Israel’s Continued Hunt for the Perpetrators of October 7
The new Nili.
September 18, 2026
Hollywood’s First “Talkie” Featured a Performance of Kol Nidrei
The Jazz Singer’s “roots in the synagogue.”
On October 6, 1927—the day after Yom Kippur—the first major commercial film with recorded dialogue debuted. The Jazz Singer told the story of an American Jew (played by Al Jolson) who chooses to pursue the titular career rather than follow in his father’s footsteps and become a cantor. In the film’s climactic scene, the protagonist performs Kol Nidrei in his father’s synagogue. Guy Polat tells the story of the movie’s origins as well as its reception by American and Israeli Jews:
September 18, 2026
The Houthis’ Advance Shows That They Are a Serious Threat. But They’re Not Invincible
America can’t afford to see the war in Yemen as separate from its fight with Iran.
Moses and the Mysteries of God’s Mercy
As the curtain closes on his life, all he sees of God is His back.
A Two-Millennia-Old Mikveh, Discovered in Its Entirety
The remnant of a hitherto unknown Jewish community in the Negev.
Hollywood’s First “Talkie” Featured a Performance of Kol Nidrei
The Jazz Singer’s “roots in the synagogue.”