News About Jewish Genealogy, Jewish History, and Jewish Culture
Editor: Phil Goldfarb, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA [email protected]
- International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies Award Winners. At the annual IAJGS Gala on Wednesday, August 21, the following was awarded: Outstanding Project/Resource/Program to Miriam Weiner for her expanded and innovative Routes to Roots Foundation website (Note: At her presentation on Monday, she had over 350 attendees…the single largest attended program). Nolan Altman Volunteer of the Year Award to Jerry Scherer. Lifetime Achievement Award to Renée Steinig.Stedman Grant: to The Sephardic Heritage Project to support its Syrian Persecution and Escape Project. Stern Grant: to Gesher Galicia to support its NKVD Files Project (1939-1941) Salutes! to Ellen Stepak and Georg Gaugusch
- Speaking of IAJGS… Digging for family roots leads to modern-day discoveries. The 44th International Conference on Jewish Genealogy in Philadelphia also offered opportunities that looked to the future. Read the conference story from JNS: Digging for family roots leads to modern-day discoveries – JNS.org
- IGRA Announces Partnership With MyHeritage. This collaboration provides access to an index of more than 3.25 million records available in IGRA, to be available via search and matches to the millions of users of MyHeritage. From now on, MyHeritage users will be able to receive results from IGRA when searching on the general search engine https://www.myheritage.com/research or specifically in the IGRA collection https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-20862/israel-genealogy-research-association-igra. From here, they will be able to see the detailed record in the IGRA database.
- Have you heard of the Jews of Maramaros? Jews of Maramaros is a blog dedicated to researching the genealogy of the Jewish communities of the Maramaros (Maramures) county currently located in Romania & Ukraine. .Read more from their web site: jewsofmaramaros
- Get MyHeritage DNA for the lowest price of the year. MyHeritage DNA Test, now $35, normally $89. One of the leading DNA tests for exploring global origins can be yours for the lowest price this year at 60% off! Go to: Order Information (myheritage.com)
- Creating the Jewish Canon. The 24 books that make up with the Jewish Bible evolved over time in a process that reveals what the ancient rabbis considered authoritative — and what they didn’t. For most modern Jews, the biblical canon consists of 24 books, beginning with the Five Books of Moses and continuing through the Prophets (Nevi’im) and Writings (Ketuvim). This particular list is quite old, going back at least to the ninth century. Read more from My Jewish Learning: Creating the Jewish Canon | My Jewish Learning
- Shoah descendants learn how to apply for European citizenship at AJR event. The Association of Jewish Refugees said they were ‘honored to enable the next generations to continue their family legacy.’ Nearly 100 descendants of Holocaust survivors gathered in Belsize Square synagogue on Sunday to learn how to apply for European citizenship. The Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR) – the largest community of descendants – organized the event. Read the story from The Jewish Chronicle: Shoah descendents learn how to apply for European citizenship at AJR event – The Jewish Chronicle (thejc.com)
- The restoration of the ruined Ashkenazic synagogue in Constanța, Romanis has finally begun. The synagogue was designed in the Moorish style and built between 1910 and 1914. It was used as a German military warehouse during WW2. Read more from Jewish Heritage Europe: Romania: The long-delayed, long-awaited restoration of the ruined Ashkenazic synagogue in Constanța has finally begun – Jewish Heritage Europe (jewish-heritage-europe.eu)
- Who Ruled the Land of Israel? Here is a historical fact: In the Land of Israel, no other kingdom or state was established apart from the Kingdom of Israel or Judea and the State of Israel. Over the last 3300 years, the only people to establish any kind of political rule in this region were the People of Israel. During periods when Jewish independence was lost, various empires treated this land merely as a distant province. Here’s another fact, the land has never been entirely devoid of Jews or Israelis, including our Samaritan brothers, descendants of the northern tribes of Israel. The continuity of Jewish settlement since the settlement period (and even earlier, during the time of the Patriarchs) is a proven historical fact. Read the story from Aish: Who Ruled the Land of Israel? – Aish.com
- The Jews of Greece. The oldest Jewish community in Europe traces its history back more than 2,300 years…some believe longer. After the destruction of the First Temple in Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 586 BCE, some Jewish exiles are believed to have settled in Greece. Read more from My Jewish Learning: The Jews of Greece | My Jewish Learning
- Iraq’s Three Hidden Jewish Gems. Iraq is home to a treasure trove of significant Jewish holy sites that reflect the profound and ancient roots of the Jewish community in this region. These hidden gems, ranging from sacred shrines and vibrant neighborhoods to historic synagogues and esteemed cultural institutions, offer a fascinating glimpse into a rich heritage that has endured for millennia. Read the story from Aish: Iraq’s Three Hidden Jewish Gems – Aish.com
- Maimonides (Rambam) and His Texts. One of the greatest Jewish scholars of all time, he was both a traditionalist and an innovator. Moses Maimonides, also known as the Rambam, was among the greatest Jewish scholars of all time. He made enduring contributions as a philosopher, legal codifier, physician, political adviser and local legal authority. Moshe ben Maimon was born in 1138 or late 1137. “Maimonides” is the Greek translation of “Moses, son of Maimon,” whereas the acronym RamBaM (רמבּ״ם) is its Hebrew equivalent. Read his story from My Jewish Learning: Maimonides (Rambam) and His Texts | My Jewish Learning
- 10 Big Jewish Inventions. We can thank members of the tribe for many wacky, wonderful, important, life-changing inventions of the past 120 years. Note: Number 2 is not a relative unfortunately! Read more from Aish: 10 Big Jewish Inventions – Aish.com
- How Coca-Cola Became Kosher. While the iconic soft drink has been on the market since 1886, only since 1935 has it been certified kosher, including for Passover. Rabbi Tobias Geffen, an Orthodox rabbi who served Atlanta’s Congregation Shearith Israel from 1910 until his death in 1970 at the age of 99, is responsible for kashering Coke. Born in Kovno, Lithuania, in 1870, he immigrated to Canton, Ohio, in 1903 and accepted his Atlanta pulpit seven years later. During his long tenure at Shearith Israel, Geffen became the dean of Southern Jewish Orthodoxy. Read this great story from My Jewish Learning: How Coca-Cola Became Kosher | My Jewish Learning
- The Amazing Jewish Story Behind ‘Over the Rainbow.’ “Over the Rainbow” was a song written by two sons of Jewish European immigrants for a movie that came out just two months after Kristallnacht. Read more from Kveller: The Amazing Jewish Story Behind ‘Over the Rainbow’ – Kveller
- Jewish brothers Jack, Luke and Quinn Hughes become first siblings to grace cover of NHL video game. They are the first brothers to earn cover honors on the series, whose latest edition is called “NHL 25.” According to ESPN, they are believed to be the first family featured on the cover of any sports video game franchise. Read about them from JTA: Jewish brothers Jack, Luke and Quinn Hughes become first siblings to grace cover of NHL video game – Jewish Telegraphic Agency (jta.org)
- Robert Smigel and Nathan Silver on the Jewish Magic of ‘Between the Temples.’ The comedy icon and director discuss their new movie about a late-in-life bat mitzvah starring Carol Kane and Jason Schwartzman. Read about the movie from Kveller: Robert Smigel and Nathan Silver on the Jewish Magic of ‘Between the Temples’ – Kveller
###
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.