November 16, 1940

80 years ago today: November 16th, 1940 Germans closed off the Warsaw Ghetto to the outside world. The Warsaw Ghetto was the largest of all the Jewish ghettos in Nazi-occupied Europe during World War II. It was established by the German Governor-General Hans Frank between October and November 16, 1940, […]

Remembering Stan Lee

Remembering Stan Lee, Marvel comics’ real-life Jewish superhero. Lee started Marvel with Jack Kirby in 1961 with The Fantastic Four. He went on to create Spider-Man, Black Panther, The Incredible Hulk, X-Men, Iron Man and The Avengers.Stanley Martin Lieber was born on December 28, 1922, in Manhattan, New York, in […]

#Kristallnacht

Last year, to commemorate the anniversary of #Kristallnacht, the night of the broken glass, and in memory of the Holocaust, one of the biggest soccer teams in Brazil SC Corinthians Paulista sends a powerful message in solidarity with the Jewish community and Israel.All the seats in the stadium and the […]

CONDOLENCES: Rabbi Sacks

CONDOLENCES: Rabbi SacksBaruch Dayan Ha’Emet. It with the deepest sadness that we regret to inform you that Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks (HaRav Ya’akov Zvi ben David Arieh z’’l) passed away early this morning, Saturday November 7, 2020 (Shabbat Kodesh 20th MarCheshvan 5781).

Partners in Torah

Safe to say we are all very busy. This is one of my dearest friends, Jamie Geller. She is one of the hardest working people that I know. I can certainly relate which is probably one of the reasons why we are such good friends. A few months ago I […]

Army Telfie

Years ago, I enlisted in the US Army. Day 1 of basic training consists of getting your head shaved, doing push-ups all day, and trying to avoid the attention of the very clever insult-hurling drill sergeants. Close to sunset, I hadn’t wrapped my tefillin and wanted to daven the shemoneh […]

Esther Klein

This is my mother 96 year old Auschwitz survivor Esther Klein. Just a typical day for her, keeping busy baking rugelach, cheese delkelach, apple struble and challah. All on her own (she lives alone). She admitted that she sat while rolling the rugelach! Oh my! Source: Fran Ganz

Odessa Massacre

The Odessa massacre took place on October 23, 1941. Mikhail Zaslavsky, who is pictured here by the monument for Odessa’s Jews, is one of the only known survivors. One week after Romanian and German troops took over the Ukrainian city, the Soviets blew up the Romanian army headquarters, killing 67 […]

Flag of Israel

The flag of Israel was adopted on this day October 28, 1948, five months after the establishment of the State of Israel. The blue stripes are intended to symbolize the stripes on a tallit, the traditional Jewish prayer shawl. The Star of David is a widely acknowledged symbol of the […]

Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue

October 27, 2018 a gunman opened fire during Shabbat morning prayer service at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue, two years later we remember those we lost: Joyce Fienberg, 75, of Oakland Richard Godfried, 65, of Ross Township Rose Mallinger, 97, of Squirrel Hill Jerry Robinowitz, 66, of Edgewood Cecil Rosenthal, […]

Joseph Yushka Miller

Joseph ‘Yushka’ Miller celebrated his 100th birthday this past week! Miller is a Holocaust survivor who is recognized as a national treasure. To mark this special milestone, in-person birthday wishes were delivered by the ambassador of the Czech Republic along with military officers and a personal letter from the Minister […]

Always Facing Jerusalem.

שמע ישראלישראל בן יקוב X ישראל בן מאיר הלוי Keeping the traditions alive with my grandfather. Always facing Jerusalem. Source: Rudy Rochman רודי רושמן

Who Knew: Tony Bennet Captured Nazis

Who knew! Legendary American jazz singer Tony Bennett captured Nazis and liberated a concentration camp. Drafted into the Army in 1944, Cpl. Bennett was assigned to the 255th Infantry Regiment of the 63rd Division. His team moved through France into Germany, where they fought on the front lines. They captured SS […]

Gal Gadot – Modeh Ani

Gal Gadot in Vanity Fair:“I am lucky,” she tells me. “I say thank you every morning. In the Jewish culture there’s a prayer that you’re supposed to say every time you wake up in the morning to thank God for, you know, keeping you alive and dadadada.“You say ‘modeh ani,’ which means […]

Gilad Shalit

Gilad Shalit is a former MIA Israel Defense Forces soldier who in June 2006, was captured in a raid near the Israeli border. Shalit was held captive for over five years, until his release on October 18, 2011 as part of a prisoner exchange deal.

Julius Eisenstein turns 101

This past Tuesday, Holocaust survivor Julius Eisenstein celebrated his 101st birthday! Julius was born on October 13, 1919 in Tomoszów Mazowiecki, Poland. He and his family were forced to live in the Jewish ghetto of their town from 1940-1943. From there, Julius was transported to the Blizin Labor Camp and […]

Shabbat Shalom

This photograph was taken of a Yemenite family gathering around the Shabbat table for a traditional Friday night meal in 1947. Source: Kluger Zoltan, Government Press Office

David Ben-Gurion

“In Israel, in order to be a realist you must believe in miracles.” And believe in miracles he did. David Ben-Gurion, one of the primary founders of the State of Israel and the first Prime Minister of Israel, was born on October 16, 1886. On what would have been his […]

Irving Light

This is my grandfather, Irving Light (born Israel Lichtenberg) from Stanislaw, Poland. He is 100 years old and is a Holocaust survivor. The baby in this photo is four weeks old and is Irving’s 17th great-granddaughter that he is meeting for the first time. Source: Danielle Light-Hasbani

Shlomo Sulayman

At 117 years old and with family by his side, Shlomo Sulayman passed away in Israel earlier this week. Sulayman was born in Yemen in 1903 and immigrated to Israel in 1949. At 117, he has been recognized as the oldest person in Israel.May his memory be a blessing, BDE

Oskar Schindler passed away October 9, 1974

Oskar Schindler passed away October 9, 1974. Pictured here are survivors saved by Schindler and people from the film “Schindler’s List” standing next to his grave in Jerusalem. He was responsible for saving the lives of some 1,200 Jews and was recognized as Righteous Among the Nations in 1993. Today, […]

Rudy in Paris

“They told me to hide my Magen David necklace when I come to Paris, so I had to show them the new generation’s energy” – Rudy Rochman רודי רושמן

I’ve been waiting to take this picture for days… From the first day of chol hamoed Sukkot, when I caught a glimpse of a man in a talit go to the ‘arava bush’ – that I’d never noticed before! – behind my house to replenish his lulav, I’ve been determined to […]

Leon Sherman

Holocaust survivor Leon Sherman holds the lulav and etrog as he recites the blessings in front of his home in Queens, NY. In an effort to bring the traditions of #Sukkotto those isolated by the coronavirus, Rabbi @EliBlokh built a mobile sukkah and has been making house calls throughout the weeklong festival. […]