israel’s Operation Protective Edge gained momentum in response to Hamas rocket attacks from Gaza. more

When Adolph S. Ochs purchased the New York Times in 1896 he [was] determined that the Times would never appear to be a “Jewish newspaper.” His pledges have competed for ascendancy ever since. more

In a world filled with remarkable bloodshed, the only blood that appears to matter is that taken in self-defense by Jews. more

Israel began ground operations in Gaza late today. more

”It’s a recurring event,” Dry Bones creator Yaakov Kirschen told The Jewish Star. “We’re looking at things that need to be said.” more