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Jewish journal of Iceland
Features & Opinions
In-depth articles and personal perspectives on Jewish life in Iceland. Thought-provoking essays, interviews with community members, and commentary on cultural integration.
Operation Thunderbolt: Israel's Impossible Rescue Mission
Imagine innocent travelers, hijacked and held hostage thousands of miles from home. Now imagine a small nation launching a daring,...
Duba
Jul 42 min read
The Central Bank's Chess Game: How Interest Rates Shape Island Life
If the economy is a tightrope walker, then the Central Bank of Iceland (Sedlabanki Íslands) is the meticulous conductor orchestrating...
Duba
Jun 283 min read
When Hollywood Calls: How Iceland Became the World's Most Epic Backlot
Imagine a landscape so otherworldly it feels like stepping onto another planet. So dramatic it can double for a post-apocalyptic...
Duba
Jun 242 min read
James McBride: Telling the Untold, Bridging Worlds
Some writers tell stories. James McBride preserves souls. In his latest literary triumph, The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store , National...
Duba
Jun 112 min read
The Messiah Who Rebelled & Converted: Shabbatai Zevi
In 1626, on the mournful Jewish day of Tisha B’Av, Shabbatai Zevi was born in Izmir - a figure who ignited a messianic revolution that...
Duba
Jun 73 min read
Uppstigningardagur! A Quiet Holiday with a Higher Meaning
Some holidays are widely understood. Others - like Uppstigningardagur , Iceland’s Ascension Day, are less familiar, even to the people...
Duba
May 282 min read
Is Iceland Safe for Tourists in 2025?
Ahead of the 2025 tourism season, a May 21, 2025, stabbing in Reykjavik’s Úlfarsárdalur district has fueled global criticism, with media...
Duba
May 252 min read
The Dark Side of Reykjavik’s Bright Image
On a quiet street by Reykjavik's harbor stands one of Iceland's most peculiar—and perhaps most revealing - buildings. Kalkofnsvegur 2 is...
Duba
May 232 min read
Licorice: A Bridge of Bold Tastes Between Iceland and Jerusalem
If there's one flavor that can divide a dinner table faster than politics, it might just be licorice. But in Iceland, there is no such...
Duba
May 182 min read
Larry David, Bill Maher, and the Uncomfortable Art of Not Being Nice
In an age where nuance is often sacrificed for outrage, two Jewish comedians - Larry David and Bill Maher - have reignited the value of...
Duba
Apr 212 min read
The Curious Case of the Chocolate Messiah
An Israeli abroad tries to make sense of chocolate eggs, Jesus, and Icelandic spring traditions. Some answers found. Most... deliciously...
Duba
Apr 182 min read
Two tribes from a distance
Image from Ideogram.ai Having lived in Iceland for five years and two years respectively, Mike Klein and Adam Gordon are relative...
Michael
Apr 78 min read
Searching for an Icelandic-Jewish Identity
I am a Jew, born to New Yorkers, raised in Los Angeles. Yet, it was moving to Iceland that helped me understand what it means to be...
Adam
Apr 23 min read
The Saga of Daniel Salomon
In the days of Christian IV, king over the northern lands, it is told that there was a man by the name of Daniel Salomon. Born in the...
Adam
Apr 23 min read
Jews and Israelis in Iceland
The Jewish community in Iceland, though small, boasts a rich and dynamic history. The earliest documented Jewish presence dates back to...
Duba
Apr 12 min read
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