News About Jewish Genealogy, Jewish History, and Jewish Culture
Editor: Phil Goldfarb, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
A Happy, Healthy and Joyful Chanukkah!... Phil Goldfarb
- Free U.S. Database Searches the Text of 1.1 Million Russian Newspaper Pages. Searching the text of more than 1 million pages of Russian newspapers from the 20th century has become easy, thanks to a major ongoing project of the Hoover Institution Library & Archives in Stanford, California. A large collection of newspapers printed worldwide for Russians from 1911-2010 can be searched in the Russia Abroad Digital Collection. For more information, go to: Free U.S. Database Searches the Text of 1.1 Million Russian Newspaper Pages – Find Lost Russian & Ukrainian Family
- Beginner’s Guide to Shared Centimorgans. In this beginner’s guide to shared centimorgans, learn all about DNA segments and how to estimate your relationship with your DNA match using shared centimorgans. From Who Are You Made Of: Beginner’s Guide to Shared Centimorgans – Who are You Made Of?
- Why small-town Jews buried their dead in big cities — and what those journeys reveal today. Funeral trains linked isolated Jews to larger communities, revealing how belonging could stretch across counties, rail lines, and faiths. Read the story from The Forward: Why small-town Jews buried their dead in big cities – The Forward
- Before Ellis Island: The Forgotten Era of Castle Garden. Castle Garden was an immigration station from August 3, 1855 to April 18, 1890. During this time, more than 8 million immigrants from different countries were processed at the Castle Garden immigration station. Ellis Island opened on January 1, 1892. In between, immigration was at the Barge Office. Read more from Who You Are Made Of: Before Ellis Island: The Forgotten Era of Castle Garden – Who are You Made Of?
- Why aren’t your old AI prompts working anymore (and how to fix them). Gemini 3 and ChatGPT 5.1 are out. Learn why that matters and get three new prompts that work for newer AI models. Go to: Why Your Old AI Prompts Aren’t Working Anymore (And How to Fix Them)
- Have You Heard of Genealogy TV? They have a YouTube channel with hundreds of free videos that you can watch and learn. They also have extras beyond the free content for a subscription fee. Go to: Genealogy TV – Helping you go further, faster, and factually with your family history research.
- 2,100-year-old mystery unearthed with dismantled Hasmonean-era wall in Jerusalem. A fortification in the heart of the capital was likely built shortly after the Hanukkah story took place. Now experts are asking why it was systematically taken apart, and by whom? Read the story from The Times of Israel: 2,100-year-old mystery unearthed with dismantled Hasmonean-era wall in Jerusalem | The Times of Israel
- National Library of Israel unveils rare 14th-Century Maimonides masterpiece. One of several treasures in exciting new exhibition, the Mishneh Torah is among the most important halachic works ever created. Read the story from Jewish News UK: National Library of Israel unveils rare 14th-Century Maimonides masterpiece – Jewish News
- Nazi-looted Rothschild Vienna Mahzor to be auctioned at Sotheby’s for up to £5.5m ($7.3 million USD). Six-century-old illustrated High Holiday manuscript, seized in 1938 and misidentified for decades, returns to market after restitution. Read more from Jewish News UK: Nazi-looted Rothschild Vienna Mahzor to be auctioned at Sotheby’s for up to £5.5m – Jewish News
- How Nazi categories of ‘half-Jews’ and ‘quarter-Jews’ still decide who is a Jew – study. Under Nazi law, these people were grouped under the term “Mischlinge” and bureaucratically labelled as “half-Jews” or “quarter-Jews,” depending on how many grandparents were recorded as Jewish. Read more from The Jerusalem Post: Nazi rules on half-Jews and quarter-Jews still define Jews | The Jerusalem Post
- ‘Rehabilitated’ postwar West Germany’s government was riddled with Nazis, study reveals. Research by German scholars lifts the lid on Third Reich officials’ lingering influence as a recovering country desperate for experienced administrators looked the other way. From The Times of Israel: ‘Rehabilitated’ postwar West Germany’s government was riddled with Nazis, study reveals | The Times of Israel
- Around 2,500 fragments of matzevot used by the Nazis to construct underground rooms have been recovered from beneath a parking lot in Janów Lubelski, Poland. Half of Janów Lubelski’s pre-WW2 population was Jewish, and the town had two Jewish cemeteries. Read more from Jewish Heritage Europe: https://jewish-heritage-europe.eu/2025/12/11/jewish-gravestones-recovered/
- Jerusalem’s ‘cursed’ antiquity museum reopens its doors amid rumors it may become a hotel. The Rockefeller Archaeological Museum stores some 60,000 artifacts spanning millennia. “Everything we know about archaeology in the land of Israel is connected to its exhibit and the 60,000 findings in its storage.” Read more from The Times of Israel: Jerusalem’s ‘cursed’ antiquity museum reopens its doors amid rumors it may become a hotel | The Times of Israel
- PBS and WETA Announce Black and Jewish America: An Interwoven History with Henry Louis Gates. Read the story from the PBS blog: PBS AND WETA ANNOUNCE BLACK AND JEWISH AMERICA: AN INTERWOVEN HISTORY WITH HENRY LOUIS GATES JR.
