Eastern European Jews

0 Music Communities

These new klezmer musicians aren’t old enough to drive

Nora Giuffrida in JTA · 12 Nov

Klezmer music is experiencing a youthful resurgence thanks to groups like the Klezmaniacs, a band of talented musicians aged 10 to 16 from New York's MakomNY synagogue.

0 History Communities

In place of a proud emblem of Jewish immigration in NYC, million-dollar condos and a private garden

Andrew Silverstein in Forward · 20 Sep

The Bialystoker Center and Home for the Aged, a significant symbol of Jewish immigrant achievement in New York City's Lower East Side, has reopened as luxury condos after closing in 2011.

0 History Communities

How ‘uptown’ Jews fought to clean up the criminal underworld of the Lower East Side

Jon Kalish in JTA · 5 Sep

In his new book, "The Incorruptibles: A True Story of Kingpins, Crime Busters, and the Birth of the American Underworld," author Dan Slater explores the efforts of wealthy uptown Jews to combat crime in the Lower East Side of New York during the early 20th century.

0 History Communities

Why my great-grandfather, a strike leader, kept landing in prison

Emily Kaplan in Forward · 26 Aug

This article explores the life of Chaim Ime Mendl Kaplan, an influential Jewish labor activist in early 20th-century America.

0 Culture History

Grandma’s Got the Cure

Rokhl Kafrissen in Tablet · 30 Jan

The article discusses the parallel system of health care along the Rio Grande border between Mexico and the United States, where folk healers called curanderos thrive due to cultural distrust of the medical establishment and lack of affordable options.

0 History Communities

It looks like a church, but murals reveal this shul's Jewish identity

Jennifer A. Stern in Forward · 5 Dec 2023

The article discusses the Vilna Shul, the last standing synagogue from the immigrant Jewish communities in Boston.

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How I stumbled upon thousands of Holocaust-era letters and traced the stories behind them

Matthew Litman in Forward · 10 Sep 2023

In this article, the author describes how they stumbled upon thousands of Holocaust-era letters while researching a column called "Seeking Relatives" in the Forward newspaper's archives.

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How Yiddish taught me to embrace the joy and defiance of being queer

BCohen in Forward · 20 Jul 2023

In this article, the author discusses how Yiddish culture has helped them embrace their identity as a queer person.

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Video: How to make "poor man's caviar" for National Caviar Day

RSchaechter in Forward · 18 Jul 2023

In this video, Yiddish editor Rukhl Schaechter and food scholar Eve Jochnowitz demonstrate how to make "poor man's caviar," also known as Romanian eggplant orvinete.

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David Duchovny takes a deep dive into his Jewish heritage on 'Finding Your Roots'

Adam Kovac in Forward · 15 Feb 2023

Actor David Duchovny explored his Jewish heritage on the show "Finding Your Roots."

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The Jewish Superman

Robert Rockaway in Tablet · 23 Jan 2023

Zishe Breitbart, a Jewish strongman in the early 20th century, became a sensation and cult hero in Europe and the United States.

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The Fierce Lust for Contemplation

Shai Secunda in Jewish Review of Books · 11 Jan 2023

"The Yeshiva and the Rise of Modern Hebrew Literature" by Marina Zilbergerts examines the relationship between traditional Jewish learning in yeshivas and the emergence of modern Hebrew literature in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

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My Grandparents’ Impossible Situation

Carol Ungar in Tablet · 16 Sep 2022

The author recounts their realization as a child that their grandparents' situation was odd, with their "step-grandmother" not fitting in with their biological connection.

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Forward awarded Stern Grant at IAJGS Jewish Genealogy Conference

Jaclyn Debonis in Forward · 24 Aug 2022

The Forward has received the Rabbi Malcolm H. Stern Grant at the IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy.

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Little Shop on the Prairie

Allan Levine in Tablet · 10 May 2022

This text discusses the experiences of Russian and Eastern European Jewish immigrants who settled in Canada in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

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When It Comes to Soup, Looks Aren’t Everything

Leah Koenig in Tablet · 3 Jan 2022

Mushroom barley soup is a beloved comfort food in Jewish cuisine.

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All-of-a-Kind Americans

Rebecca Klempner in Jewish Review of Books · 28 Dec 2021

This article discusses the significance of the All-of-a-Kind Family children's book series by Sydney Taylor.

0 Communities Culture

Summer Judaism

Jenna Weissman Joselit in Tablet · 25 Jul 2019

Rabbis have historically faced challenges during the summer months as congregants often prioritize leisure activities over religious duties.

0 History Antisemitism

Pittsburgh Jews, Squirrel Hill, and the Tree of Life

Barbara S. Burstin in Jewish Review of Books · 20 Dec 2018

Pittsburgh's Jewish community, particularly in Squirrel Hill, was deeply affected by the tragic events of October 27, 2018, when a gunman attacked the Tree of Life synagogue.

0 Communities History

Out of Ghetto Streets

Allan Levine in Tablet · 2 Nov 2018

During the early 20th century, Canada saw a significant increase in its Jewish population due to the arrival of Russian and Eastern European immigrants, who faced challenges and discrimination in cities like Montreal and Toronto.

0 History Literature

“When Orchards Burn Their Lamps of Fiery Gold”

Esther Schor in Jewish Review of Books · 5 Sep 2018

Emma Lazarus creatively captures the spirit of Rosh Hashanah 5643 in her poem, reflecting on the challenges faced by Eastern European Jews and the hope for a better future.

0 History Antisemitism

Jewish Rebels Once Dreamed Of Peace On Earth. What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

Forward · 9 Mar 2018

The article discusses the historical connection between Jewish ideals of peace and early 20th-century Jewish involvement in communism, particularly in the context of the Soviet Union.

0 History Jewish Law

The Angel and the Covenant

Yitzhak Y. Melamed in Jewish Review of Books · 26 Sep 2016

Rabbi Shmelke of Nikolsburg encountered the Angel of Death at the German border in the 1770s, warning him that spreading Hasidism in Western Europe would lead all Jews there to become Hasidim.

0 History Communities

Brief Kvetches: Notes to a 19th-Century Miracle Worker

Glenn Dynner in Jewish Review of Books · 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) from Jews seeking his help with various personal and communal struggles.

0 Philosophy History

Are We All Protestants Now?

Michah Gottlieb in Jewish Review of Books · 27 Feb 2013

Leora Batnitzky's book "How Judaism Became a Religion" offers a fresh perspective on the evolution of modern Jewish thought, focusing on the shift towards defining Judaism as a religion as a response to the challenges of European modernity.

JL;DR

Tag: Eastern European Jews