Virginia is for Lovers…of Israel
While cities like Charleston, Philadelphia and New York contained Jewish communities during the pre-revolutionary period, Virginia, the largest of the colonies, did not. Individual Jews…
Belarus, China, Jerusalem and Brooklyn: The Odyssey of the World’s Largest Yeshiva
For 125 years, from 1814 until 1939, the Mir Yeshiva served as a beacon of elite Torah study on the European continent. Situated in the small town of Mir in Belarus, the yeshiva was…
Splitting the Atom
When asked to name a theoretical physicist, the first name to come to many young Americans would be “Sheldon Cooper,” the fictional lead character on the former hit show, “The Big Bang…
The Author of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Jewish Treats presents a brief biography of René Samuel Cassin (October 5, 1887 – February 20, 1976), the author of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Nobel Peace Prize winner…
A Day That Will Live in Infamy
In one of the 20th century’s most memorable and impactful speeches, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt called December 7, 1941, “A Day that will live in infamy,” due to the deadly…
IPO Music
On December 26, 1936, corresponding to today’s Hebrew date, the 12th of Tevet, the Palestine Orchestra, founded by Polish-Jewish violinist, Bronislaw Huberman, held its initial concert in…
History for Everyone
Barbara Tuchman (January 30, 1912 – February 6, 1989) never earned a doctorate in history, but the books that she authored injected new life into the layman’s study and understanding of…
Lions and Jerusalem Day
The original city of Jerusalem, conquered by King David from the Jebusites, is now known as Ir David, situated in the Silwan neighborhood, south of the Temple Mount. Over time, Jerusalem…
Yiddish in Shanghai
During World War II, Japanese-occupied Shanghai, China, became a haven for Jewish refugees, most notably the students of the Mirrer Yeshiva. After the “Battle of Shanghai” in 1937, the…
Splitting the Atom
When asked to name a theoretical physicist, the first name to come to many young Americans would be “Sheldon Cooper,” the fictional lead character on the former hit show, “The Big Bang…