News About Jewish Genealogy, Jewish History, and Jewish Culture
Editor: Phil Goldfarb, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
- Have You Missed Any Weekly News Nosh’s? Do you really want to know what is happening in Jewish Genealogy, Jewish History and Jewish Culture each week? You can go back to the June 24, 2024 edition at the L’Dor V’Dor Foundation’s web site and also have it e-mailed directly to you now! NewsNosh – L’Dor V’Dor Foundation (LDVDF). While you are there, check out JDays, the Worldwide Jewish Event Calendar of programs and events coming up: JDays – L’Dor V’Dor Foundation (LDVDF)
- YIVO celebrates its 100th anniversary. Founded in 1925 in Vilnius, YIVO—the Jewish Scientific Institute—aimed to be the “home” of Yiddish culture. One hundred years later, based in New York, it remains the global reference for the study and transmission of Ashkenazi culture. Read more from K-larevue: YIVO celebrates its 100th anniversary – Jews, Europe, the XXIst century
- IGRA’s Databases Release for October 2025. The Israel Genealogy Research Association has added nine new databases and updated four others, adding over 42,741 new listings, many of them with images. In addition, IGRA has done a huge cleanup of missing transliterations of names in published databases and standardization on the name of countries and localities in Israel. To research, go to: The Israel Genealogy Research Association (IGRA) – The All Israel Database (AID)
- Mamluk startup nation? 15th-century water tech boosted sugar industry in Israel’s north. Israeli researchers document and date tunnel system in spring-rich region, highlighting the technological ingenuity used by empire founded by formerly enslaved Muslim soldiers. Read the story from The Times of Israel: Mamluk startup nation? 15th-century water tech boosted sugar industry in Israel’s north | The Times of Israel
- Remains of ancient synagogue uncovered in Israel’s Golan region. Exciting archaeological find in Yehudiyya Reserve attests to thriving Jewish community 1,500 years ago. Read about this find from Jewish News UK: Remains of ancient synagogue uncovered in Israel’s Golan region – Jewish News
- One was born Catholic; another was a West Virginia Protestant — now they’re all making Jewish art. A compelling new exhibit focuses on artists who converted to Judaism. Read their story from The Forward: In converting to Judaism, these artists found their calling – The Forward
- Who Are the Jews of Australia? The first Jews arrived in Sydney in 1788 and have been joined by successive waves of Jewish immigrants ever since. Read the story from My Jewish Learning: Who Are the Jews of Australia? | My Jewish Learning
- The Jewish Community of Jamaica. Legends about Jewish pirates and a distinguished 20th-century political legacy are highlights of this Caribbean Jewish community’s history. Read their story from My Jewish Learning: The Jewish Community of Jamaica | My Jewish Learning
- New exhibit at Italy’s National Museum of Italian Judaism and the Shoah (MEIS) in Ferrara. It uses archival photographs, documents, and correspondence to show how Jewish built heritage in Italy is an integral part of the country’s landscape and history. Read the story from Jewish Heritage Europe: https://jewish-heritage-europe.eu/2025/10/29/italy-meis-exhibit/
- Upcoming exhibition presents the murals in synagogues of the Ukrainian Bukovina and features the recent 3D laser scan digitalization. The scans, which allow the user to zoom in on details and virtually tour the spaces, are aimed at documenting, studying and digitally preserving these paintings. Read more and see the pictures from Jewish Heritage Europe: https://jewish-heritage-europe.eu/2025/10/30/ukraine-update-murals/
- Abraham: Altering the Course of History. Our forefather changed the way the world thought about itself, life and especially the Creator. Read more from Aish: Abraham: Altering the Course of History | Aish
- English Words of Hebrew Origin. From cabal to camel, a list of English words that derive from Hebrew. Read about these 20 words from My Jewish Learning: English Words of Hebrew Origin | My Jewish Learning
- Echoes of Yiddish: The Language of Loss. Once the lifeblood of Jewish Europe, Yiddish now speaks from the margins—a wounded language that refuses erasure. Read the story from Aish: Echoes of Yiddish: The Language of Loss | Aish
- American synagogues are closing at a record rate. This retired judge is rescuing their stained-glass windows. Inside a Chicago synagogue, retired judge Jerry Orbach has built a refuge for the stained glass of America’s vanishing Jewish communities. Read his story from The Forward: Retired judge saves stained glass from dying synagogues – The Forward
