News About Jewish Genealogy, Jewish History, and Jewish Culture
Editor: Phil Goldfarb, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
A Happy, Healthy, Peaceful, and Prosperous 2026 to all!... Phil Goldfarb
- United Kingdom- National Health Service will restart lifesaving ‘Jewish cancer gene’ tests. Program testing for BRCA mutation to resume next year after successful launch results. Read the story. EXCLUSIVE: NHS will restart lifesaving ‘Jewish cancer gene’ tests – The Jewish Chronicle – The Jewish Chronicle Editor’s Note: Congratulations to the U.K.! Why can’t this be done in EVERY country? People (physicians, insurance companies, politicians, etc.) need to understand that Preventative Medicine is as valid as Curative Medicine. It saves lives as well as money!
- Ancestry Brings Family History to Life with New AI-Powered Stories. AI Stories brings family history to life in an innovative and immersive way, allowing you to explore and understand your family stories in a whole new way by transforming a single static historical record into a narrated audio story. Read more from the Ancestry blog: Ancestry Brings Family History to Life with New AI-Powered Stories
- Does DNA Get Washed Out Over Generations? Does DNA get “washed out” over time? If it does, how does the process work? In this post, you will find the answers to these questions. Go to: Does DNA Get Washed Out Over Generations? – Who are You Made Of?
- Why Are So Many Christmas Songs Written by Jews? From White Christmas to Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer, Jews created much of the soundtrack of the holiday. Read more from Aish: Why Are So Many Christmas Songs Written by Jews? | Aish
- What Eastern European Jews Did on Christmas. For centuries, Jews in Eastern Europe generally spent Christmas Eve and Day in the safety of their homes. In certain places, Christian authorities actually prohibited Jews from appearing in public places during the Christian high holidays, so Jewish schools and synagogues were closed. Read the story from My Jewish Learning: What Eastern European Jews Did on Christmas | My Jewish Learning
- Merry Jewish Christmas: How Chinese food became a time-honored tradition for US Jews. ‘Chinese food and a movie’ have long been the trope of American Jewish Christmas, as, like other minority groups, Jews have created ways to adapt to the societies in which they live. Read more from The Times of Israel: Merry Jewish Christmas: How Chinese food became a time-honored tradition for US Jews | The Times of Israel
- The 33 Best Hanukkah Episodes on TV. A definitive guide to every Hanukkah TV episode you can stream right now. Check them out from Hey Alma: The 33 Best Hanukkah Episodes on TV – Hey Alma
- More than one thousand klezmer tunes, some dating back to the late 19th Century, are being performed and recorded after sitting in a library in Kyiv for years. Thanks to a mammoth Klezmer Institute digitization project, we can hear Jewish music that hasn’t been played for generations. Read more from The Forward: How the Klezmer Institute rescued hundreds of tunes from oblivion – The Forward
- Righteous gentiles in the Holocaust were no ‘ordinary thing.’ ‘This Ordinary Thing’ recounts the stories of those who hid their Jewish friends and neighbors. Read about this documentary from The Forward: ‘This Ordinary Thing’ documents the gentiles who saved Jews – The Forward
- Operation Noa: The Greatest Naval Heist You’ve Never Heard of. In a daring operation on Christmas Eve 1969, Israel spirited five warships out of a NATO port, vanishing into winter storms during a covert intelligence gamble that stunned Europe. More of the story from Aish: Operation Noa: The Greatest Naval Heist You’ve Never Heard of | Aish
- The Jews of Italy. Jews have been present on the Italian peninsula from the time of Judah Maccabee. The Jews of Italy’s capital city claim to be the oldest continuous Jewish community in Europe. Read the story from My Jewish Learning: The Jews of Italy | My Jewish Learning
- Revealed: A 2,700-Year-Old Depiction of Jerusalem and Hezekiah? Remarkably, the relief may picture not only Jerusalem but also King Hezekiah himself. Read the story from the Armstrong Institute: Revealed: A 2,700-Year-Old Depiction of Jerusalem and Hezekiah? | ArmstrongInstitute.org
- Forget keychains, Byzantine pilgrims took home ‘souvenir’ flasks, newly found mold shows. Judean Desert finds dated 1,400 years ago bear witness to ‘flourishing Christian pilgrimage industry’ as travelers from around Roman Empire sought mementos of visits to Jesus-linked sites. Read about it from The Times of Israel: Forget keychains, Byzantine pilgrims took home ‘souvenir’ flasks, newly found mold shows | The Times of Israel
- Why an Entire Community in Transylvania Converted to Judaism. After two centuries of persecution, the Sabbatarians, a religious community in Transylvania, converted en masse to Judaism. Read the story from Aish: Why an Entire Community in Transylvania Converted to Judaism | Aish
- Warsaw Jewish cemetery director fired amid clash over who controls the preservation of Poland’s Jewish past. The director said local Jews were often excluded from influencing projects in their own cemetery. Founded in 1806, some 200,000 Jews are buried at the cemetery on Okopowa Street in the heart of Poland’s capital. Read more from JTA: Warsaw Jewish cemetery director fired amid clash over who controls the preservation of Poland’s Jewish past – Jewish Telegraphic Agency
- The Heroic Pilot who Stayed with Entebbe’s Jewish Hostages. French airline pilot Michel Bacos knew what terror and Jew-hatred looked like. Read his story from Aish: The Heroic Pilot who Stayed with Entebbe’s Jewish Hostages | Aish
- Israel Post issues stamp marking 100 years of the Hebrew University. The commemorative stamp features the iconic amphitheater on the Mount Scopus campus, looking out toward the Judean Desert and Edom Mountains. Home to over 23,000 students from 90 countries. See the stamp from JNS: Israel Post issues stamp marking 100 years of the Hebrew University – JNS.org
- Jewishness comes home to Jewish Studies: A modern-day Hanukkah story. After years of prioritizing academic detachment, Jewish Studies scholars are rediscovering the power – and necessity — of Jewish community. Read more from The Times of Israel: The Blogs: Jewishness comes home to Jewish Studies: A modern-day Hanukkah story | Adam S. Ferziger | The Times of Israel Editor’s Note: Are you aware that there are approximately 100 Colleges and Universities in the U.S. and Canada with Judaic Studies programs and degrees? Also, over 30+ in Europe, Israel, Australia and even China! A LOT of opportunities to get the younger generation interested and involved with Jewish Genealogy!
- A new organization aims to combat antisemitism and spread Jewish joy in New York’s theater industry. The Jewish Broadway Alliance soft-launched by helping organize “Shabbat on Broadway,” a starry Shabbat service at the St. James Theatre on Jan. 27, 2024. Read more from The Forward: A new organization aims to combat antisemitism and spread Jewish joy in New York’s theater industry – The Forward
- NY governor steps in to prevent demolition of century-old Brooklyn synagogue. Kingsbrook Synagogue, set up at hospital to serve Jews escaping antisemitism, had been slated for destruction in development project. Read more from The Times of Israel: NY governor steps in to prevent demolition of century-old Brooklyn synagogue | The Times of Israel
- 2025’s Jewish highlights — from ‘Marty Supreme’ to Max Fried’s menschy move. It was a whirlwind year, for Jews and the world. Read the story from The Forward: 2025’s Jewish highlights — from ‘Marty Supreme’ to Max Fried’s menschy move – The Forward
- Before ‘SNL,’ there was Sid Caesar — and a roomful of Jewish writers. In television’s early days, Caesar translated Jewish humor into a language America didn’t yet know it understood. Read about him from JTA: Before ‘SNL,’ there was Sid Caesar — and a roomful of Jewish writers – Jewish Telegraphic Agency
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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.