Jewish Review of Books
Rallying Round the Flags
15 Jun 2014
During World War I, a significant number of Jews served in various armies, leading to instances of Jews fighting against fellow Jews. The story of a soldier ...
15 Jun 2014
Jewish Review of Books
Brief Kvetches: Notes to a 19th-Century Miracle Worker
15 Jun 2014
Rabbi Elijah Guttmacher, known as the Tzaddik of Grtz in 19th-century Eastern Europe, was a miracle worker who received thousands of petitions (kvitlekh) fro...
15 Jun 2014
Forward
Jewish Department Store Heirs Win $68M From Germany in Suit
12 Jun 2014
The heirs of the Jewish Schocken family, who owned a department store chain before World War II, have won a restitution case against Germany, receiving nearl...
12 Jun 2014
Tablet
The 13 Worst Jewish Fathers in Literature, From Abraham to Mr. Portnoy
12 Jun 2014
The article outlines the portrayal of Jewish fathers in literature, highlighting 13 problematic examples spanning biblical figures like Abraham and Jacob to ...
12 Jun 2014
Forward
400 Years After Portugal’s Inquisition, a Very Unusual Family Comes Together
1 Jun 2014
Descendants of four Portuguese Jewish brothers who fled the Inquisition in Portugal in 1614 gathered in Amsterdam to commemorate their heritage, although man...
1 Jun 2014
Tablet
Why Did God Choose the Jewish People To Receive the Torah?
29 Apr 2014
The essay discusses the question of why God chose the Jewish people to receive the Torah, exploring various perspectives from different sources. It notes the...
29 Apr 2014
Forward
Chasing Dr. Aribert Heim, the 'Butcher of Mauthausen'
21 Apr 2014
"The Eternal Nazi" by Nicholas Kulish and Souad Mekhennet is a compelling account of the hunt for Nazi doctor Aribert Heim, infamous for his sadistic medical...
21 Apr 2014
Tablet
For These Moroccan Muslims, Mimouna Isn’t Just a Jewish Thing—It’s Their Heritage, Too
18 Apr 2014
The Mimouna Club, founded in Morocco's Al-Akhawayn University, aims to celebrate the country's Jewish heritage and promote cultural diversity. Despite facing...
18 Apr 2014
Tablet
Our Family’s Twin Passover Tales: Escaping From Egypt and the Soviet Union
14 Apr 2014
The author reflects on the two Passover tales told in their home: the traditional Exodus from Egypt and their family's personal story of escape from Velizh, ...
14 Apr 2014
Tablet
Errol Morris Talked to Rumsfeld for 33 Hours. All He Got Was ‘The Unknown Known.’
8 Apr 2014
Errol Morris interviewed Donald Rumsfeld for 33 hours for his documentary "The Unknown Known," exploring the former Secretary of Defense's role in the Iraq w...
8 Apr 2014
Tablet
Did Sandy Koufax Lay Tefillin During the 1965 World Series?
4 Apr 2014
Sandy Koufax, the legendary Jewish pitcher for the Dodgers, made a cultural impact by choosing not to pitch on Yom Kippur during the 1965 World Series, leadi...
4 Apr 2014
Tablet
Jugglers, Acrobats, a Magnificent Temple—and Notably No Political Strife
1 Apr 2014
The Talmudic text explores the nostalgia and celebration surrounding the temple practices, specifically focusing on the Ceremony of the Drawing of the Water ...
1 Apr 2014
Jewish Review of Books
Missing Menachem
24 Mar 2014
Menachem Begin, a prominent figure in Israeli politics, faced early condemnation, even being compared to Hitler. However, his legacy has evolved, with differ...
24 Mar 2014
Forward
The Mystery of Raoul Wallenberg
14 Mar 2014
Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish businessman and diplomat during World War II, rescued thousands of Hungarian Jews from the Holocaust. Bengt Jangfeldt's new biogr...
14 Mar 2014
Jewish Review of Books
At Professor Bachlam’s
5 Mar 2014
S.Y. Agnon's novel "Shira" follows the story of Dr. Manfred Herbst, an anti-hero professor at The Hebrew University in Jerusalem during the 1930s, as he navi...
5 Mar 2014
Jewish Review of Books
Our Master, May He Live
5 Mar 2014
Avraham Grossman's biography on Rashi, a pivotal figure in Jewish history, explores the life and works of the medieval commentator. Born in Troyes, France, R...
5 Mar 2014
Jewish Review of Books
The Living Waters of History
5 Mar 2014
"The Mapmaker's Daughter" by Laurel Corona is a historical novel set in Spain during the 15th century, following the life of Amalia Riba, a converso girl wit...
