The Strange Case of Menachem Begin’s Last Correspondence & Betar’s Tagar Institute of Education
He rarely left the apartment; his only outings were to visit his wife’s gravesite and recite the traditional Kaddish on the anniversary of her death.
How William Friedman, the Jewish Dean of Modern Cryptology, Enabled the Allies Victory in...
When the United States entered World War I, the Army lacked an official cryptographic service, and Riverbank’s Department of Codes and Ciphers, where the Friedmans worked, became the de facto center for American codebreaking.
The Versatile Halachic World of the Shadal
Perhaps the most enduring aspect of the Shadal’s legacy is his personal integrity.
How Georg Duckwitz & Rabbi Marcus Melchior Saved Danish Jewry During the Holocaust
It is interesting that Duckwitz was required to forward a simple autograph request up the chain of command and to obtain formal approval from the Reich Foreign Minister in Berlin to provide the signature.
The Rabbinics and Zionism of Rav Yitzchak Nissenbaum
Rav Nissenbaum’s published oeuvre and editorial work give the best available access to his substantive positions on Jewish law, social practice, and the national question, as he was a prolific writer of derashot (sermons), pamphlets, articles, and at least one substantial autobiography/memoir.
A Refuge for the Jews – in Alaska?
Slattery’s administrative record, like that of many career public servants of his era, was primarily secular and bureaucratic; he was not known as a leader of Jewish communal life nor as a voice on Zionist issues prior to the Slattery Report’s association with his name.
The Judaism and “Zionism” of Hannah Arendt And Eichmann in Jerusalem
Arendt shrugged off her inaccuracies and errors by arguing that much of the public onslaught was little more than a political campaign to discredit her and that criticism often misrepresented the book.
The History of the Swastika: Was It a Jewish Symbol?
When scholars consider whether the swastika was a Jewish symbol in the sense that the Star of David or the Menorah is a Jewish emblem, the answer from mainstream academic literature is that there is no evidence that Jewish religious authorities, rabbinic leadership, or organized Jewish communities adopted the swastika as a recognized symbol of Judaism.
Migdal David: A Chronicle of Jerusalem’s Citadel Through the Ages
Contrary to its name, the Tower has no direct connection to King David, yet its name and its stones tell a complex story of conquest, religion, empire, destruction, and preservation.
The Role of Béla Schick’s Judaism in His Medical and Social Contributions
Across a long life that spanned the collapse of the Habsburg world, two World Wars, the Holocaust, and the founding of the State of Israel, Schick combined scientific innovation with leadership in Jewish medical institutions, philanthropic circles, and public-health education aimed at protecting children – an ethic he framed repeatedly with moral language rooted in Jewish concern for life.
The Astonishing Reign of Joshua Abraham Norton, ‘Emperor of the United States and Protector of...
Much has been written about the theatrical elements of his “reign” and the popular tolerance that allowed a self-declared emperor to roam a major American city free of serious harassment.
The Jewish Art of Samuel Hirszenberg
Hirszenberg was born in Łódź, in the Russian partition of Poland, the eldest son of a poor Jewish weaver, who was initially opposed to Samuel's artistic ambitions, which were viewed as incompatible with the values of traditional Jewish life.
Sefer Mikneh Avraham: Far More Than a Collector’s Item
Mikneh Avraham occupies a singular place in the evolution of Hebrew grammatical literature.
Pinkas Hazkarot Neshamot – a Miraculous Treasure
This handwritten volume, recording the names and yahrzeits of nearly 1,500 neshamot, was copied for the shul’s last rav, Rabbi Shlomo Baumgarten, just before he fled the Nazis in 1938. It is only thanks to that copy that we know what we know today.
A Testament to the Endurance of Jewish Identity
The Hitler Haggadah takes the traditional Passover narrative and reimagines it through the lens of wartime realities, framing the Allied victory over the Nazis as Divine intervention.
Hitler’s Photographer And The Strange Case Of His ‘Jewish Daughter’
The story of the relationship between Hitler and Bernile had been generally unknown until the Alexander Historical Auction House auctioned this photograph to an anonymous, international buyer for a winning bid of $11,520 on November 13, 2018.
Ralph Baer: The Jewish Holocaust Survivor Who Invented The Video Game
Over the course of his life, his inventions and over 150 U.S. and international patents have contributed to the advancement of military defense, including tracking systems for submarines, and to television technology, video gaming, electronic toys, and other electronic consumer products.
Frum Faces Of Aliyah: The Rosenbergs – From Dallas to Beit Shemesh
The challenges of making aliyah on a short timeline and in the midst of lockdown were many, but Tali says, Once we made the decision, Hashem carried us on His back to our new life...
New Platform Allows Users To Rate Their Beit Din Experience
The idea is to slowly create an operating standard: approved batei din are ones which are transparent, which don’t allow for shady deals, and which recognize abusive behaviors when they present themselves.
‘For These Do I Weep’ – The Hebron Massacre Of 1929
After the massacre had run its course, the police commenced gathering the injured Jews, who were brought to the police station but left on the basement floor to fend for themselves.
Twenty Years Later: 9-11 Remembered
The most prevalent anti-Semitic 9-11 conspiracy theory at the time was that 4,000 Israelis received advance warning not to report for work at the World Trade Center on September 11.
Israel’s Black Panthers
In the wake of its election loss, the Black Panther movement essentially ended. It had failed to radicalize most Mizrachim. Nonetheless, the issues and needs of Mizrachim subsequently took a front and center position in Israeli politics.