- Nine Things You Didn’t Know About Hanukkah. Lesser-known facts about the Festival of Lights. From My Jewish Learning: 9 Things You Didn’t Know About Hanukkah | My Jewish Learning
- Dreidel, Donuts and Lights: Hanukkah’s Deeper Meaning. Dreidels, latkes, and donuts aren’t just fun—they’re coded history. Discover how spinning, frying, and lighting reveal Hanukkah’s deeper message. From Aish: Dreidel, Donuts and Lights: Hanukkah’s Deeper Meaning | Aish
- 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 more from My Jewish Learning: 8 Hanukkah Traditions From Around the World | My Jewish Learning
- This Hanukkah, my synagogue is illuminating our walls with relics of our Jewish immigrant stories. Houses of worship should uplift immigrant narratives when they are under attack, writes a longtime Jewish leader. Read the story from The Forward: This Hanukkah, my synagogue is illuminating our walls with relics of our Jewish immigrant stories – The Forward
- Miriam: The Last Jewish Princess. The Hanukkah miracle sparked a century of Jewish sovereignty—and a princess whose marriage to Herod turned glory into tragedy. Miriam’s life is the Hasmonean dynasty’s final flame. Read her story from Aish: Miriam: The Last Jewish Princess | Aish
- Merry Jewish Christmas: How Chinese food and the movies became a time-honored tradition for American Jews. An oldie but still a goodie this time of the year: Merry Jewish Christmas: How Chinese food and the movies became a time-honored tradition for American Jews
- In an ancient oasis in Bukhara, a tiny Jewish community relies on its Muslim neighbors. Once an influential Jewish hub on Central Asia’s Silk Road, urban center in Uzbekistan is now home to just several hundred Jews, unthreatened by antisemitism, struggling to keep tradition alive. Read the story from The Times of Israel: In an ancient oasis in Bukhara, a tiny Jewish community relies on its Muslim neighbors | The Times of Israel
- Syria permits group to restore Jewish property seized under previous regimes. Son of Syrian rabbi meets with Syria’s social affairs minister in Damascus, tours father’s former synagogue; two Israeli rabbis reportedly visit closed synagogues in Aleppo. Read more from The Times of Israel: Syria permits Jewish group to begin work on returning seized assets, restoring holy sites | The Times of Israel
- Nationwide Jewish Culture Month to launch next year in the U.K. Board of Deputies launches first-of-its-kind festival aimed at spotlighting Jewish creativity, culture and contribution across Britain. Read more from Jewish News UK: Nationwide Jewish Culture Month to launch next year – Jewish News
- The Top 10 Jewish Pop Culture Moments of 2025. Kai Schreiber, the “Anora” menorah and multiple Robbys broke through the cultural discourse this year. Read about the 10 from Hey Alma: The Top 10 Jewish Pop Culture Moments of 2025 – Hey Alma
- What happens when you’re the only Jewish family in Oklahoma? ‘Oklahoma Samovar,’ from Alice Eve Cohen, follows a Jewish family over generations as they try to find their place in America. Read about this play from the Forward: What happens when you’re the only Jewish family in Oklahoma? – The Forward Note: I can tell you from personal experience that Oklahoma, especially Tulsa has a vibrant Jewish Community, including The Bob Dylan Center, The Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art (rated as one of the top 10 Jewish Museums in North America) along with a Jewish Genealogy Society that has been active for 20 years!
- In a state with few Jews, how teachers introduce students to Hanukkah. In Montana, a lesson highlights the true story of when Billings residents united against antisemitism. Read more from The Forward: How Montana teachers cover Hanukkah, in a state with few Jews – The Forward
- Dmitry Salita: The Orthodox Jewish Boxer Turned Champion Promoter. A Ukrainian-born fighter rose through U.S. boxing while refusing to compete on Shabbat. Guided by faith, he became a national champion—and now a leading promoter. Read his story from Aish: Dmitry Salita: The Orthodox Jewish Boxer Turned Champion Promoter | Aish
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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.