The Weekly News Nosh – June 21, 2026

This Jewish heritage news digest is this week’s NewsNosh (The Weekly News Nosh) from L’Dor V’Dor Foundation—a curated set of links for anyone interested in Jewish family history, Jewish history, and Jewish heritage. This week’s NewsNosh Jewish heritage news digest includes AI genealogy tools, Judaic digital collections, archaeology discoveries, Holocaust remembrance, and more.

Editor: Phil Goldfarb, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA

A Happy and Healthy Father’s Day to all of our fathers, grandfathers, and great grandfathers reading this newsletter! Did you know that over 70 countries worldwide celebrate Father’s Day the 3^rd Sunday of June?… Phil Goldfarb

This week’s news links:

1. International Association of Jewish Genealogy Societies (IAJGS) Artificial Intelligence Virtual Summit: Lessons in Using Artificial Intelligence in Jewish Genealogy. If you did not attend this outstanding presentation when it was first presented, it is now available to view. Go to: AI Virtual Summit: Lessons in Using Artificial Intelligence in Jewish Genealogy – IAJGS
2. Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany Judaic Holdings. If you have not checked out the digital Judaic Holdings at Goethe University you can go to: Digital Collections to see. They also have a collection of documents such as address books if you had ancestors who lived in the area: Newspapers, Magazines and Address Books / Frankfurt Address Books [1-15]
3. Introducing TreeLab: A New Free Genealogy Tool. TreeLab https://treelab.jernealogy.com, is a free web application built to help genealogists and family history researchers explore, visualize, and improve their family tree research in new ways. With a GEDCOM file, TreeLab can turn your family tree into interactive maps, fan charts, research insights, and more. Features include historical map overlays that show which country or empire ruled an ancestral town at the time your ancestor lived there, helping place family history into its historical context. For Jewish genealogy researchers, TreeLab also includes tools such as a Hebrew-Yiddish / English-secular name database that can help interpret Ashkenazi naming patterns and name variations found in historical records. Watch the guide video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOdFWplbtAI
4. Hebrew University-linked study pushes evidence of human fire use back more than 1 million years. Researchers say traces of repeated fire use deep inside South Africa’s Wonderwerk Cave suggest early human ancestors were harnessing naturally occurring fires far earlier than previously confirmed. Read more from JNS: Hebrew University-linked study pushes evidence of human fire use back more than 1 million years – Israel & Jewish News – JNS
5. Rare cultic stone from Israelite mansion may testify to King Hezekiah’s biblical reform. A massive 2,750-year-old artifact found at Tel ‘Eton might have been repurposed after a clampdown on worship outside the Temple in Jerusalem. Read the story from The Times of Israel: Rare cultic stone from Israelite mansion may testify to King Hezekiah’s biblical reform | The Times of Israel
6. The Radhanites: The Jewish Network Behind Medieval Global Trade. A thousand years before FedEx, Jewish merchants moved silk, spices, and gems across 6,000 miles. They also carried something far more precious. Read their story from Aish: The Radhanites: The Jewish Network Behind Medieval Global Trade | Aish
7. ‘Once in a lifetime discovery’ of Roman-era statues in Israel archaeological dig. The two marble busts, one bearing a Greek inscription with the name ‘Lycurgus’ were found during a dig in Binyamina, near the former Roman center of Caesarea. Read more from Jewish News UK: ‘Once in a lifetime discovery’ of Roman-era statues in Israel archaeological dig – Jewish News
8. Rare mother-of-pearl seal highlights movement of goods and ideas across Assyrian empire. 2,600-year-old shell, used for a tiny seal stamped with an Assyrian-era religious symbol, originated in the Indo-Pacific. How did it reach the Holy Land? Read the story from The Times of Israel: Rare mother-of-pearl seal highlights movement of goods and ideas across Assyrian empire | The Times of Israel
9. A priceless book of Yiddish songs from the Holocaust lay in a Sydney cupboard for decades – now it has been rescued. The family of Olga R almost threw out the collection of 20 songs written by concentration camp prisoners after her death, before discovering its incredible history. Read more from The Guardian: A priceless book of Yiddish songs from the Holocaust lay in a Sydney cupboard for decades – now it has been rescued | Holocaust | The Guardian
10. Children’s Homes for Holocaust Survivors. Explore online a new exhibit from Yad Vashem which tells the story of seven children’s homes established after the war for child Holocaust survivors in Poland, Hungary, the Netherlands, Germany and France.  Some operated for just a few months, others for several years. Go to: My Lost Childhood: Children’s Homes for Holocaust Survivors
11. The Tehran Children. The story of the Jewish orphans of Poland who found refuge in Iran. A small group of roughly 1000 Jewish youth from Poland, mostly orphans, managed to exit Soviet territory during the war and found refuge in a strange new world: the capital of Shah-era Iran. Read their story from Aish: The Tehran Children | Aish
12. Archaeologists have begun excavations at the site of the pre-burial house and synagogue, which once stood at the entrance to Warsaw’s Okopowa st. Jewish cemetery. The buildings were erected in the second half of the 19th century. They served the Jewish community of Warsaw until 1943, when they were demolished. Established in 1806, Okopowa is the largest Jewish cemetery in Poland. So far, more than 82,000 legible matzevot have been documented, but it is estimated that as many as three times that number of people are buried there. Read more from Jewish Heritage Europe: https://jewish-heritage-europe.eu/2026/06/16/poland-okopowa-archaeo/
13. 11 Old Yiddish Sayings You Can Apply to Modern Life. A Jew is 28% fear, 2% sugar and 70% chutzpah? Now it’s actually 12% oat milk, 86% percent fear and 60% percent chutzpah. Read the 11 from Hey Alma: 11 Old Yiddish Sayings You Can Apply to Modern Life – Hey Alma
14. Switzerland set to levy fines for public display of Nazi symbols. The proscribed expressions would include swastikas, tattoos and performative Nazi gestures, with exceptions for education and journalistic purposes. Read more from JNS: Switzerland set to levy fines for public display of Nazi symbols – Israel & Jewish News – JNS
15. The Jewish Mom Behind Frank Sinatra’s First Big Hit. You should know about Ruth Lowe, the 23-year-old Jewish woman who wrote “I’ll Never Smile Again.” Read her story from Kveller: The Jewish Mom Behind Frank Sinatra’s First Big Hit – Kveller
16. Mel Brooks: The first 100 years. Judd Apatow talks about the Jewish comedy genius who shaped his life and inspired an extraordinary new documentary. Read more from Jewish News UK: Mel Brooks: The first 100 years – Jewish News
17. Billy Crystal Is Coming Back to Broadway With a Very Personal Show. “860” will tell the story of the home the Jewish actor and comedian lost to the Palisades Fire in 2025. Read the details from Kveller: Billy Crystal Is Coming Back to Broadway With a Very Personal Show – Kveller
18. Your Favorite Sandals Are Named After a Hebrew Word. Is it pronounced tee-vah or teh-vah? Get the answer from Kveller: Your Favorite Sandals Are Named After a Hebrew Word – Kveller

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About The Weekly News Nosh

The Weekly News Nosh (NewsNosh) is the L’Dor V’Dor Foundation’s weekly Jewish heritage news digest—a curated set of links for anyone interested in Jewish family history, Jewish history, and Jewish heritage. NewsNosh is published on Sundays and shared on our 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 NewsNosh every Sunday, directly in your inbox. Browse past issues of our Jewish heritage news digest in the NewsNosh archive.