IPO Music
On December 26, 1936, corresponding to the 12th of Tevet, the Palestine Orchestra, founded by Polish-Jewish violinist Bronislaw Huberman, held its initial concert in Tel Aviv. At that…
Can the Theory of Evolution and God Co-Exist?
On this “Darwin Day,” commemorating the birth of Charles Darwin on February 12, 1809, we address the issue of Darwin’s own belief in God, given his authorship of the famed Theory of…
A Taste of Shakespeare
Yiddish theater, which saw its heyday in the early decades of the twentieth century, played an important role in the lives of the American Jewish community. More than just entertainment…
Irish Jews
The exile of the Jewish people has taken them to every corner of the earth. Jews have lived in and built communities in Europe, China, India, Central Asia, Africa, South America, North…
Jonas Phillips: Living in the Revolution
A few weeks after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the BriTisha blockade intercepted a communication from Jonas Phillips to a relative on the Dutch Island of St.…
No Nicknames
Did you have a nickname growing up? Did you use it, or was it a name reserved for use by your closest friends or just family? It is fascinating to note that Jewish law frowns upon…
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…
Alas Poor Yorick
William Shakespeare used the imagery of the skull of Yorick as a means for Prince Hamlet to wax poetic about the futility of life. While Yorick’s may be the most famous skull in…
Presidentially Approved
As the only territory completely under the control of the Federal Government, it is not surprising that Washington, D.C. is home to the only synagogue whose existence was enacted by an…
The Jewish Prime Minister?
Benjamin Disraeli has been called the first (and only) Jewish Prime Minister of England. The truth of this claim is...complicated. According to Jewish law, he was Jewish. His political…