News About Jewish Genealogy, Jewish History, and Jewish Culture
Editor: Phil Goldfarb, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
- MyHeritage Adds 235 Million Historical Records in February 2025. These records come from the United States, Canada, the U.K., France, Germany, New Zealand, Sweden, and Switzerland. The collections include births, deaths, marriage records, census records, passenger lists, and an extensive range of newspaper archives. Many of these collections also feature images. Check out the new additions from their blog: MyHeritage Adds 235 Million Historical Records in February 2025 – MyHeritage Blog
- MyHeritage introduces Cousin Finder™. This feature uses the power of family tree matches to find members of MyHeritage who are your blood relatives — cousins — with whom you share common ancestors. Cousin Finder™ then lets you easily get in touch with them. It is a new way to find DNA Matches, but without a DNA test. The MyHeritage members that Cousin Finder™ reveals may be relatives you already knew about, but you didn’t know they use MyHeritage, and in many cases, they might be new relatives you’ve never heard of before. Unlike DNA Matches, Cousin Finder™ shows precisely how you are related to each relative. Read more from their blog: Introducing Cousin Finder™: Gain DNA-Level Insights, Without a DNA Test – MyHeritage Blog
- From FamilySearch: Create a free family keepsake. Try their templates to easily create a beautiful visual family tree you can print or share. Go to: Global Keepsakes
- NY State Historical Newspapers Adds/Updates 25 Titles – March, 2025. To search and see more from The Ancestor Hunt: NY State Historical Newspapers Adds/Updates 25 Titles – March, 2025 – The Ancestor Hunt
- Prehistoric artifacts from Israel prove our ancestors made art 100,000 years ago. New study shows Middle Paleolithic people intentionally decorated stone tools, offering evidence that abstract thinking began earlier than 50,000 years ago as previously believed. Read the story from The Times of Israel: Prehistoric artifacts from Israel prove our ancestors made art 100,000 years ago | The Times of Israel
- American Jewish University’s Maas Center Launches ‘The Origin Story.’ The Origin Story, an online platform dedicated to supporting and educating individuals exploring their Jewish ancestry, culture, and community. Sociologists estimate that as many as 60 million people worldwide have Jewish ancestry, despite the global Jewish population being under 16.5 million. Advances in genealogy and genetic testing have led many people to uncover Jewish heritage, often leaving them with questions about what it means and how they can connect. Read more: American Jewish University’s Maas Center Launches ‘The Origin Story’ | American Jewish University
- Should Genealogy be taught in Schools? The Case for Family History Education. Genealogy is a tapestry of stories. Every strand witnesses the triumphs and setbacks that shaped your family’s past. It allows you to discover your roots and how history made you who you are today. Learning basics of genealogy assists learners in placing historical events into perspective using personal stories. History is no longer in books anymore. It’s the history of their family. This makes it more relevant and interesting. These are skills that are priceless for academic achievement and life-long learning. Read the full story from The Times Daily: Should Genealogy be taught in Schools? The Case for Family History Education | Sponsored Content | timesdaily.com
- What Do the Percentages on My Ethnicity Estimate Mean? If you have just gotten your DNA results back, you might have noticed that your ethnicity estimate is reported in percentages. Are you wondering what all of these percentages really mean? Read the story from Who Are You Made of: What Do the Percentages on My Ethnicity Estimate Mean? – Who are You Made Of?
- What Can You Learn From Passenger Lists? Are you wondering what kind of information you can learn through passenger lists where your ancestor is named? Discover how to use these valuable genealogical records to find new details about your ancestor’s life. From Who Are You Made Of: What Can You Learn From Passenger Lists? – Who are You Made Of?
- Vanishing Heritage: The Last Echoes of Tajikistan’s Jewish Community. Tajikistan was once home to tens of thousands of Jews—most of them Bukharan or Ashkenazi from other parts of the Soviet Union. But since the end of the Soviet Union in 1991, that population has rapidly declined. Now, the number is in the dozens. Read the story from Moment Magazine: Vanishing Heritage: The Last Echoes of Tajikistan’s Jewish Community
- From Provence to Jerusalem: Israel receives rare Medieval Jewish manuscript. National Library of Israel curator says rare 12th-century text authored by Rabbi Joseph Kimhi gives glimpse into rich Jewish intellectual activity in late Medieval France. Read the story from Y Net News: From Provence to Jerusalem: Israel receives rare Medieval Jewish manuscript
- Biblical-themed exhibit inaugurated at Roman site under Damascus Gate in Jerusalem. A 2nd-century gate in the Old City’s Muslim Quarter offers a glimpse into the capital’s multilayered history — and complex present. Read more from The Times of Israel: Biblical-themed exhibit inaugurated at Roman site under Damascus Gate in Jerusalem | The Times of Israel
- The Dressmakers of Auschwitz. For 25 young female Auschwitz prisoners, the key to their survival was crafting exquisite garments for the wives of high-ranking Nazi officers. Read their story from Aish: The Dressmakers of Auschwitz | Aish
- 12 Remarkable Jewish Women. In honor of Women’s History Month, remarkable Jewish women that have shown to be extraordinary leaders, offered comfort and hope, and injected creativity into the Jewish world. Read about the 12 from My Jewish Learning: 12 Remarkable Jewish Women | My Jewish Learning
- Women’s History Month: 9 Ways to Find Female Ancestors in Newspapers. Women’s History Month offers Newspapers.com a chance to raise awareness of the women in our family trees and the kind of stories you can discover about them in the papers. Read some tips from their blog: Women’s History Month: 9 Ways to Find Female Ancestors in Newspapers – The official blog of Newspapers.com
- Purim 101. Purim is a joyous holiday that celebrates the saving of the Jews from a threatened massacre in ancient Persia. Read more from My Jewish Learning: Purim 101 | My Jewish Learning
- What did Purim costumes look like in a pre-war Polish shtetl? The boys in these photos are putting on a Purim shpiel (Purim play) in Apt (Opatow), Poland. See the pictures from The Forward: What did Purim costumes look like in a pre-war Polish shtetl? – The Forward
- The untold story of Maskit: Israel’s first luxury fashion house. The roots of Maskit, Israel’s first fashion house, are deeply intertwined with the very establishment of the Jewish State. Read more from Unpacked: The untold story of Maskit: Israel’s first luxury fashion house – Unpacked
- ‘Shtisel’ spin-off ‘Kugel’ richly portrays a diasporic Hasidic community. The creators even hired members of the Antwerp Jewish community, non-actors, to provide authentic local flavor. Read more from The Forward: ‘Shtisel’ spin-off ‘Kugel’ richly portrays diasporic Hasidic community – The Forward
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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.