Michael Chabon: ‘To a Jew, it always comes as a shock to encounter stupid Jews’

In response to the flotilla raid, Berkeley author Michael Chabon writes in Saturday's New York Times that the idea that Jews are blessed with "seichel" — a Yiddish word connoting ingenuity, creativity, subtlety and nuance, imbuing a person with teh ability…

What if your favorite novelist edited your newspaper? Readers of Ha’aretz find out.

What a cool experiment — handing over editorial duties of Ha'aretz for one day to the country's most celebrated novelists.

For the second time, Ha'aretz published its special edition June 2 in honor of Israel's book week. While most of the section was planned well in advance, Ha'aretz editors…

Get yourself an illustrated haggadah

As a child, I always got antsy during the Passover seder. My dad insisted on never skimping; as a little girl, this drawn out mealtime ritual felt like an eternity to me. I'm pretty sure I snacked on matzo throughout the seder to distract me from my growling belly.

Spoken word artist wows at ‘Inside the Activists’ Studio’

I was mesmerized.

In front of me stood a young guy, mid-20s, who appeared comfortable in his own skin. I was mesmerized the moment he opened his mouth to share his poetry with the audience at "Inside the Activists' Studio," Feb. 21 at the Contemporary Jewish Museum.

Mother of 15, grandmother of 200, dies in Brooklyn

The New York Times has reported that Yitta Schwartz, a member of the Satmar Hassidic sect, died at age 93. She had 15 children, 200 grandchildren, and upwards of more than 1,000 great- and great-great grandchildren. Her family told the Times that Schwartz could claim nearly 2,000 descendents — which…

Come inside the ‘Activist’s Studio’ this Sunday

I have often told myself that I want to change the world - and yet I'm not sure how to do so. My intentions are good. But my actions? Um, does reading and writing about activists count?

If you've ever felt the disparity between your aspirations and your actions, come…

Westboro: My encounter with people who hold signs that read “God Hates Jews”

Last week, a crowd gathered outside of my office building to gawk and shout at -- and be shocked by -- the posse of Midwesterners holding signs that said "God hates fags" and "Jews killed Jesus."

Ah, Westboro Baptist Church. These are the people from Fred Phelps' Topeka, Kan.…