News About Jewish Genealogy, Jewish History, and Jewish Culture
Editor: Phil Goldfarb, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
- 1845 cadastral map of Pomorzany now in Gesher Galicia’s Map Room. An update to their cadastral map collection in the Gesher Galicia Map Room: the complete 1845 cadastral map of Pomorzany (today Pomoriany in the Lviv oblast of Ukraine): https://maps.geshergalicia.org/cadastral/pomorzany-pomoriany-1845-2/ It’s a lithographed final-stage property map, annotated with building parcel numbers and land parcel numbers but not house numbers: https://maps.geshergalicia.org/ref/caddev/. Shown on the map are the large central square surrounded by named suburbs, as well as a large historic church and two wooden ones, a large brick synagogue, both Jewish and Christian cemeteries, and much more. To see many more historical maps of Galician cities, towns, and villages, visit the Gesher Galicia Map Room: https://maps.geshergalicia.org/
- 1812 Pension Records on Fold3 Remain Free Access As Part of Joint Project with FGS Now NGS. The War of 1812 pensions are always free on Fold 3 as part of the joint project with Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS)—now National Genealogical Society (NGS). Written with quill and ink, these manuscripts document military service and provide valuable information about the veteran’s family. You could find a spouse’s maiden name, children’s birthdates, marriage date and location, and more. For a list of the records in the featured collection please go to: Pension Files: A Genealogist’s Friend – Fold3 HQ Thanks to Jan Meisels Allen, Chairperson, IAJGS Public Records Access Monitoring Committee for this reminder.
- Was Christopher Columbus Jewish? Christopher Columbus may have been Spanish and Jewish, documentary says. Claim raises idea explorer was from community expelled by his Spanish patrons. A 20-year genetic investigation of the remains of Christopher Columbus has turned conventional historical wisdom on its head by concluding that the explorer whose voyage to the New World changed the course of global history may have been a Spanish Jew rather than a son of Genoa. Read more from The Guardian: Christopher Columbus may have been Spanish and Jewish, documentary says | Spain | The Guardian
- Roots Tech Early bird registration ends October 31. Save $30 with early bird pricing when you register for RootsTech. Prices go up to $129 for a 3-day pass and $79 for a 1-day pass starting November 1st. To register, go to: Home • RootsTech (familysearch.org)
- A Guide to Jewish Acronyms and Abbreviations. Common Hebrew (and Aramaic) shorthand translated and explained. Acronyms — in Hebrew, Aramaic and transliteration — appear frequently in Jewish correspondence, books, spoken conversation and even on gravestones. Discover about them from My Jewish Learning: A Guide to Jewish Acronyms and Abbreviations | My Jewish Learning
- Yizkor: The Jewish Memorial Service. Yizkor is recited four times a year during holiday synagogue services. Yizkor means “may [God] remember,” from the Hebrew root zachor. Originally, Yizkor was recited only on Yom Kippur. Its primary purpose was to honor the deceased by committing to giving tzedakah [charity] in their memory. Read the story from My Jewish Learning: Yizkor: The Jewish Memorial Service | My Jewish Learning
- 80 years ago on Oct. 7, Jewish Sonderkommando workers staged a failed revolt at Auschwitz. Decades before the Hamas atrocities, inmates took up arms against their Nazi tormentors. It didn’t succeed, but the revolt was singular, unprecedented, and facilitated by women. The uprising, which broke out on October 7, 1944, achieved almost none of its goals and resulted in the execution of hundreds of Sonderkommando prisoners. Read more from The Times of Israel: 80 years ago on Oct. 7, Jewish Sonderkommando workers staged a failed revolt at Auschwitz | The Times of Israel
- Archaeologists have begun research at the site of the destroyed Goldberg synagogue in Otwock, Poland. Significant remnants of the building were discovered this past summer. Otwock was established as a health resort on the Vistura River near Warsaw in the latter part of the 19th century. It became very popular among Polish Jews and had a number of synagogues, prayer houses, and other religious infrastructure. Before the Holocaust it had a majority Jewish population. Read more from Jewish Heritage Europe: https://jewish-heritage-europe.eu/2024/10/09/poland-otwock/
- Ethiopian Jewish holy books digitized in Jerusalem. The high-resolution scans will be made available to the public via the National Library of Israel website. A collection of rare holy books and manuscripts from the Ethiopian Jewish community written in Ge’ez, an ancient South Semitic language sometimes referred to as Classical Ethiopic, have been digitized and will be available online. Read more from JNS: Ethiopian Jewish holy books digitized in Jerusalem – JNS.org
- NY seller to ‘voluntarily’ return $19,000, Nazi-looted, 16th-century Bible to Budapest seminary. A small, but meaningful, piece of the history of the Jewish faith will be returned to its rightful owner. The Jewish Theological Seminary of the University of Jewish Studies in Budapest, Hungary, did not deaccession the text, which Giovanni di Gara printed in 1588 and 1589. Read the story from JNS: NY seller to ‘voluntarily’ return $19,000, Nazi-looted, 16th-century Bible to Budapest seminary – JNS.org
