People of the (Printed) Book
Johannes Gutenberg, credited as the developer of the printing press, published the Gutenberg Bible in 1445. The printing technology transformed the way people learned. International…
The Jews of Amsterdam
October 27, 1275 is noted as the first time the name “Amsterdam” was recorded as the name of a settlement near a dam on the Amstel River. That small fishing village grew into a vibrant…
Abraham in the Idol Shop
According to Jewish tradition, Abram was very young when he came to the conclusion that the world had One Creator. Although it is often said that Abraham discovered monotheism, the…
Sitting in the House of Commons
On July 26, 1858, Baron Lionel Nathan de Rothschild entered the British House of Commons and took the oath required to serve as a Member of Parliament. His oath was a groundbreaking step…
A Hero in Hollywood
Like many of the Jews who found success in the early decades of Hollywood show business, Ben Hecht (1893 - 1964) was the son of Russian-Jewish immigrants. When Hecht was born, the family…
It Happened in Illinois
In honor of the anniversary of the State of Illinois’ entry into the union on December 3, 1818, Jewish Treats presents a brief overview of a 1977 Supreme Court case that helped…
The Jewish History of the Mercedes
If you ask most people if they know what the Jewish connection is to Mercedes brand automobiles, they might guess that it was the boycott placed on the German car by many Jews of the…
American Archivist
Selma Stern-Taeubler (1890-1981) was a natural achiever. Not only was this doctor’s daughter the first woman to be accepted to Baden-Baden’s Gymnasium in Germany, she even graduated from…
Kosher in Gracie Mansion
Although New York has one of the oldest Jewish communities in the United States (the first Jews arrived in 1654), the first openly Jewish mayor of New York City was not elected until…
Musical Politicians in Victoria, B.C.
Lumley and Selim Franklin moved to Victoria, British Columbia, in 1858, during the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush. The Jewish community was just starting to grow, and the first synagogue, Temple…