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Otto Frank’s refugee file, a Rothschild Talmud and a menorah bong tell the story of the Jewish past — and future

JL;DR SUMMARY PJ Grisar's article delves into the centennial publication by the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, highlighting a collection that encapsulates the complex and dynamic narrative of Jewish life. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

Jewish CultureJewish HistoryHolocaustOtto FrankImmigrationArtifactsYivo InstituteTraditionsChaim GradeRothschild Family

Places mentioned

Vilnius, Vilnius County, Lithuania
"The archive contains what its founders envisioned 100 years ago when it was established in Vilna: a repository for Jewish life and culture, even its challenging parts."
Argentina
"For every image of children at Cheder in the Pale of Settlement, there is another that shows Jewish emigrants in the pampas of Argentina, in the company of gauchos and soldiers."
Poland
"Max Weinreich, one of YIVOs co-founders, wrote a letter in 1932 to Forverts founding editor Ab Cahan, informing him of violent antisemitism, fomented by right-wing nationalists, on Polish universities."
Austin, Texas, United States
"If we may feel distance from folk customs, gathered in Europe by YIVOs network of volunteer zamlers (collectors), the book also touches on recent history, in the form of a menorah bong crafted in 2019 in Austin, Tex."

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Cairo Item ID 55166
Cairo Source ID 35
Retrieved 2025-06-21 05:31:06 UTC
Curated 2025-06-21 08:30:49 UTC