News About Jewish Genealogy, Jewish History, and Jewish Culture
Editor: Phil Goldfarb, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
- Have You Been Checking Out Jewish Events Of Interest From Around The World? On the L’Dor V’Dor Foundation Website, you can check out Jewish events 24/7/365! Called the LDVDF Worldwide Jewish Event Calendar or “JDays” for short, it is the first comprehensive, central calendar of upcoming Jewish webinars, seminars, workshops, lectures, films, tours, conferences, meet-ups, oral history collection days, historical photo and document scan-a-thons,…any creative program with a focus on Jewish family history, Jewish history or Jewish heritage. A free service to post as well as to view, it is a defining initiative and global resource in Jewish education, teaching and learning. To view, go to: ldvdf.org/JDays
- FamilySearch added 49.8 million new records from 49 countries to its free online archives in December. Read more from their blog: New Free Historical Records from 49 Countries | December 2024 Update
- Nominate Teen Leaders Changing the World. The Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards. Every year, up to 15 Jewish teens from across the U.S. are selected to receive an award of $36,000 each to honor their leadership and efforts to repair the world. Nominators such as educators, rabbis, civic leaders, and mentors are invited to recognize young leaders who are making a difference in their community. Nominate by December 20. To nominate, go to: Nominate – Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards
- Earliest worship: Evidence of 35,000-year-old prehistoric rites found in northern Israel. Researchers hail discovery of ritual complex at Manot Cave as ‘a global breakthrough,’ marking the oldest such findings in the Levant. Read the fascinating story from The Times of Israel: Earliest worship: Evidence of 35,000-year-old prehistoric rites found in northern Israel | The Times of Israel
- Notre Dame’s Surprising Jewish Treasures. The newly restored cathedral still retains priceless art depicting Jewish heritage in France. Notre Dame dates from the 12th century and provides a snapshot of what life was like eight centuries ago. Surprisingly, some of the most prominent artwork on Notre Dame concerned Jews. Read the story from Aish: Notre Dame’s Surprising Jewish Treasures | Aish
- Jews and Syria: 11 Fascinating Facts. Syria’s once vibrant Jewish community goes back thousands of years. Syria dominates many news headlines today. Here are 11 interesting facts about Jewish connections with this ancient country. From Aish: Jews and Syria: 11 Fascinating Facts | Aish
- What happened to relics of Syria’s Jewish history? Assad’s collapse spurs efforts to assess the damage. Bombardment, looting and disuse have wreaked an uncertain toll on the country’s former synagogues and Jewish sites. Syria was home to well established Jewish communities for more than 2,000 years, dating back to the Roman period, including Sephardic Jews expelled from Spain in 1492 and European Jewish merchants. About 100,000 Jews lived in Syria at the start of the 20th century, dropping to 15,000 in 1947. Read more from The Forward: What happened to relics of Syria’s Jewish history? Assad’s collapse spurs efforts to assess the damage. – The Forward
- Adam Schiff chose Mishneh Torah for swearing in to the U.S. Senate. Schiff, 64, took the oath of office holding a Maimonides Mishneh Torah (Second Torah) printed in Italy in 1490. The selection of this text – a 14-volume code of Jewish law and practice written by Moses Maimonides, also known as the Rambam – sparked debate over its halachic permissibility for swearing an oath, as it is not the official Hebrew Bible. Read the story from The Forward: Senator Adam Schiff sworn in to U.S. Senate on Mishneh Torah – The Forward
- As ‘oldest Ten Commandments’ go up for auction, some scholars question authenticity. Stone tablet bearing Paleo-Hebrew inscription with Samaritan version of Biblical text — expected to fetch more than $1 million — open to questioning. Read more from The Times of Israel: As ‘oldest Ten Commandments’ go up for auction, some scholars question authenticity | The Times of Israel
- Tel Dan Stele, oldest archaeological evidence of King David, comes to NY’s Jewish Museum. The ancient artifact, which dates to the 9th century BCE, is on view through January 5. When it was discovered in northern Israel in 1993, the Tel Dan Stele became the earliest evidence beyond the Bible that King David was a real figure. Read about it from Times of Israel: Tel Dan Stele, oldest archaeological evidence of King David, comes to NY’s Jewish Museum | The Times of Israel
