In Honor of Armistice Day: A Jewish War Hero Remembered
Sammy Dreben, “The Fighting Jew,” (1878-1925) was a new immigrant to the United States when he enlisted in the U.S. Army. It’s ironic that one of the main reasons that Dreben fled from…
In 1492, Columbus Sailed the Ocean Blue
On August 3, 1492, Columbus’ three ships set sail from Spain. But did you know that August 2, 1492, was Tisha b’Av, the Fast of the 9th of Av, and the date by which all Jews were required…
The Other Hand Washing
It’s been a lovely meal, from the fresh-baked French bread to the sinful chocolate mousse -- every bite. All that is left to do is to recite Grace After Meals (Birkat Hamazon) thanking…
Ahh…Cholent!
The highlight of many Shabbat lunch tables is cholent, a hot stew which simmers overnight in a crockpot, on the stove or in the oven. Known also as chamim by many Sephardim, cholent is…
To Jew and Jew and Jew
Judaism is both a religion and a nationality. The Talmud teaches us (Shavuot 39a) “Kol Yisrael areivim zeh bazeh,” that all Jews are responsible (literally “guarantors”) for one another.…
Happy Bow Tie Day
Bow Tie Day is celebrated annually on August 28th. The bow tie originated in the 17th century with Croatian soldiers who wore them as part of their uniforms in the Thirty Year War. The…
In Honor of Veterans Day- A Jewish War Hero Remembered
Sammy Dreben, “The Fighting Jew,” (1878-1925) was a new immigrant from Russia to the United States when he enlisted in the U.S. Army. It’s ironic that one of the main reasons that Dreben…
A Historical Overview of Jews in Morocco
Jews have lived in Morocco for thousands of years. Jewish nomadic tribes integrated into all aspects of Moroccan life even before the Mohammedan conquest of Morocco, which occurred in the…
Before Michigan
The foundations of Michigan’s Jewish community were laid by the German Jews who came to America in the 1840s and spread out across the continent. Jewish history in Michigan, which became…
Until 120!
According to Wikipedia, “The oldest verified person on record was French woman Jeanne Calment (1875 – 1997), who lived to the age of 122 years.” This fact is an excellent opportunity to…