יום שבת, ט׳ אלול תשפ״וSaturday, August 22, 2026
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Saul Jay Singer serves as Senior Legal Ethics Counsel with the District of Columbia Bar and is a collector of extraordinary original Judaica documents and letters. He welcomes comments at sauljsing@gmail.com. Before commencing his career as a litigator and legal ethicist, he served for fourteen years as an actuary for several ratemaking organizations and insurance companies and as actuary for the National Flood Insurance Program.
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Teddy Roosevelt became the first president known to donate personal funds to a Jewish cause.
After its 1949 elections, Israel filed yet a third application for membership, and this time the request was approved by the Security Council by a 9-1 vote on March 4, 1949.
Incredibly, five of the original signatories to the Buttonwood Agreement were Jews, all members of Shearith Israel.
Recent studies indicate that Lie and the American government played a more important role in the armistice negotiations than previously understood.
While the Vaad Halashon and others supported Amikam’s letter to the British and sought financial support from the Zionist Organization, the response was, at best, lukewarm...
Despite his own many accomplishments as a novelist, poet, composer, and musician, Max Brod (1884-1968) is perhaps best known as Kafka’s friend, supporter, and patron.
Luke, who previously served as Great Britain’s Governor of Jerusalem, thought he could nip the violence in its bud by summoning Haj Amin al-Husseini, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, admonishing him for the rioting, and ordering him to cease and desist.
Many commentators characterize Straus’ appointment as a key early step in the depoliticization of the diplomatic service and its rendering as a true meritocracy.
Given the centrality of Torah study to Jewish life... it is not surprising that Jewish artists have frequently featured it in their work.
Although some argue Bush’s foreign policy was a complex mix of support and opposition to Israel’s foreign policy, a strong case can be made that the Bush administration was the most hostile to Israel in American history – until Barack Obama indisputably seized the presidential anti-Israel crown.
Raphall emphasized that the “slave,” in whom vests fundamental human dignity, must be served the best food and, if there is only one mattress, the slave gets it and the Jewish owner must sleep on the floor.
It is also broadly credited with playing an important role in turning American public opinion against England and forcing the British to end the Palestine Mandate and to withdraw from Eretz Yisrael.
As Israel’s fourth president, he used his personal standing and the prestige of his office to galvanize academics to address the danger of assimilation in Diaspora communities.
The fascinating story about how the name “Israel” came to be written on the document signed by Truman recognizing the new Jewish state is broadly known, but few know that the handwriting on that historic document is Elath’s.
Though a vicious civil war divided nationalist Ukrainians, Bolsheviks, and anti-Bolsheviks, they were somehow able to unite in committing atrocities against Ukraine’s one million Jews.
A great champion of Israel throughout his professional life, Robert F. Kennedy supported Jews and the Jewish State from an early age. While a student at Harvard, he dared to challenge Father Leonard Feeney, an influential Jesuit priest and Jew-baiting demagogue who had written that it is impossible “for an individual Jew to scrap his […]
People from various communities in the Diaspora are asking me to amend the prayer for the well-being of the state and its leaders.
In one of the great ironies of Jewish history, the much-beloved Israeli national anthem was written by Naftali Herz Imber (1856-1909), a complex and deeply flawed vagabond, drunkard, and buffoon known as “the King of Jewish Bohemia in America.” Imber, who was born into a strictly Orthodox chassidic family in Galici, was deemed an ilui […]
The United States Postal Service is compensated for servicing these mails through annual tax-funded appropriations; in other words, you, the citizen, are paying for it.
Nonetheless, to his political enemies – and there were many – his very name was an anathema.
At a time when Maryland Jews lacked even the most basic civil rights, including the right to vote, Reuben Etting (1762-1848) joined many Colonial American Jews in assuming the responsibilities of full citizenship by enlisting and fighting in the Revolutionary Army. After serving as an officer during the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794-95, he joined the […]
The “Einstein letter” to which Teller refers is undoubtedly one of the most important and consequential letters in human history.
The rights Rosen won for Jews included the right to emigrate, and he oversaw a tremendous exodus of some 400,000 Romanian Jews to Eretz Yisrael and elsewhere.
In Levy’s drawing, the children do not seem particularly enamored by having a chicken waived over their heads, as the boy seems to be shielding his eyes and the little girl seems to be recoiling in horror.
