Israel Festival brings L.A. a taste of Tel Aviv

Published on April 23, 2013

Eden Bennun craved a taste of Israel. Growing up in Kfar Saba and Rishon LeZion as a child gave her a love of Israel’s smells, sounds and foods.

Obama says U.S. firm in commitment to Israel’s security [VIDEO/SLIDESHOW]

Published on March 20, 2013

U.S. President Barack Obama said at the start of his first official visit to Israel on Wednesday that the U.S. commitment to the security of the Jewish state was rock solid and that peace must come to the Holy Land.

What do I think about Zionism as a Turkish Muslim?

Published on March 5, 2013

For the last couple of years - and especially the last couple of days - my Jewish friends all over the world have expressed their concern over whether anti-Semitism is on the rise in Turkey. First of all Turkey has a population over 70 million.

What is the Israeli election really telling the Palestinians?

By Rabbi Marvin Hier
Published on January 29, 2013

Without a doubt, at the moment, the Palestinians in Gaza and in the West Bank are riding high, flexing their muscles, and feeling very confident about what they view as an impressive string of recent victories.

Birds of a feather flock together

Published on November 29, 2012

Every winter, hundreds of millions of tourists (some of them no larger than a finger) defy travel warnings to visit the Holy Land. They don’t spend much money in Israel, and some stay for only a few hours. They visit the country’s “pubs” before flying off again.

John Hagee: Christian pastor with a Zionist message

By Jonah Lowenfeld
Published on August 29, 2012

It’s become a standard part of John Hagee’s stump speech, the story of how the evangelical pastor and founder of the 1.2 million-member Christians United For Israel (CUFI) first got started on the path of Israel advocacy.

Why a Jewish Democratic leader attacked Sheldon Adelson

By Rabbi Shmuley Boteach
Published on July 10, 2012

Israeli hotels showcase a summer medley of adventures

Published on May 15, 2012

Spurred by a record-breaking number of foreign tourists who visited the Holy Land during the first quarter of 2012, Israel’s burgeoning hotel industry is gearing up for a busy summer tourism season by sprucing up their facilities and offering a variety of titillating vacation packages.

Lacrosse blooms in the desert

Published on April 25, 2012

“Building a team for 2014 is the exciting part, but it’s all the other work that needs to get done ...” William “Bill” Beroza’s voice trailed off as he imagined the hard road ahead.

April 24, 2012

By Shmuel Rosner
Published on April 24, 2012

Holy Land interfaith peacemakers offer ‘Jerusalem hug’

By Roberto Loiederman
Published on December 14, 2011

The smallish man, an observant Jew named Eliyahu McLean, smiled impishly at the crowd who’d come to listen to his stories of trying to create interfaith peace in the holy land.

Holy land revealed

By Tom Tugend
Published on April 25, 2011

With the introduction of photography in 1839, pioneer practitioners of the nascent medium flocked to the Holy Land, expecting the glorious biblical scenes imagined by Renaissance painters, but finding instead mainly dusty villages and a largely ramshackle Jerusalem.

Early Holy Land photos surprise viewers in 1800s

By Tom Tugend
Published on April 12, 2011

With the introduction of photography in 1839, pioneer practitioners of the nascent medium flocked to the Holy Land, expecting the glorious biblical scenes imagined by Renaissance painters, but finding instead mainly dusty villages and a largely ramshackle Jerusalem.

A Small Piece of Jerusalem’s Past

By Kelly Hartog
Published on March 10, 2005

If you're planning a visit to Jerusalem, it's a must to visit the model of the Second Temple at the Holyland Hotel in Bayit Vegan. Occupying one-quarter of an acre and at a scale of 1:50, the model is an impressive sight.

But if you can't make it to the Holy Land anytime soon, then the Scottish Rite Auditorium in Midtown Los Angeles offers the next best thing. Tucked away on the second floor in a self-contained room stands a replica of the Second Temple, painstakingly built on a 1:100 scale by Jerusalem artist Rabbi Shalom Ifergan.

Fine Wine Pours Down From Golan

By Nathan Chroman
Published on April 10, 2003

Add wine to Israel's wondrous list of accomplishments. No, it's not a miracle the Israelis make wine; after all, they and their ancestral ancients have been squeezing the grape since time immemorial. The miracle is that today's wines from the Golan Heights are world-class -- capable of competing with the best of California and Europe.

Where Have All the Jews Gone?

By Rabbi Elazar Muskin
Published on January 9, 2003

Recently, a friend told me that his brother and sister-in-law flew from Newark, N.J., to Israel. The plane was filled with Christian church groups traveling on a Holy Land pilgrimage. When his sister-in-law got up to walk in the aisles, a fellow passenger stopped and inquired, "And what church are you from?"

When she said that she was Jewish, the lady remarked, "I think you are the only Jew on this flight."

Where have all the Jews gone? Not to Israel.

Truth Diggers

By Tom Tugend
Published on December 13, 2001

Journal readers who were upset when a prominent local rabbi proposed that the biblical story of the Exodus from Egypt wasn't literally true, should be forewarned of possible apoplexy while watching the History Channel's "Digging for the Truth: Archaeology and the Bible."

Holy Land Exploration

By Ruth Andrew Ellenson
Published on September 27, 2001

In a compelling collection of 19th and 20th century images and objects, the Skirball Cultural Center's new exhibit of photographs, lithographs and archaeological artifacts tells the story of Israel as, literally, a "holy land" -- a place that has long held fascination for the three monotheistic faiths, academics and Western tourists hoping to discover the exotic world of the East.

Messianic Experience

By Joyce Moed Charman
Published on March 1, 2001

For Dawn Short and Jennifer Willis, the wait tovisit a newly opened "messianic Jewish" theme park was worth it.

Israel All to Yourself

By Adam Wills
Published on January 18, 2001

I was more than a little conflicted when Israel's Ministry of Tourism invited me to visit the Holy Land for one week in December to judge for myself whether the country was safe enough for tourists. I'd never traveled to Israel before, and while I knew that life was going on as usual for most Israelis, CNN's daily images of conflict and the U.S. State Department's warning fed my apprehension.

Picture Postcards from Galilee

By George Medovoy
Published on January 20, 2000

Mark Twain would get the surprise of his life if he returned to the Holy Land on the eve of the new millennium.