Tablet Magazine

Simcha in Bloom: Photographer @federicavalabrega captures the beauty and essence of Jewish weddings in Crown Heights. A photo feature from our print magazine.

What if the way out of Israel’s political deadlock is an unlikely alliance? After another election offering little hope for change, one bold proposal could shake up Israeli politics: Benjamin Netanyahu should invite Mansour Abbas into his coalition, argues Liel Leibovitz. Could a Jewish-Arab partnership rooted in Jewish sovereignty, shared citizenship, and mutual responsibility offer Israel a new path forward? Comment “COALITION” and we'll send you the link to the full piece.

Long before the rise of Islam, powerful Jewish tribes flourished across Arabia, particularly in Medina and Khaybar. They were rabbis, warriors, poets, merchants, and landowners who built thriving communities with their own laws, religious traditions, and political alliances.⁠ ⁠ Among them were the Banu Nadir, Banu Qurayza, and Banu Qaynuqa, whose encounters with the Prophet Muhammad would shape early Islamic history. One of their descendants, Safiyyah bint Huyayy, became Muhammad’s wife after her tribe’s defeat in 628 C.E.⁠ ⁠ How did a Jewish captive become one of Islam’s most revered women? And how did an entire Jewish civilization disappear from Jewish memory, even as its stories and traditions became embedded in Islam itself?⁠ ⁠ Comment WIFE and we’ll send you the link to the full piece.

Jews on therapy, comedy, and war. Some food for thought before Shabbat.

What does “America First” really mean for the U.S.-Israel alliance?⁠ ⁠ Michael Doran argues that Israel is a strategic asset to American power, not a liability—and examines how divisions over Israel, antisemitism, and the meaning of American nationalism are reshaping the conservative movement.⁠ ⁠ Comment ISRAEL and we’ll send you the link to the full piece.

As protests and riots sweep France, antisemitism is surfacing alongside the unrest. Amid demonstrations over living costs and public services, Jewish sites have become targets. How does anger at the government turn into hostility toward Jews? And why does antisemitism keep finding a home in movements whose grievances have little to do with Jewish life? But none of this is new. Across France, Belgium, and Britain, decades of antisemitic violence, Islamist organizing, and political failures have left Jewish communities increasingly vulnerable. Behind this crisis lies a broader European unraveling: failed integration policies, economic decline, fractured political identities, and institutions unwilling to confront extremism. Islamist networks have exploited those weaknesses, parts of the political left have accommodated them, and foreign powers have cultivated influence through money and propaganda. Since Oct. 7, these dynamics have intensified—from intimidation on university campuses to threats on city streets and the exclusion of Israeli football fans. Is Europe confronting a crisis it has allowed to deepen—or offering a warning to the rest of the West? Comment EUROPE and we’ll send you Marc Weitzmann’s full piece, “The Fall of Europe.”

France’s students are losing faith in their future. @marc.weitzmann asks what happens when these grievances collide with political extremism, antisemitism, and a government struggling to maintain control.⁠ ⁠ Frustration may explain why students take to the streets, but can it explain white kids rapping along to lyrics glorifying terrorists who murdered Jewish children in France, or mobs setting schools on fire, attacking teachers, and beating police officers?⁠ ⁠ Comment FRANCE and we'll send you the link to the full piece.

From Italy in 1595 to Tel Aviv in 1998, some of the world’s most extraordinary synagogues are as architecturally dazzling as they are rich in Jewish history. For our October Beauty Issue, we explored nine of the world’s most beautiful synagogues, from gilded ceilings in Italy and Brutalist architecture in Buffalo to striking modernism in Illinois and colorful stained glass in Prague. Comment SHUL and we’ll send you the full piece exploring all nine.