News About Jewish Genealogy, Jewish History, and Jewish Culture
Editor: Phil Goldfarb, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
- The News Nosh Tip Of the Week : Using Google Reverse Image Search for Genealogy Ever come across an old family photo and wonder where it was taken? Google Reverse Image Search can help solve these mysteries! By uploading a photo, you can trace its origins, find similar images, and even pinpoint the exact location—perfect for identifying ancestral landmarks, memorials, or homes from the past. Try it out to uncover hidden details about your family history and long-forgotten places. Watch the video to learn how to locate a monument photo. Thanks to Jerry Scherer, VP of the JGS of Toronto for providing this valuable genealogy tip!
- New Databases on IGRA’s Website. The Israel Genealogy Research Association (IGRA) has added ten new databases and updated two others, adding over 28,000 new listings. There are now over 3 million records available in their databases. With each release they provide a variety of records to our collection. Before viewing and searching the databases, please register for free on the IGRA website: http://genealogy.org.il/ . An in-depth description of the release is available at https://genealogy.org.il/new-databases-released-in…/
- Never Forget… On November 9–10, 1938, 86 years ago, Nazi leaders unleashed a series of pogroms against the Jewish population in Germany and recently incorporated territories. This event came to be called Kristallnacht (The Night of Broken Glass) because of the shattered glass that littered the streets after the vandalism and destruction of Jewish-owned businesses, synagogues, and homes. A historical review from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum: Kristallnacht | Holocaust Encyclopedia
- A reunion project for Holocaust survivors and their families runs a race against time. The Nazis destroyed families and their histories — a pair of genealogists is trying to put the pieces back together. Read about this project from The Forward: How a Holocaust reunion project is trying to beat the clock – The Forward
- Eighty years after thousands of Greek Jews were murdered, Thessaloniki’s Holocaust museum is finally set to open. Germany is among donors committing millions to the long-awaited project, to be completed in 2026, which will tell story of those who perished. Read more from The Guardian: Eighty years after thousands of Greek Jews were murdered, Thessaloniki’s Holocaust museum is finally set to open | Greece | The Guardian
- Poland’s Jewish museum marks its first decade, made tumultuous by politics. In the heart of the former Warsaw Ghetto where hundreds of thousands of Jews were killed and their neighborhood razed during World War II, locals get a lesson in the 1,000-year history of Polish Jews, who numbered 3 million before the Holocaust and are now just a few thousand. Read the story from the Times of Israel: Poland’s Jewish museum marks its first decade, made tumultuous by politics | The Times of Israel
- Italy’s most important tourism organization publishes a guidebook to Jewish Italy. Planning a trip to Italy? The book is structured around ten key places with significant Jewish heritage up and down the Italian peninsula and includes QR codes to link to more information. Jews have lived in Italy for more than 2,000 years, and the book mentions synagogues, Jewish cemeteries, museums, old Jewish quarters, archaeological sites, and Holocaust memorials. Read more from Jewish Heritage Europe: Italy: Italy’s most important tourism organization publishes a guidebook to Jewish Italy. Limited in scope, it includes QR codes to link to more information – Jewish Heritage Europe
- View ancient treasures at Jerusalem’s new national archeology campus. The Israel Antiquities Authority’s brand-new digs are more than a museum. While checking out the exhibits, visitors can also watch the archaeological process unfold in real time. Read the story and see some pictures from The Times of Israel: View ancient treasures at Jerusalem’s new national archeology campus | The Times of Israel
- English Words of Hebrew Origin. From cabal to camel, a list of English words that derive from Hebrew. Often, these words have religious connotations and come to English through the Bible, for example: hallelujah, amen, sabbath and kosher. Hebrew is part of the family of Semitic languages. (In fact, the word “Semitic” is of Hebrew origin, deriving from the biblical character Shem, one of Noah’s sons.) In some cases, it’s not entirely clear if the word in question is imported directly from Hebrew or another Semitic language, like Akkadian or Phoenician. See the interesting list from My Jewish Learning: English Words of Hebrew Origin | My Jewish Learning
- After 750 years, the town of Guildford gets its very own Rabbi. The Surrey town has had a Jewish community for centuries but hasn’t had a rabbi since the expulsion of Jews from England which took place on January 16, 1275.. Guildford, while not known as a center of British Jewish life, has a rich Jewish history, with a community existing in the 1100s, building what was once believed to be Britain’s oldest synagogue. It was only discovered during an archaeological dig in 1996. Read the story from The Jewish Chronicle: After 750 years, the town of Guildford gets its very own rabbi – The Jewish Chronicle
- Speaking of Rabbi’s… Who was the First Rabbi? The first sage to receive the title of rabbi, Yohanan ben Zakkai is credited with saving rabbinic Judaism from complete annihilation. He was a rabbi who lived during the time of the tannaim, the early rabbis of the first and second centuries of the Common Era whose views are recorded in the Mishnah. He was a student of Hillel the Elder and the leading authority of his generation. Read his story from My Jewish Learning: Yohanan Ben Zakkai | My Jewish Learning
- ‘Holocaust Codes’ pits British codebreaker against SS leader in battle for secrecy. Christian Jennings delivers jarring account of Allied codebreaker who deciphered Holocaust’s evolution from open-air massacres to purpose-built death camps. An interesting story from The Times of Israel: ‘Holocaust Codes’ pits British codebreaker against SS leader in battle for secrecy | The Times of Israel
- Argentina’s new foreign minister sworn in on Torah. At Gerardo Werthein’s inauguration, President Javier Milei referenced the weekly Torah portion, suggesting it’s a divine sign to follow Abraham’s lead. Werthein is a former Argentine ambassador to the United States whose ancestors escaped Jewish persecution in Russia in the early years of the 20th century. Unusually for the predominantly Catholic country, the inauguration featured a Torah, on which Werthein swore to uphold his position faithfully. Read the story from JNS: Argentina’s new foreign minister sworn in on Torah – JNS.org
- The Story of “Oy Vey.” Half Hebrew, half Aramaic, this classic lament is all Jewish. Oy vey! — also: Oy vavoy! Oy vey iz mir! Oy gevalt! Or quite simply: Oy! — is an iconic Jewish expression that conveys the weariness of a people overly familiar with hardship and oppression, as well as the resilience of a people that finds hope and sometimes even humor in catastrophe. Read the story from My Jewish Learning: The Story of “Oy Vey” | My Jewish Learning
- The Nigun. A mystical musical prayer introduced by Hasidic Judaism. From the time of its emergence in the 18th century, the Hasidic movement turned to music and dance as powerful forms of Jewish religious expression. One result was the Hasidic nigun (Hebrew for “melody”; plural nigunim), a new genre of Jewish vocal music. Read the story from My Jewish Learning: The Nigun | My Jewish Learning
- On Veterans Day, Remember This Jewish Dodger. With Veterans Day approaching, all Americans should take a moment to appreciate the valor of a former Dodger less well-known to today’s baseball aficionados — Moe Berg, a catcher who spied for the U.S. during World War II. Read his story from the Jewish Journal: This Veterans Day Remember This Jewish Dodger
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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.