War & Peace

Beliefs & Practices

Jews and Guns

What Judaism teaches about firearms, hunting and more.

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Jewish War & Peace 101

Jewish tradition takes it for granted that war is an inevitable part of human existence.

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Shalom: Peace in Hebrew

Along with truth and justice, peace is among the most hallowed Jewish values.

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Jewish Law and Nuclear Warfare

Judaism prohibits military action that will result in a colossal number of casualties.

Genocide in the Torah

The existential threat of Amalek.

Prisoner Rights vs. National Security

"A democracy must often fight with one hand tied behind its back."

Jewish Captives, Cruelty, & Compassion

Jewish law on the proper treatment of prisoners of war

Holy War: A Jewish Problem, Too

War in the name of God must be examined in our own tradition as well.

Worshipping Peace

When a revered value becomes all-important, it can become like an idol.

Objecting to Conscientious Objection

According to at least one scholar, Jewish tradition does not recognize the right of personal conscientious objection.

The Gentle Heart in Israel Today

Extending a biblical exemption from military service to Israeli refuseniks.

Assertive Nonviolence in Judaism

Establishing a new program of Jewish resistance.

Judging Preemptive Attacks

Have Israeli and U.S. attacks been ethically justifiable?

The Ethics of Jewish War

Few traditional sources discuss the ethics of fighting noncombatants, but some Jewish laws of war do display a moral genesis.

Rabbinic Limitations on War

Deuteronomy 20 permits wars of aggression, but the talmudic rabbis made it difficult to declare one.

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