- Rare Monet returned to family more than 80 years after it was stolen by Nazis. A Claude Monet pastel painting stolen by Nazis during World War II, which vanished for decades only to show up with a Louisiana art dealer, was returned in New Orleans to the descendants of its original owners. “Bord de Mer” was one of Monet’s early works and valued at over $500,000 by a Houston gallery that had put it up for auction. Read more from CNN: Rare Monet returned to family more than 80 years after it was stolen by Nazis | CNN Politics
- When Sandy Koufax Refused to Play on Yom Kippur. Koufax’s refusal to play on the Day of Atonement, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, became a major point of pride for American Jews, who saw that it was possible to live in two cultures at once. The decision would become the stuff of American Jewish legend. Read the often told with Jewish pride story from My Jewish Learning: When Sandy Koufax Refused to Play on Yom Kippur | My Jewish Learning. But did he actually go to a synagogue? Apparently he did according to a story from The Forward: Did Sandy Koufax go to synagogue on Yom Kippur? – The Forward
- Israeli American scientist, who won top US research prize, credits her Jewish identity for her resilience. “Because I was raised with this culture, I was always thinking of tikkun olam and how I can make the world a better place,” according to Cigall Kadoch. Read her story from JNS: Israeli-American scientist, who won top US research prize, credits her Jewish identity for her resilience – JNS.org
- A Jewish gladiator in Roman Pompeii? A helmet found in the ruins of the famous Roman city wiped out by a volcano eruption a few years after the destruction of Jerusalem depicts a palm tree, a symbol of Judea. In October 79 AD, the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius engulfed the vibrant Roman city of Pompeii, forever sealing its fate. At the time, dozens of gladiators lived and trained in the gladiators’ barracks. At least one of them was Jewish. The gladiator was likely taken as a slave as the Romans captured Judea years earlier and managed to become so successful to wear a personalized helmet decorated with a symbol of the land he came from: a palm tree. Read more from The Jerusalem Post: Gladiator’s helmet hints at Jewish presence in Pompeii – The Jerusalem Post (jpost.com)
- Lee Miller’s Photographs Captured Nazi Atrocities. Not Everyone Wanted to Look. The new movie Lee highlights WWII war correspondent Lee Miller who struggled to tell the world about Nazi horrors. Lee, the new blockbuster starring Kate Winslet, brings viewers into the scenes of some of the most iconic photographs from World War II. Read more about Lee Miller from Aish: Lee Miller’s Photographs Captured Nazi Atrocities. Not Everyone Wanted to Look | Aish Note: the new movie “Lee” about her is also quite good!
- 13 Jewish sites to visit at Open House New York Weekend. From historic synagogues to Jewish family-owned businesses, to rarely open-to-the public museums, these Jewish spaces are among the hundreds of NYC locations that will be open to the public Oct. 18-20. In a city with 370 years of Jewish history and that boasts some 1 million Jewish residents today, it should come as no surprise that a number of Jewish sites are participating in the festival. Read the story from NY Jewish Week: 13 Jewish sites to visit at Open House New York Weekend – New York Jewish Week (jta.org)
- For a Jewish jazz great, a 100th birthday is a time for a celebration and a new album. Vibraphone pioneer Terry Gibbs was born Julius Herbert Gubenko in Brooklyn, 1924. Read his story from the Forward: Vibraphone pioneer Terry Gibbs celebrates his 100th birthday – The Forward
- 5 Jewish things about the Mets — and why Jewish fans adore them. The connection to the Brooklyn Dodgers, loving the underdog and bein’ amazin’. To understand why Jews love the Mets requires a Talmudic understanding of New York City history, sports history and Jewish psychology. Read more from The Forward: Why Jewish fans love the Mets – The Forward
- Paul McCartney spotted rocking Yom Kippur services in Chile. The British music legend, whose wife is Jewish, has attended High Holiday prayers in the past, and has been described as having a ‘love affair with all things Jewish.’ Read the story from The Times of Israel: Paul McCartney spotted rocking Yom Kippur services in Chile | The Times of Israel
- World’s Jewish population now almost 16 million, says the Jewish Agency for Israel. An increase of about 100,000 or just over 6% compared to 15.7 million last year. 7.3 million Jews live in Israel, compared to 7.2 million at the beginning of 2023, while 8.5 million Jews live outside of Israel, including 6.3 million in the United States and 2.2 million in other countries. Read the details from Jewish News UK: World’s Jewish population now almost 16 million, says Jewish Agency – Jewish News
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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.