IDF distributes nearly 500k hamantaschen for Purim
The Israel Defense Forces' Military Rabbinate distributed almost half a million hamantaschen, or oznei Haman ("Haman's ears") cookies, the army said ahead of the holiday of Purim, which starts Thursday night.
Approximately 460,000 hamantaschen in the flavors of...
Behind the mask
Purim is a serious festival. Yet many people consider it merely a children’s masquerade party. The very notion of dressing up, wearing masks and creative costumes to disguise ourselves is the subject of much...
On Purim, celebrate Jewish self-defense, not self-loathing
This is not the first time in history in which some Jews have internalized the hate that has been directed at them. Those who do so have embraced beliefs that seek to undermine both...
Rare 17th-century Esther Scroll returns to Ferrara for Purim show
A rare 17th-century Esther Scroll, created in Ferrara, Italy, is returning to the city as part of a new exhibition at the National Museum of Italian Judaism and the Shoah (MEIS).
The exhibition, "Beautiful Esther:...
Baskets overfloweth: Last-minute spreads for Purim
Purim commemorates the survival of the Jewish people, who were marked for death by their Persian rulers in the fifth century B.C. In the face of destruction as part of an evil plot, Jews...
![Yuval Raphael will represent Israel at the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest in Switzerland with "New Day Will Rise," the country's Kan public broadcaster announced on Sunday as it officially revealed the Jewish state's entry. The three-minute song, sung by Raphael and written by Israeli singer and songwriter Keren Peles, is primarily in English, with several lines in French and Hebrew. Raphael is set to perform in the second half of the second semi-final on May 15. "New day will rise/Life will go on/ Everyone cries/Don't cry alone/Darkness will fade/All the pain will go by/But we will stay/Even if you say goodbye," Raphael sings in English in the power ballad's chorus. The Hebrew is a line from the biblical Shir Hashirim, the Song of Songs, which translates to: “Vast floods cannot quench love, nor rivers drown it," while the French is a translation of the English portions of the song. In a statement on Sunday, Raphael said that "for me, the song represents the healing that we all need and the optimism for the days ahead—our future. The song speaks about our strength, all of ours, our shared hope, the support and love of such beautiful people in our country." Peles said the entry represents the "new sunrise" that the Jewish state is longing for after Hamas's Oct. 7, 2023, cross-border massacre and the subsequent ground war with the terror organization in the Gaza Strip. The lyrics and the video of the Israeli entry were formally approved last month by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organizes the annual musical extravaganza. Last year, Jerusalem was only allowed to compete after it removed references to the Oct. 7 terrorist slaughter. Raphael's music video shows a group of young people gathered together in song and dance, which every Israeli understands as a reference to the Oct. 7 attack on the Nova festival, where 364 people were murdered. Red anemones, a symbol of Israel’s south, can also be seen in the video clip. Raphael, 24, survived the Nova festival by hiding in a bomb shelter for hours. Terrorists threw grenades into the shelter. Raphael, pretending to be dead, hid underneath the bodies of the dead. Forty young people entered the shelter at the start of the Hamas invasion. Ten left alive. "We were at a party, and around 6 a.m., a barrage of missiles began," the musician told Israel's Channel 12 days after the massacre. "We all rushed to the car, we were five friends—two of them are currently hospitalized." "When we got to the car, there was a crazy mass of people and vehicles trying to get out [of the festival area]. In the end, when we reached the road, we saw a [bomb] shelter, so we decided to stop on the side and enter it to protect ourselves from the [Hamas] missiles," she retold. Israel has won the Eurovision Song Contest four times: 1978, 1979, 1998 and 2018. According to Eurovision bookmakers, Sweden is the favorite this year. Raphael's entry is ranked as the third favorite by oddsmakers.](https://jewishwebsite.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/F250309YS217-1320x880-1-324x235.jpg "‘New Day Will Rise’: Israel reveals entry for 2025 Eurovision Song Contest‘New Day Will Rise’: Israel reveals entry for 2025 Eurovision Song Contest")
‘New Day Will Rise’: Israel reveals entry for 2025 Eurovision Song Contest‘New Day Will...
Yuval Raphael will represent Israel at the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest in Switzerland with "New Day Will Rise," the country's Kan public broadcaster announced on Sunday as it officially revealed the Jewish state's entry.
The three-minute song,...
How to give and how to receive: The complexity of ‘mishloach manot’
At the heart of Purim celebrations lies a simple yet profound act: giving food to others. But as with all acts of giving, mishloach manot is not as simple as it seems. This mitzvah, distinct from the...
Jewish educational center hosts multi-faith dialogue in Jerusalem
A global Jewish educational center based in Jerusalem hosted Muslim, Christian and Jewish community leaders this week, seeking to bring together moderate religious figures in a push for coexistence.
Wednesday's night meeting, titled Bridges of...
How two Yiddish soul sisters became a singing sensation
When singers Polina Fradkin and Paulina Levi got 50,000 Instagram followers, they celebrated with a cake.
But these days, they are really cooking.
The Shvesters (the Yiddish word for “The Sisters”) now have 134,000 followers on...
Why the Catholic Church should recognize Israel as the inheritance of the Jewish people
I am currently at the Vatican with Gary Krupp of the “Pave the Way Foundation” to engage with high-ranking Catholic leaders. Krupp has spent his life building bridges between the church, the Jewish community...