- Faith in Full Color: Half of This Atlanta Congregation is Black. Shaarei Shamayim, a small shul with a big heart, welcomes all Jews from diverse backgrounds as 8% of Jews identify as Non-Caucasian. Read the story from Aish: Faith in Full Color: Half of This Atlanta Congregation is Black | Aish
- Amid ongoing war, Torah published in Ukrainian for first time. First print run of 3,000 copies has been distributed to Ukrainian Jewish communities. The first full translation of the Five Books of Moses into Ukrainian has been successfully undertaken, despite the damage caused by Russian missiles striking the printing presses. Read more from Jewish News UK: Amid ongoing war, Torah published in Ukrainian for first time – Jewish News
- Julius Rosenwald. One man’s philanthropic legacy. One of his many legacies included the Rosenwald Schools, which by the 1930s, more than 5,300 schools covered the American South. Per the wishes of its founder, who died in 1932, the Julius Rosenwald Fund became the first foundation to deliberately spend all of its endowment. Read about him and his commitment to Tzedakah from My Jewish Learning: Julius Rosenwald | My Jewish Learni.ng
- Was the ‘Yiddish Sherlock Holmes’ the first Jewish superhero? Detective Max Spitzkopf, now in English translation, gave Jews of the 20th century an avenger of their own. Read the story from The Forward: Was the ‘Yiddish Sherlock Holmes’ the first Jewish superhero? – The Forward
- How a curator and a rabbi joined forces to keep a piece of Boston’s Jewish history alive. When Chelsea’s Orange Street Synagogue shuttered in 1999, the fate of its elegant Torah ark hung in the balance. When a rabbi and a curator rescued a Torah ark – The Forward
- Jewish family sues Met over van Gogh painting allegedly stolen by Nazis. The lawsuit alleges that the Met’s then-curator of European paintings, a leading expert on Nazi art looting, “knew or should have known” the artwork was stolen when it was sold in 1972. Read the story from JNS: Jewish family sues Met over van Gogh painting allegedly stolen by Nazis – JNS.org
- In A Related story: As long as there are movies about Nazis, there will be movies about the art they looted. ‘Auction,’ which concerns the provenance of an Egon Schiele painting, is only the latest film about Nazi-looted art. It is estimated that more than 600,000 paintings, decorative items and other aesthetically and culturally valued items were summarily stolen from Jews during the War. Approximately 100,000 have never been recovered. Read the story from The Forward: ‘Auction’ is only the latest movie about Nazi-looted art – The Forward
- Germany to pay more than $1.2 billion in Holocaust reparations in 2026. More than $1 billion allocated for home care for survivors, along with over $200 million for Holocaust education; funding for survivors is expecting to rise in coming years, before dropping off. Read more from eJewishPhilanthropy: Germany to pay more than $1.2 billion in Holocaust reparations in 2026 – eJewishPhilanthropy
- Remarkable documentary about ‘the Jewish James Bond’ tells story of a spy. German-born Peter Sichel worked for the CIA in Berlin and Hong Kong. Read his story from Jewish News UK: Remarkable documentary about ‘the Jewish James Bond’ tells story of a spy – Jewish News
- 8 Popular Jewish Superstitions. Like all cultures, Jews have developed numerous superstitious practices applicable to a variety of occasions. Pooh, pooh, pooh! Read more from My Jewish Learning: 8 Popular Jewish Superstitions | My Jewish Learning
- The Four Elements: A Soul’s Journey Through the Four Holy Cities of Israel. Israel’s four holy cities — Jerusalem, Hebron, Tzfat, and Tiberias — represent fire, earth, air, and water, revealing the soul’s deepest yearnings. Read about each from Aish: The Four Elements: A Soul’s Journey Through the Four Holy Cities of Israel | Aish
- Superman: From Cleveland to Krypton. The Man of Steel’s Jewish roots. Coming over from the old country, changing his name like that. Clark Kent, only a Jew would pick a name like that for himself! Read the story from My Jewish Learning: Superman: From Cleveland to Krypton | My Jewish Learning
###
About The Weekly News Nosh
The Weekly News Nosh contains news about Jewish Genealogy, Jewish History and Jewish Culture. The Nosh is published on Sundays and distributed by the L’Dor V’Dor Foundation on its website and social media platforms. “A Family Without The Understanding Of Their Past History, Foundation And Ethnicity Is Like A Tree Without Roots.” Subscribe to receive future announcements.