Broadly heralded as the contemporary embodiment of the Maccabees, some 30,000 Jewish volunteers from Eretz Yisrael served with the British Army during World War II, and more than 700 were killed in active duty.
However, the main target in Lauder’s piece was “the Orthodox,” who he paints with one brush, as if there are not huge differences within Israel’s vibrant modern Orthodox, nationalist religious Zionist and charedi communities.
This protest became the first time in Israeli history that demonstrators interrupted a Knesset session seeking to overturn a democratically made Knesset decision.
His multi-lingual immigrant community, a paradigm of the American melting pot (including Russian Jews), provided a virtual cornucopia of languages, dialects, accents, intonations, and vernaculars that supplied a rich and abundant source of material for the prospective voice actor.
Interestingly, among the unreleased hostages were Rav Yitzchak Hutner, the former Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Rabbi Chaim Berlin in New York and author of Pachad Yitzchak, and members of his family, who were on their way from Israel back to America.
Menahem Mendel Beilis (1874-1934) was a Russian Jew accused of ritual murder in the “Beilis Affair,” an infamous Russian anti-Semitic trial reminiscent of the better-known Dreyfus Affair. The case was unusual in that this particular blood libel – the fabrication that originated in Western Europe in the 12th and 13th centuries claiming that Jews murdered […]
Dreyfus was one of some 50,000 attendees at Zola’s funeral in the Montmartre Cemetery. He remained deeply grateful to Zola and apparently never forgot his benefactor.
That Freud was Jewish is universally recognized. Not as well known is his strong and proud self-identification as a Jew. Freud was also very interested in Jewish history and, in his final and perhaps most controversial work, Moses and Monotheism (published in 1939), he engages in an intriguing attempt to apply psychoanalytic principles to the […]
One of the most colorful, albeit largely unknown, characters in contemporary Jewish history is Morris (Moishe) Abraham “Two-Gun” Cohen (1887-1970), a.k.a. “the uncrowned Jewish king of China.” Cohen was a Jewish adventurer who, as aide-de-camp to Sun Yat-sen and the only Jewish major-general in the Chinese National Revolutionary Army, played an influential role in both […]
Einstein once declared that while Beethoven “created” his music, Mozart's “was so pure that it seemed to have been ever-present in the universe, waiting to be discovered by the master.”
Sousa’s respect and affection for Liebling may explain why, for his time, the fiercely patriotic bandleader had a rather enlightened view of Jewish immigrants to the United States.
They could view articles of Eastern craftsmanship, including Hebron glassware, Jerusalem pottery, Nazareth lace, Palestinian olive wood, and other locally manufactured products, including soap from the renowned Shemen company.
Zionist leader, Yiddishist, journalist, and Jewish theoretician and philosopher Nathan Birnbaum (1864-1937), who sometimes used the pseudonyms “Mattisyahu Ascher” or “Mathias Acher,” is one of the most important Zionists you probably never heard of. He is most famous for coining the terms "Zionism" (in 1890) and “political Zionism” (in 1892). His life, which was one […]
Though Roth passionately rejected categorization as a “Jewish-American writer,” it is indisputable that a primary focus of his work was to brazenly, even defiantly, explore American life through a distinctly Jewish lens.
It added that Jews had the right to “free access to the Western Wall for the purpose of devotions at all times.”
Yet he argued that while Zionism was an important cause in the aftermath of the Holocaust, it had become irrelevant – indeed, it was now a “regressive ideology” – because, he claimed, there was no longer any foreseeable threat of anti-Semitism.
This correspondence stands as one of the most brilliant and eloquent presentations of Jewish history, and perhaps the grandest exposition of the Zionist right to Eretz Yisrael, that I have ever seen.
I love how Yossi Klein Halevi described it: "The image endures, in part, because of the humility it conveys..."
Even the title of Catch-22 has a conspicuously Jewish angle: it was originally written as Catch-18 because the number 18 (“chai,” or “life”), which has special meaning in Judaism, was relevant to early drafts of the novel, which had a greater and clearer Jewish emphasis.
