No Refuge in Alaska

Purchased from the Russian Empire in 1867, the territory of Alaska was the United States’ “Last Frontier.” Following its 1899 gold rush, which helped lay the foundation of Alaskan…

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Irish in Fairbanks

In 1910, while visiting her family in her native town of Dublin, Jessie Spiro was introduced to her second cousin, Robert Bloom. He was eight years her senior and had spent the last…

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Rosh Hashana-Nitzavim 5769-2008

"Hewers of Wood and Drawers of Water" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Parashat Nitzavim is always read on the Shabbat before Rosh Hashana, and with good reason. It contains a host of vital…

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The Western Light

Tens of thousands of tourists stream annually to countries such as Canada, Iceland, Norway and even the U.S. state of Alaska, to behold the exquisite Northern Lights, aurora borealis,…

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Jews in Idaho

Idaho is not a state known for its burgeoning Jewish population. It is currently estimated, according to JewishVirtualLibrary.org, that there are about 1,500 Jews in the state, most of…

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