5 Mar 2014
Jewish Review of Books
Nation and Narrative
5 Mar 2014
Yossi Klein Halevi's book "Like Dreamers" tells the story of seven paratroopers who helped liberate Jerusalem in 1967 and follows their lives through the 197...
5 Mar 2014
Jewish Review of Books
History, Memory, and the Fallen Jew
5 Mar 2014
Yosef Hayim Yerushalmi, a prominent Jewish historian, is reflected upon through the lens of his essays and writings, shedding light on his fascination with r...
5 Mar 2014
Jewish Review of Books
Dangerous Liaisons: Modern Scholars and Medieval Relations Between Jews and Christians
5 Mar 2014
Salo Baron's 1942 article challenged the common narrative of Jewish suffering in medieval Europe, arguing that despite facing some discrimination, medieval J...
5 Mar 2014
Jewish Review of Books
A Stone for His Slingshot
5 Mar 2014
Ben Hecht, a renowned writer, delivered a captivating speech at a Los Angeles dinner funded by Mickey Cohen, a notorious gangland boss, as part of a Jewish f...
5 Mar 2014
Tablet
Obama to Award Jewish Veterans Posthumous Medal of Honor
21 Feb 2014
President Obama has announced that 24 former U.S. soldiers, including Jewish veterans, will be awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously in a ceremony in March...
21 Feb 2014
Forward
Menachem Beilis 'Blood Libel' Case Gets a New Hearing
17 Feb 2014
The article discusses the Menachem Beilis "Blood Libel" case that took place in Tsarist Russia over 100 years ago, where Beilis, a Jewish man, was wrongly ac...
17 Feb 2014
Tablet
Freud and the Marranos: How Yosef H. Yerushalmi Gave Voice to Jews Caught Between Worlds
10 Feb 2014
Yosef Hayim Yerushalmi, a prominent Jewish historian, is remembered for his groundbreaking work on the Marranos, Jews caught between worlds. Raised in a Jewi...
10 Feb 2014
Tablet
When an Israeli Ambassador Debated a British Historian on Israel’s Legitimacy—and Won
31 Jan 2014
In 1961, at McGill University in Montreal, Israeli Ambassador Yaacov Herzog challenged British historian Arnold Toynbee to a public debate after Toynbee ques...
31 Jan 2014
Tablet
The Haftarah Reading That Inspired Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I Have a Dream’
13 Jan 2014
Martin Luther King Jr., in his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech during the historic March on Washington in 1963, drew inspiration from the Bible, specifically ...
13 Jan 2014
Tablet
A Divider by Nature, Sharon Tried To Unite Israelis Behind Ending the Occupation
13 Jan 2014
The article reflects on Ariel Sharon's life and leadership, highlighting his journey from being a divisive figure to a unifying force in Israel. Initially se...
13 Jan 2014
Tablet
Activists Who Burgled FBI in 1971—Led by a Jewish Physicist—Finally Out Themselves
7 Jan 2014
In 1971, a group of activists burgled an FBI office in Media, Pennsylvania, stealing classified documents that exposed the COINTELPRO surveillance program ta...
7 Jan 2014
Tablet
The Search for My Uncle Harry
26 Nov 2013
Alex Joffe explores the poignant story of his uncle, Second Lt. Joseph H. Joffe, who went missing during a WWII bombing raid over Germany. In a deeply person...
26 Nov 2013
Jewish Review of Books
Scenes of Jewish Life in Imperial Russia
25 Nov 2013
The anthology "Everyday Jewish Life in Imperial Russia" offers glimpses into the diverse experiences of Russian Jews before the revolution. Through stories l...
25 Nov 2013
Jewish Review of Books
Hollywood’s Anti-Nazi Spies
25 Nov 2013
In the 1930s, prominent Jewish studio heads in Hollywood secretly funded informants to infiltrate Nazi groups in Los Angeles, working with law enforcement ag...
25 Nov 2013
Tablet
Finding My Grandfather, and Myself, on the Battlefields of the Spanish Civil War
11 Nov 2013
The author embarks on a journey to discover why his grandfather, a Jewish teenager named David Dombroff, fought in the Spanish Civil War as part of the Abrah...
11 Nov 2013
Tablet
In Slovakia, a Citizen’s Effort To Build a Holocaust Memorial to His City’s Missing Jews
16 Oct 2013
In Slovakia's city of Koice, once home to a significant Jewish community before the Holocaust, efforts are underway to build a memorial honoring the city's l...