Best known for his technical mastery and emotional playing, Yehudi Menuhin (1916-1999) was one of the 20th century’s most distinguished violinists (as well as one of the wealthiest – in the late 1920s he was the highest paid musician in the world). He was also an eminent conductor, an organizer of music festivals, a utopian […]
The elections to the Constituent Assembly, which twice had to be canceled, were eventually held on January 25, 1949, with an impressive 87 percent of eligible voters going to the polls.
Weizmann’s role as a founding father of the State of Israel is well known; less known is his role as a scientist – specifically as a pioneering biochemist.
The most significant portion of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising began on April 19, 1943, which was the third day of Chol HaMoed Pessach, and ended on May 16, 1943.
It is difficult to pin down who created the first Braille Haggadah and when.
Marcus held a reserve commission as a field artillery officer, but because of his prominent legal career, he was persuaded to transfer to the JAG corps, where he became Judge Advocate of his Army National Guard unit (1940).
Jacob Baal-Teshuva, an authority on Marc Chagall and one of the most distinguished international editors, appraisers, and critics of modern and contemporary art, served as the editor of The Mission of Israel, a collection of essays on the importance and centrality of the Jewish state. In this April 19, 1961 response to Baal-Teshuva’s solicitation of […]
Israel annually issues a set of “Moadim L’Simcha” stamps commemorating the Jewish New Year, which are always among my favorites, but it also periodically issues stamps commemorating the other Jewish holidays, including Purim.
More than 40 years after his death, Robeson retains his status as an American cultural and political icon, but he also leaves behind a sad legacy as a hero who betrayed his Jewish friends.
Herzl never set foot again in Eretz Yisrael during his lifetime, but he did return decades after his death in 1904 at the tragically young age of 44.
Levy’s historic seafaring career began rather inauspiciously when, at age 10, he ran away from his Philadelphia home to join the trading ship New Jerusalem as a cabin boy, returning to his family for his bar mitzvah at Mikveh Israel, where he read the Torah.
In the summer of 1798, Napoleon conquered Egypt and, leading an army through the Sinai Peninsula into Eretz Yisrael, took control of Jaffa and commenced a siege of Acre (1799), hoping to provoke a Syrian insurgence against the Ottomans and threaten British rule in India.
The fifteenth day of the month of Shevat was designated for calculating the age of trees both for harvesting and tithing purposes, and this “Jewish Arbor Day” was celebrated at least as far back as Talmudic times.
Though ostensibly jointly drafted by the United States, Egypt, and Israel, the Kilometer 101 Agreement was criticized by supporters of Israel as driven by the United States and directed by Egypt with Russian prompting.
Few know that in their earliest days the Beatles performed at a Jewish-owned club and at Jewish community events and generated notice in England’s religious Jewish community.
A recurrent theme in Miller’s work is the tragic defeats that befall common people.
This week’s quiz: What does Israel have in common with Bolivia, Dominica, Grenada, Grenada-Grenadines, Guinee, Lesotho, Micronesia, Paraguay, Sierra Leone, Spain, St. Vincent, and Uruguay? The answer will follow below. The Rambam (1135 – 1204, though many scholars now agree he actually was born in 1138, on erev Pesach) was one of the most prolific […]
Patton not only showed utter contempt, even hatred, for Jewish survivors, he also expressed a kind of admiration for the Nazi prisoners of war under his watch and bitterly criticized attempts to bring Nazi leaders to justice for war crimes.
Washington, inspired by the message of the little Chanukah candles, went on with increased confidence and vigor to lead the Continental Army to an unlikely victory against the British.
But by no means does the rich irony underscoring the Jewish domination of Christmas songs end with Berlin.
Brooks predicted that Jerusalem would be liberated in 1917, an idea that intrigued Allenby, who began to view his own role in Eretz Yisrael in prophetic terms.
Hemingway’s antipathy to Eisenstaedt may well have been attributable to his general contempt for Jews.
Wiesel’s somewhat inconsistent position on Solzhenitsyn reflected both praise and disappointment.
The Reich, which considered Eretz Yisrael a suitable dumping ground for ridding itself of Jewish refugees and “misfits,” sought to bolster the weak German economy by reaping a financial windfall through a payoff from Zionist leaders.
One of the proximate results of the Balfour Declaration was an influx of Jewish immigrants, primarily from Eastern Europe, which only served to exacerbate Arab opposition to the Declaration.
Thanks to his ideas and efforts, Citroën’s company to become one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, but he always maintained an open mind and remained receptive to new suggestions.
