U.S. General Ulysses S. Grant ordered the eviction of Jews in southern areas he controlled during the Civil War. President Abraham Lincoln reversed the edict of the man he later appointed the Union Army’s commander. Grant went on to become president.
Who Knows One? The Arrival of the Moss Haggadah
A unique Haggadah crafted by American-Israeli artist David Moss four decades ago joins the National Library of Israel’s collection.
Remembering Al Rosen: An All-Star Player and Executive
Rosen was one of the leading sluggers in Major League Baseball during the 1950s. Decades later he became a highly successful baseball executive. Rosen, who was Jewish, is remembered for his toughness — and his heart
Gimme a Pastrami on Rye!
Delicatessens once served up Jewish comfort food, but have been disappearing in recent decades. In North America and even in Israel, some outposts remain, though the concept of the “Jewish Deli” never really caught on in the Jewish state.
When “The Hebrew Hammer” Struck Twice on Rosh Hashanah
Ninety years ago, American baseball star Hank Greenberg played on the Jewish New Year holiday, even hitting two home runs, but later sat out Yom Kippur
Marc Chagall’s Gift: A Mosaic of Generosity
The French artist once designed something special for his friends’ garden in Washington, D.C. In turn, they provided a unique experience for congregants of a synagogue across the street.
Moe Berg: Baseball Player and Secret Agent
The Ivy League-trained linguist and lawyer, professional baseball player and American spy was an enigma in life — and he remains so. Somehow, a number of Berg’s documents entered the collections of the National Library of Israel.
Stetl-Mentality and Non-Native Ignorance: David Weiss Halivni and Gerson Cohen on the Ordination of Women
An old letter that has recently surfaced at the National Library of Israel sheds new light on a controversy which rocked the world of Conservative Judaism some 40 years ago…
Persecuted for Their Judaism in Germany and for Their German Origins in America
The story of the Jewish refugees from Germany who fled the Nazis to Latin America and found themselves in internment camps in the United States during World War II
This Flamboyant New York Jew Amended Black Legal History
Eight Black youths were hastily sentenced to death in 1931 Alabama. Global outcry ensued, and a flamboyant New York Jewish lawyer was sent down to defend them…
