Jewish History

Saving Lives as the World Fell Apart

Streets in Jerusalem and Petach Tikvah bear the name of Paul Gruninger, a Swiss police officer who stood as a beacon of humanity during one of history’s darkest chapters. In 1938, Paul Gruninger chose to defy heartless government policies with acts of extraordinary bravery, saving thousands of Jewish lives as Europe descended into madness. [Gedaliah Borvick]

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Gedaliah Borvick, Holocaust, International, Israel, Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Holocaust Exhibit at La Jolla Library Draws Opening Day Crowd

A particularly emotional moment came during the yellow ribbon-cutting ceremony, led by Holocaust survivors, and by Irwin Jacobs and Lee Goldberg. The yellow ribbon, a symbol of solidarity with hostages around the world, added a layer of significance to the occasion, reminding everyone of the ongoing struggles for freedom and justice across the globe. [Sandra Scheller]

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Holocaust, International, Jewish History, San Diego County, Sandra Scheller, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Claims Conference Reports Growing Gaps in Holocaust Knowledge in 8 Countries

The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) on Thursday, Jan. 23, released the first-ever, eight-country Index on Holocaust Knowledge and Awareness, exposing a global trend in fading knowledge of basic facts about the Holocaust. The countries surveyed include the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Austria, Germany, Poland, Hungary and Romania. [Press Release]

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International, Jewish History, Press Release, USA

OpEd: Elon Musk is a Friend of the Jews and Not a Nazi

After the celebration of Donald Trump’s victory, Musk expressed gratitude with the statement, “This one matters, thank you, I give you my heart,” followed by a gesture perceived by some as resembling a Nazi salute. This incident quickly overshadowed his remarks about his ambitions for space exploration with SpaceX and Tesla. Musk’s actions sparked intense debate across political lines, particularly among left-wing commentators. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]

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Holocaust, Israel, Jewish History, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Jewish Biography: Giacomo Meyerbeer, Opera Impresario

Meyerbeer’s vast fortune and the great success of his operas, as well as his observance of the laws of the Jewish religion, set him apart from many musicians. He was a sponsor of many young composers, including Wagner, who “thanked” him with an antisemitic article, “Jewry in Music.” [Alex Gordon]

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Alex Gordon, Antisemitism, International, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Frances Perkins, Nation’s First ‘Madam Secretary’ Tried to Help European Jewish Refugees

Struggling against American xenophobia, racism, and antisemitism in the 1930s, Labor Secretary Frances Perkins—the first woman to serve in a President’s Cabinet – sought in several ways to spare German Jewish refugees from annihilation by Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Antisemitism, Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

American Jewish Reactions to Ceasefire: Pleased But Cautious

Reactions came quickly to the announcement Wednesday that a ceasefire deal has been reached between Israel and Hamas to free some hostages from Gaza in return for the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. Here in alphabetical order, by organization, are those written statements sent to our news desk. [SDJW report]

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Israel, Jewish History, Middle East, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Jewish Trivia Quiz: Greenland

There ‍is ‍no ‍permanent ‍Jewish ‍population ‍in ‍Greenland, ‍though ‍it ‍is ‍believed ‍that ‍there ‍may ‍have ‍been ‍Jews ‍in ‍Greenland ‍as ‍early ‍as ‍the ‍16th ‍and ‍17th ‍centuries, ‍among ‍the ‍Dutch ‍whalers ‍who ‍fished ‍in ‍Greenland ‍waters. ‍Which ‍of ‍the ‍following ‍is ‍true ‍about ‍Jews ‍in ‍Greenland? [Mark D. Zimmerman]

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International, Jewish History, Mark D. Zimmerman, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Trivia, Humor & Satire

Jewish Biography: Emil Julius Gumbel, Pacificist Statistician

In a small book Four Years of Political Murders (1922), Emil Julius Gumbel, who became professor of mathematics and statistics at the University of Heidelberg, gave the following data: after the end of World War I, 376 political murders were committed in Germany, among them 22 were committed by left-wing extremists, 354 by right-wing extremists. [Alex Gordon]

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Alex Gordon, Antisemitism, International, Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Nazi Hunter Lewkowicz Identified Amon Göth, Infamous Commandant of Plaszow Concentration Camp

He identified Amon Göth, the commandant of Plaszow, whose brutality was graphically depicted in the movie Schindler’s List.  Göth used to shoot inmates for target practice from a vantage point overlooking the concentration camp.  Touring the camp, Göth would abruptly murder inmates on a whim.  He reveled in making Jews quake. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Holocaust, International, Israel, Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Pierre Mendes France

Pierre Mendès France (January 11, 1907 – October 18, 1982) was a French politician who served as prime minister of France for eight months from 1954 to 1955. As a member of the Radical Party, he headed a government supported by a coalition of Gaullists (RPF), moderate socialists (UDSR), Christian democrats (MRP) and liberal-conservatives (CNIP). [Wikipedia]

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Jewish History, Today's Jewish Birthday, Wikipedia