by Ilana Rossoff, Reference Services Research Intern, Center for Jewish History This post is part of the Jews and Social Justice Series. To view all posts in the series, click here. Throughout its near 20-year history, the American Jewish Alternatives to Zionism organization served as a channel for Berger’s writing, traveling, and testifying before Congress. About twice a year, Berger (President) and his team of Mrs. Arthur…
Emancipation and the Jews of Metz, Franceby David P. Rosenberg, M.P.A., Reference Services Research Coordinator, Center for Jewish History “The means of making the Jews happy and useful? This is it: stop making them unhappy and useless. Give them, or rather return to them the right of citizens, which you’ve denied them against all divine and human laws.” This was Zalkind Hourwitz’s 1789 answer to…
by Elli Smerling, Reference Services Research Intern, Center for Jewish History Official Jewish law requires 10 to be in attendance for communal prayer. Unofficial Jewish law requires that if 10 people are in a room, there must be food. Every Jewish gathering, celebration or holiday revolves around food. You may ask: What about fast days? Well, they’re about food as well. Fact: Not eating food…
by Aliza Schulman, Reference Services Research Intern, Center for Jewish History This year, the first day of Hanukkah falls on Thanksgiving, creating what has become known as Thanksgivukkah. The Internet it abuzz with shirts, hats and recipes celebrating this rare event. But just how rare is it? When was the last time it occurred, and when will it happen again? This post breaks down…
Translating Charles Darwinby Melanie J. Meyers, M.S., Senior Reference Services Librarian, Special Collections, Center for Jewish History November 24 was the 154th anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin’s most famous work, The Origin of the Species. The full title of the work was On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life, but this title was…
by Ilana Rossoff, Reference Services Research Intern, Center for Jewish History This post is part of the Jews and Social Justice Series. To view all posts in the series, click here. Since Israel’s emergence as an independent Jewish state, there have been few organizations to come out of Jewish communities in the United States that openly challenge Zionism or modern-day Jewish nationalism. Some ultra-Orthodox Jews, such…
It Came From the Stacks: Moby Dickby Melanie J. Meyers, M.S., Senior Reference Services Librarian, Special Collections, Center for Jewish History One of the strengths of the YIVO library collection is the amazing wealth of works translated into various languages, Yiddish or Hebrew in particular. This version of Herman Melville’s classic work Moby Dick (Or, Mobi Diḳ, if you prefer), was printed in Tel Aviv, circa 1951, by…
by Daniella Lurion, Reference Services Research Intern, Center for Jewish History To coincide with the anniversary of Kristallnacht (November 9th) the first week of November is always Holocaust Education Week in my hometown of Toronto, Canada. The local JCC and Holocaust Museum promote awareness by organizing events and lectures throughout the week and throughout the city. I thought I would share a personal story…
by Ilana Rossoff, Reference Services Research Intern, Center for Jewish History This post is part of the Jews and Social Justice Series. To view all posts in the series, click here. Jews for Urban Justice (JUJ) organized programs that used Jewish holidays as opportunities to raise awareness about social injustices and expand on traditional Jewish spiritual practice. On July 23, 1969, Jews for Urban Justice held…
Remembering Kristallnachtby David P. Rosenberg, M.P.A., Reference Services Research Coordinator, Center for Jewish History November 9th -10th marks the 75th anniversary of Kristallnacht, a series of attacks on Jews in Germany and Austria that was a turning point for the Nazi Party. Kristallnacht is often looked at as the beginning of the Holocaust. Each of the five partners of the Center for Jewish History has material on Kristallnacht or…