Why do Israel’s ultra-Orthodox Jews so adamantly decline to serve in the military—and could that change? A communal leader walks us through the deliberations taking place.

The coronavirus has dramatized the tensions in Israeli society. This week, a ḥaredi communal leader joins us to chart a path forward.

Five more of our regular writers pick several favorites each, featuring Stalingrad, the master, Margarita, parasitic minds, infectious ideas, dust, heaven, Zoom, traveling light, and more.

Ultra-Orthodox Jews have been one of the hardest-hit groups in Israel and elsewhere. Why?

The leading ultra-Orthodox intellectual joins us to explain the key conflicts surrounding the place of his community within Israeli society.