16 Oct 2013
Tablet
The $1 Million Plan to Attract Jews to Alabama
14 Oct 2013
Larry Blumberg initiated a unique plan to attract Jewish families to Dothan, Alabama, by offering $50,000 in relocation assistance and encouraging them to st...
14 Oct 2013
Tablet
When the Detroit Tigers Play the Boston Red Sox
11 Oct 2013
Steve Calechman, a Boston-raised sports fan, shares his unique story of being a devout Detroit team supporter due to his father's admiration for Jewish sport...
11 Oct 2013
Tablet
Revisiting The Yom Kippur War 40 Years Later
7 Oct 2013
The event marking the 40th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War brought together Major General (ret.) Eli Zeira and Major General (ret.) Zvi Zamir, key figures ...
7 Oct 2013
Tablet
On the 40th Anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, Israel’s Top Spymasters Face Off
4 Oct 2013
On the 40th Anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, a debate arises over the actions of Israel's top spymasters regarding the conflict. Ashraf Marwan, a key Egypt...
4 Oct 2013
Tablet
Israel Gutman, Holocaust Survivor and Scholar
2 Oct 2013
Israel Gutman, a Holocaust survivor and scholar, played a pivotal role in Holocaust research and commemoration. Born in Warsaw, Gutman was a member of the Ha...
2 Oct 2013
Tablet
Putin Refuses To Let the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s Library Leave Moscow
30 Sep 2013
A property dispute over a valuable library of religious books owned by the Lubavitcher Rebbe has led to tensions between Russian officials and Chabad represe...
30 Sep 2013
Tablet
A Simchat Torah Story From 1663 London
25 Sep 2013
In 1663 London, during Simchat Torah, renowned diarist Samuel Pepys unexpectedly entered Congregation Shaar Hashamayim, a Spanish & Portuguese synagogue, and...
25 Sep 2013
Tablet
Auto-da-Fé, Elias Canetti (1935)
17 Sep 2013
"Auto-da-F" by Elias Canetti is a novel depicting the downfall of a sheltered intellectual who marries his cruel and uneducated housekeeper, leading to the d...
17 Sep 2013
Tablet
After Hurricane Katrina, A Solemn Yom Kippur
13 Sep 2013
After Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, the Beth Israel congregation faced immense challenges with their synagogue heavily damaged. Despite the loss ...
13 Sep 2013
Jewish Review of Books
Hebrew School Days
29 Aug 2013
A young individual finds a job teaching Jewish history through drama at a temple's Sunday school despite having little experience. The teaching approach lack...
29 Aug 2013
Jewish Review of Books
Karl Marx, Bourgeois Revolutionary
29 Aug 2013
Jonathan Sperber's biography of Karl Marx portrays him as a figure of the 19th century, highlighting his bourgeois origins, lifestyle, and approach to revolu...
29 Aug 2013
Jewish Review of Books
Notice Posted on the Door of the Kelm Talmud Torah Before the High Holidays
29 Aug 2013
Rabbi Simcha Zissel Ziv, a student of Rabbi Israel Lipkin Salanter, founded the Talmud Torah of Kelm, a unique yeshiva blending tradition with elements of th...
29 Aug 2013
Jewish Review of Books
Meanwhile, on a Quiet Street in Cleveland
29 Aug 2013
Jerry Siegel, a young aspiring writer from Cleveland, was the creative mind behind Superman, inspired by a series of experiences and collaborations with his ...
29 Aug 2013
Tablet
More Nixon Tapes, More Anti-Jewish Sentiment
22 Aug 2013
The release of the final set of Nixon tapes by the Nixon Presidential Library continues to reveal the extent of President Nixon's anti-Jewish sentiment, with...
22 Aug 2013
Forward
The Leo Frank Story
21 Aug 2013
The Leo Frank story, revolving around the trial, conviction, and lynching of Leo Frank in 1915, is seen as a pivotal moment in American Jewish history, spark...
21 Aug 2013
Tablet
Not Just for Kids: Three Knockout Biographies Bring Three Awesome Jews to Life
21 Aug 2013
This article highlights three exceptional Jewish biographies suitable for readers of all ages. "The Boy Who Loved Math" depicts Paul Erds' remarkable life as...
21 Aug 2013
Jewish Action
What’s the Truth about . . . the Legend of Two Brothers and the Temple Mount?
12 Aug 2013
The legend of two brothers expressing mutual devotion through sharing is a popular but unfounded story in Jewish tradition. The true significance of the Temp...
12 Aug 2013