- The Last Days of Kolkata’s Baghdadi Jews. The three-century-old Baghdadi Jewish community of the city regards Shalom Cohen, a jeweler from Aleppo who arrived in Calcutta in 1798, as its founder. Community members acted as middlemen in the triangular trade in opium and tea between China, India, and Britain. Read more from The Tablet Magazine: The Last Days of Kolkata’s Baghdadi Jews – Tablet Magazine
- Jewish ace Max Fried signs record-breaking contract with the New York Yankees. Fried’s eight-year, $218 million deal is the largest contract in baseball history both for a Jewish player and for a left-handed pitcher. Can you imagine what Sandy Koufax would have received? Read the story from The Forward: Jewish ace Max Fried signs record-breaking contract with the New York Yankees – The Forward
- How a Jewish teen’s description of New York City life in 1945 found a contemporary audience of millions. Charlotte Buchsbaum, who grew up in East New York, Brooklyn, wrote about going to bar mitzvahs, celebrating Passover, and heading to Times Square to celebrate the U.S. victory over Japan. Read her story from NY Jewish Week: How a Jewish teen’s description of New York City life in 1945 found a contemporary audience of millions – New York Jewish Week
- San Francisco names street for Joe Rosenthal, who took iconic Iwo Jima photograph. Image became centerpiece of war bonds poster that helped raise $26 billion in 1945; when complimented, Rosenthal said: ‘Sure, I took the photo. but the Marines took Iwo Jima.’ See the iconic picture and read the story from Times of Israel: San Francisco names street for Joe Rosenthal, who took iconic Iwo Jima photograph | The Times of Israel
- First street in Israel named for Masorti rabbi who influenced Declaration of Independence. In Herzliya, the Conservative Movement celebrates the commemoration of US cleric Shalom Tzvi (Harry) Davidowitz, who is likely responsible for adding God into the historic 1948 statement. From The Times of Israel: 1st street in Israel named for Masorti rabbi who influenced Declaration of Independence | The Times of Israel
- Martyrdom in Judaism. The notion of what constitutes a Jewish martyr has changed significantly since ancient times. Read more from My Jewish Learning: Martyrdom in Judaism | My Jewish Learning
- Eight Hanukkah Traditions From Around the World. From bonfires to hanging menorahs to an extra candle, here are some lesser-known Jewish Hanukkah traditions from all over the globe. Read about the traditions from My Jewish Learning: 8 Hanukkah Traditions From Around the World | My Jewish Learning
- The Surprising Origin of the Dreidel. The well-known Hanukkah symbol has Christmastime roots. From My Jewish Learning: The Surprising Origin of the Dreidel | My Jewish Learning
- What is a Golem? You’ve probably heard about the Jewish Frankensteinian creature, but what is it, really? The Hebrew word, golem, refers to a shapeless, unformed lump of clay, although—pun intended—it seems to have taken on a life of its own. Read about the Golem from Aish: The Jewish Golem: Meaning, Mythology & More | Aish
- Jewish Cookbooks. A history from the traditional to the treyf. Long before the Joy of Cooking was published in 1936, Jewish women were writing and sharing their recipes and food traditions. Filled with recipes from gefilte fish to oyster canapés to dafina, Jewish cookbooks were the single-largest form of writing by and for Jewish women. These cookbooks offer a revealing glimpse into the everyday lives of Jews, and the range of cultural practices and religious customs in the modern period. Read more from My Jewish Learning: Jewish Cookbooks | My Jewish Learning
- Summer camps inspire teens to take the next step in their Jewish journeys. Camps are serving as conduits to gap-year programs in Israel and other immersive Jewish identity experiences. Read the story from JTA: Summer camps inspire teens to take the next step in their Jewish journeys – Jewish Telegraphic Agency
- A live game show on the Lower East Side aims to help Jewish singles find their soulmates. Created by actor and writer Linnea Sage, The Jewish Dating Game is “a night of Jewish joy.” Read more from NY Jewish Week: A live game show on the Lower East Side aims to help Jewish singles find their soulmates – New York Jewish Week
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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.