But by no means do all Supreme Court experts agree that there never was a Jewish seat. Two fascinating examples are President Lyndon Johnson and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
In 1886, Berliner commenced work on what would become the gramophone, the recording and reproduction of sound by means of disc records.
Rav Henkin (1881–1973) represented a unique blend of Torah scholarship, humility, and a lifelong dedication to the highest levels of discreetly preformed chesed.
Although the Tel Aviv bombing was one of the few occasions during the war when the Axis powers caused Jewish deaths in Eretz Yisrael, it has been largely forgotten.
Capp further laced his comments with criticism of Schulz’s endorsements and sponsorships, which was particularly ironic given Capp’s own licensing and merchandising juggernaut.
Most of these cards were hand-drawn and, as such, uniquely reflect the thoughts of writers extending holiday wishes from the depths of hell.
Foreign Ministry officials, however, continued to argue that at best, international relations would be adversely affected and that at worst, global dissatisfaction with Israel would turn it into a pariah nation.
The winning proposal, which was chosen from among 450 designs submitted by 164 participants, incorporated as its central theme an iconic representation of the menorah carved in relief on the Arch of Titus in Rome.
Though he frankly admitted that he expected to make a fortune on his investment, his primary motive was to create a short-term haven for persecuted Jews.
When the Ministry did not react to his report, he resigned his post and taught history at Jewish high schools in Warsaw.
Are the Jews going to repent of being anti’s, for fear that soon there should be nothing left to be anti against?
When Ben-Gurion was revived at the hospital, he was relieved to learn the attacker was mentally unstable rather than politically motivated.
It was through Jackson’s leadership that the Nuremberg trials were organized; standards of evidence developed; rights of defendants defined; and prosecutorial action commenced.
Even during the renaissance of modern Hebrew poetry, virtually none of it was written by women.
The leading fighter for Jewish civil rights in Germany, he used his respect and renown to assist individual Jews and entire communities in disputes with the German authorities and he facilitated the revocation of many anti-Semitic laws.
A livid Truman screamed at him for violating his specific instruction never to even mention the word “Palestine.”
In a symbolic move, Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax was the last player chosen in the draft.
Though Resnik in 1984 became the second American woman to travel in space – Sally Ride was the first – she is perhaps better known as the first Jewish woman in space.
Though the United States participated, Israeli officials were furious when the U.S. announced it would boycott the opening ceremony.
Herzl decided that a newspaper geared to the broader Jewish public, particularly the middle classes, would lead to greater success in spreading the Zionist idea.
One of Christopher’s main goals as secretary of state was to establish peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors and on a 1994 peacemaking trip to Israel he landed there on Monday, May 16 – Shavuot.
His mother, wanting him to be a rabbi, saw to it that he received a traditional Jewish education, and his lifelong love for the Bible began at age four when he learned Hebrew.
A venerable American institution, “The Greatest Show on Earth” is no more. After 146 years, Feld Entertainment, owners of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, announced the circus’s last performance will take place on Sunday, May 21. It all began in 1875, when Phineas Taylor Barnum (1810-1891) was persuaded to lend his name […]
His deep affection for the Jewish people may have had its origins in the kindness of an elderly Jewish neighbor, a Mrs. Golden, who occasionally cared for him during his lonely boyhood.
My Jewishness is the dominant element in my life. From this has come my sympathy with the downtrodden masses which motivates all my work.
The proclamation of a Jewish state had to be made on May 14 because the British Mandate was to end at midnight and Jewish leadership did not want even one second to pass before the formal establishment of the state.
Though Murrow became a legendary pioneer of radio broadcasting and television news, he has received little recognition for his rescue efforts on behalf of persecuted scholars during the Holocaust.
Many young Jewish soldiers who were away from home for the first time found that attending a Seder provided an important emotional link to familiar traditions of home and family.
Scholars still debate whether he yielded to pressure from his publisher or to pressure from British politicians pursuing a policy of appeasement with Hitler’s Germany.
On the one hand, he was not a Zionist in the sense of supporting Eretz Yisrael as a Jewish state and he publicly proclaimed that he was not a political Zionist.
Our extended family, although not a very orthodox group, was nevertheless totally Jewish in identity and heritage…
August 21, 2026 
