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.
Rescuing Hidden Treasures: Surprises Found Inside Book Bindings
The practice of bookbinders repurposing worn-out pages as binding material has, paradoxically, played a crucial role in preserving rare texts. One such example—a 16th-century manuscript—was recently uncovered inside a book binding kept at the National Library.
October 7, Mariampol, and Me: Living in the Shadow of Trauma
When Sharon Taylor first heard the term “intergenerational trauma,” she was oddly filled with a sense of relief – finally, a phrase that could describe the familiar anxiety that had always been there. Here, she shares some of her own family history, the kind of history that is familiar to many of us.
Ghosts, Evil Spirits and Kabbalistic Teachings: A Very Ashkenazi Christmas
“Nittel Nacht” is an Ashkenazi Jewish term for Christmas Eve. Although it is certainly not a Jewish holiday, it has, in very particular Jewish communities, become a night marked by strange and even provocative customs. Where did these Nittel Nacht traditions come from, and how are they connected to historical attempts to protect oneself from the forces of darkness?
The Balilius Affair: What Was Jerusalem’s Main Synagogue?
In the late 1920s, a fierce debate erupted between the Ashkenazim and Sephardim in Jerusalem over which synagogue should be considered the main Jewish house of worship in the city. This controversy escalated to an international legal battle that lasted many years.
The Riddle of the Baal Shem Tov
No one knows when or where he was born, but on the festival of Shavuot we mark the passing of the Baal Shem Tov, one of the most influential figures in the Jewish world of the past few centuries. Was “The Besht” a real person or just a Hasidic legend? How has this enigmatic figure influenced generations of followers? How did he foresee his own death? Dr. Chaim Neria, curator of our Judaica Collection, offers insight on the life of this fascinating person.
When Memory Comes Alive: The Diary of a Yiddishe Woman
In 1743, Glückel of Hameln, wife, mother, and businesswoman, wrote a detailed memoir in Yiddish to enlighten her descendants about her life as a 17th century Jewish woman in Germany, describing experiences as dramatic as murders, pirates, and even a false messiah!
Deep Dive: Bringing Jewish Cemeteries to Life
British author and academic Dr. Rachel Lichtenstein spent the past year working with seven different communities across Europe to bring old Jewish cemeteries alive through new and exciting initiatives, encouraging a phenomenal revival of Jewish history
Where the Wild Jews Are: Maurice Sendak’s Real Life Monsters
For the monsters in the book “Where the Wild Things Are”, Maurice Sendak had in mind people he actually knew. The dark themes of his children’s books, which have been the subject of repeated criticism, reflected the world he inhabited
The Wise Men of Chelm: The Unfair Shaming of a Jewish Community
How did the Jews of Chelm, a city in Poland, acquire their reputation as a “town of fools”? Could Chelm have actually been a community of great sages? We set out in search of the true story behind this odd piece of Jewish folklore…
