Looking Back at the Jews of Lithuania Before the War, Understanding Litvak Haredi Culture
Before World War II, Lithuania had a large, vibrant Jewish community, largely centered in Vilnius.
Conversations with ‘Jews by Choice’: What to Say and What Not to Say to Converts to Judaism
Even if their intentions are good, “Jews by birth” often stick their foot in their mouth when it comes to communicating with…
Egg Creams: Once a Mainstay of the New York Jewish Scene, Made Without Egg or Cream
Back in the day in New York City — “the day” being the 1920s through 1950s — when pharmacies and five-and-dimes had soda fountains…
Cholent: Slow-Cooked Stew Eaten for Shabbat Lunch in Ashkenazi and Sephardi Homes
Cholent is a hearty, slow-cooked stew usually enjoyed at Shabbat lunch in both Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jewish homes. To avoid cooking on the Sabbath, observant Jews let the cholent pot simmer from before sundown on Friday, throughout the night, and until lunchtime the following day. This very filling dish is known for its delectable aroma…
Crypto-Jews of New Mexico: Reclaiming Their Jewish Identity After 500 Years
Although we ran an item about crypto-Jews (also known as conversos) in New Mexico several months ago, we recently came across a fascinating one-hour documentary on the subject: A Long Journey: The Hidden Jews of the Southwest. Crypto-Jews are descendants of Jews living in Spain and Portugal from the 15th to 17th centuries, who…
Jews of Myanmar and the Recent Military Coup That Overthrew the Elected Government
Although today there reportedly are fewer than 50 Jews in Myanmar (formerly Burma), this tiny number was not always the case. Most of the Jewish community fled (many to India) in 1942 because of the Japanese invasion and oppression by the local Burmese government. Nevertheless, the history of the Jews of Myanmar is fascinating and…
Christmas Eats: What’s With Jews and Chinese Food? Get the Lowdown on the Lo Mein
Christmas 2020 has come and gone, but it once again raises a culinary conundrun. Yes, many American Jews really do eat Chinese food on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day — it’s not just some wacky urban myth. What explains the allure of egg drop soup and sesame chicken for people more used to fressing on…
The Black Jews of Africa: Oral Traditions, Religious Practices, Genetics
The mass aliya of Ethiopian Jews to Israel is the stuff of legend — but it was fraught with vexing issues. Perhaps most notable: the question of whether the new immigrants truly were Jews. Since then, that question has largely been answered in the affirmative. (The Ethiopian Jews had to undergo pro forma “conversions” to…
Cuba’s Jews: The Jewish Presence on the Island, Past and Present
Although Jews have lived on the island nation of Cuba for hundreds of years, their numbers today are greatly diminished largely due to emigration. In 2007, it was estimated there were approximately 1,500 Cuban Jews, the vast majority in Havana. Since then, hundreds of those have reportedly left for Israel. To learn more about this…
New Mexico’s Converso Jews: Forced to Convert by the Spanish Inquisition
The terms Conversos, Crypto-Jews, and Marranos are names applied to Jews in the Iberian Peninsula who were caught up in the nightmare of the Spanish Inquisition of the 15th — 17th centuries. Many converted to Catholicism under the most severe duress. Because of ongoing persecution, some of those migrated first to Mexico and later to…
To learn about these and many more AmazingJews, watch a compilation put together by JewOfTheWeek.net in 2015 and posted on YouTube.