The Exodus

Lag Ba'Omer 2025 will act as vehicle to express prayers for hostages, soldiers, all Jews - opinion

Beyond the Headlines: A weekly glimpse into the Israel you won’t read about in the news

 An illustration signifying the importance of smaller steps as you climb a figurative ladder.
 PLATE 11: ‘And She Stood by Us,’ by Matthew L. Berkowitz, from ‘The Lovell Haggadah,’ Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies and Nirtzah Editions LCC, Jerusalem, copyright 2008.

The importance of God's name in the story of Passover - opinion

 Riders on camels are seen passing pyramids in Egypt.

Passover 2025: From the pride of Egypt to the humility of Israel - opinion

THE STORY ends with the familiar Parting of the Red Sea

The nature of miracles: From splitting the Red Sea to the State of Israel - opinion


Passover 2025: Crossing your own Red Sea

We all face Red Seas in one form or another. But the good news is that just as God parted the waters for our forefathers when they left Egypt, He can part them for us as well.

 PHARAOH’S ARMY engulfed by the Red Sea, by Frederick Arthur Bridgman, 1900. ‘The wind dropped, the waters flooded back, and the entire Egyptian force was drowned.’

The Passover paradox: Being given freedom from slavery, but also new strict rules

Surely, freedom means the overthrow of rules? Why leave one bondage merely to enter another, even if only a symbolic one?

 'Moses Parting the Red Sea' by Hans Jordaens.

Passover: The message of empathy in the Haggadah

This Passover, as we retell the story of our journey from slavery to freedom, may we be mindful of the other people seeking to experience the same journey toward freedom.

 'Moses and Aaron speak before Pharaoh,' by Benjamin West.

'Departing Egypt: Passover Haggadah': Excerpts for insights at the Passover Seder

Below are excerpts from Rabbi Aryeh A. Frimer’s book, chock-full of insights aimed at providing ample food for thought and discussion at the Seder. 

 CAVE OF the Patriarchs in Hebron’s Old City.

Passover 2025: Why must Jews see themselves as personally leaving Egypt?

Why should one see themselves as if they personally left Egypt? Because it's the essence of redemption: giving everyone, no matter his situation, the inner strength of faith, hope, joy, serenity.

 An illustrative image of an illuminated pathway.

Passover and the price of redemption: The burden of war must be shared by all Jews - opinion

Real redemption requires sacrifice: only when every Jew embraces this burden will we truly understand the slavery and freedom in the matzah and the blood and jubilation in the wine.

 Haredi men dressed in traditional ultra-Orthodox garb stand behind a group of religious IDF soldiers

Perception is reality: The importance of a narrative of Jewish unity - opinion

The stories we tell ourselves define our reality – especially in turbulent times, when a clear narrative can be the difference between confusion and clarity, between despair and resilience.

 STRIKING A balance between living within our personal narrative and staying grounded in reality is a delicate task.

From fear to song: Haftarah of Parashat Beshalach mirrors Israel's current state - opinion

As in the Jewish Bible, Israel also now stands at a moment that offers the hope of quiet. With a fragile cessation of hostilities holding for now, we feel just about ready to lift our heads and heart

 Exodus - the splitting of the Red Sea.

The book of Exodus: Our resilience and ability to grow from trauma

Beyond the Headlines: A weekly glimpse into the Israel you won’t read about in the news.

 Ofra Keidar Hyd, and daughter Yael.

Archaeologists find sword linked to Ramses II, tied to Biblical Exodus

Egyptian military structures were strategically built along routes in the northwestern Nile Delta to bolster defense against threats from the Western Desert and Mediterranean Sea.

 Is this the sword of the Exodus Pharoah?

Passover and Sukkot: lessons for Israel's unfinished journey to freedom post-October 7 – opinion

Israel's ongoing journey to freedom and security is an all-in collective effort, especially following October 7.

 An IDF reservist holds the Four Species, symbols of the Sukkot festival, in a sukkah on the Golan Heights. Sukkot reminds us that we should see this moment through the lens of Jewish history and faith; we are on an unfinished journey to full freedom and security, says the writer.