Eliezer Ben-Yehuda: Father of Modern Hebrew, Israel’s Mother Tongue
Eliezer Ben Yehuda (Jan. 7, 1858 – Dec. 16, 1922) was the main force behind the revival of Hebrew as a modern, living, spoken language…
Tony Randall: Actor Best Known as Felix Unger, the Fastidious, Neurotic Half of ‘The Odd Couple’
Many will be surprised to learn that actor Tony Randall was a Jew, but his birth name was Aryeh Leonard Rosenberg. Randall (Feb. 26, 1920 – May 17, 2004) was perhaps best known for playing the role of Felix Unger in the television adaptation of the 1965 play “The Odd Couple.” Unger was a world-class…
Marc Chagall: Artist of Folkloric Jewish Imagery, Including on Stunning Stained Glass Windows
Mark Chagall (July 6, 1887 — March 28, 1985) is considered one of the greatest artists of the 20th century. His works most often were inspired by traditional Jewish folklore. An early art modernist, Chagall embraced a number of different artistic styles. In the medium of stained glass, he produced beautiful windows for the…
Halacha vs. Minhag: What Are They and Which Carries More Weight in Judaism?
Halacha (transliterated from the Hebrew in a number of closely related variations) refers to Jewish religious laws derived from biblical commandments (mitzvot) and Talmudic and rabbinic law. On the other hand, minhag refers to an accepted tradition or group of traditions in Judaism. A related concept, nusach, refers to the traditional order and form of…
To learn about these and many more AmazingJews, watch a compilation put together by JewOfTheWeek.net in 2015 and posted on YouTube.