Science, Medicine, & Education

Why Germans of the 1960s were so sympathetic to Israel

Twenty-two years after the end of World War II and the Shoah, threats by Arab leaders to “drive the Jews into the sea” sparked fears among the population of West Germany of a possible “second Holocaust.” [Alex Gordon}

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Alex Gordon, Antisemitism, Holocaust, International, Israel, Jewish History, Middle East, Opinion, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors

The fight against terrorism and antisemitism: Oct. 18, 2026

Release of the information has been delayed six times over three months and when the DOE announced that October 2 would be the date, the AAU sued.  The Brandeis Center is now stepping into the legal battle to fight for the public’s right to know who is funding American universities.  (SDJW staff report)

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Antisemitism, Business & Finance, Israel, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Today’s Jewish birthday: Ze’ev Jabotinsky

Ze’ev Jabotinsky (October 17, 1880 – August 3, 1940) was a Zionist leader, orator, writer, and soldier. He was the founder of the Revisionist Zionist movement and its associated organizations, including the Union of Revisionist Zionists (Hatzohar), New Zionist Organization, Betar youth movement, and paramilitary Irgun. [Wikipedia]

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Science, Medicine, & Education, Today's Jewish Birthday, Wikipedia

Holiday pumpkins have been well appreciated by Sephardic Jews

Pumpkin has a rich and often overlooked history in Sephardic Jewish cuisine. Introduced to Europe from the Americas in the 16th century, it was quickly embraced by Jews, who incorporated the versatile vegetable into dishes across the Mediterranean and beyond. (Cailin Acosta)

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Antisemitism, Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Cailin Acosta, International, Israel, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Sports & Competitions, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food

Gershwin and the LA Jewish Symphony shine at The Soraya

“So much of what we call the Great American Songbook—and even the sound of Broadway and Hollywood—was shaped by Jewish composers and lyricists whose families had come to this country looking for opportunity and belonging,” Green observed. [Karen Klein]

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California, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Apatow interviews other comedians about their craft

Apatow, known for films such as The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up, interviews a range of performers, including Jerry Seinfeld, Mel Brooks, Steve Martin, Harold Ramis, Chris Rock, Jon Stewart, Sarah Silverman, Amy Schumer and Seth Rogen. The conversations span generations and different styles of comedy, from stand-up and television to film and screenwriting. [Cailin Acosta]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Cailin Acosta, Jewish Celebrities, Jewish History, Lifestyles, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA

The mystery of an old statuette

“I recently discovered that I am about twenty-five percent Sephardic Jewish,” she said. “During World War II, that could have been enough to send me to a ghetto or a death camp. Today, it could make me eligible to apply for Israeli citizenship.” {Yakov Nayerman}

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International, Jewish History, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food, USA, Yakov Nayerman

Jewish fiction so improbable it’s likely to have a counterpart in real life

It’s not strange in the “look how clever we are” way. It just keeps sliding between things , a little mystery, a little romance, a synagogue power struggle, a scene that’s straight-up funny, and about a third of the way in I gave up trying to guess where it was going. (Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D.)

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish Fiction, Michael Mantell, Science, Medicine, & Education, Sports & Competitions, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Trivia, Humor & Satire

Do Jews believe in angels?

Do Jews believe in angels? The Hebrew word for angel, mal’ach, means “messenger,” and in biblical sources, angels deliver specific information or carry out particular functions. In the Torah, an angel prevents Abraham from slaughtering his son Isaac. An angel appears to Moses in the burning bush and gives direction to the Israelites during the desert sojourn following the liberation from Egypt. Angels are associated with visions and prophecies. [Cailin Acosta]

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animals, Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Cailin Acosta, Israel, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Obituaries & memorials, Science, Medicine, & Education, Sports & Competitions, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food

Anti-Israel forces take over New York City schools

Natalya Murakhver of the Upper East Side took her two children from a public school in 2024 and said, “Things have progressed very quickly. The language changes, the caliber of the venom. I think we’re entering a new phase. Back then, I think they were at least trying to pretend it was just about Israel. And now it’s pretty clear to those for whom it wasn’t clear before that anti-Zionism is Jew hate and antisemitism as we know it.” (Bruce S. Ticker)

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Bruce Ticker, Israel, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA