The Debate Over Mixed Seating in the American Synagogue

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Half the Hanukkah Story Rabbi Norman Lamm Chancellor and Rosh Hayeshiva, Yeshiva University

Half the Hanukkah Story Rabbi Norman Lamm Chancellor and Rosh HaYeshiva, Yeshiva University This drasha was given by Rabbi Lamm in the Jewish Center in NYC on Shabbat Chanuka, December 23, 1967. Courtesy of Rabbi Lamm and the Yad Lamm online drasha archiveof the Yeshiva University Museum. Two Themes of Hanukkah Two themes are central to the festival of Hanukkah which we welcome this week. They are, first, the nes milhamah, the miraculous victory of the few over the many and the weak over the strong as the Jews repulsed the Syrian-Greeks and reestablished their independence. The second theme is the nes shemmen, the miracle of the oil, which burned in the Temple for eight days although the supply was sufficient for only one day. The nes milhamah represents the success of the military and political enterprise of the Macabeeans, whilst the nes shemmen symbolizes the victory of the eternal Jewish spirit. Which of these is emphasized is usually an index to one’s Weltanschauung. Thus, for instance, secular Zionism spoke only of the nes milhamah, the military victory, because it was interested in establishing the nationalistic base of modern Jewry. The Talmud, however, asking, "What is Hanukkah?," answered with the nes shemmen, with the story of the miracle of the oil. In this way, the Rabbis demonstrated their unhappiness with the whole Hasmonean dynasty, descendants of the original Macabees who became Saducees, denied the Oral Law, and persecuted the Pharisees. Yet, it cannot be denied that both of these themes are integral parts of Judaism. Unlike Christianity, we never relegated religion to a realm apart from life; we never assented to the bifurcation between that which belongs to God and that which belongs to Ceasar.
Conversion to Judaism Finnish Gerim on Giyur and Jewishness

Conversion to Judaism Finnish gerim on giyur and Jewishness Kira Zaitsev Syventävien opintojen tutkielma Afrikan ja Lähi-idän kielet Humanistinen tiedekunta Helsingin yliopisto 2019/5779 provided by Helsingin yliopiston digitaalinen arkisto View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk CORE brought to you by Tiedekunta – Fakultet – Faculty Koulutusohjelma – Utbildningsprogram – Degree Programme Humanistinen tiedekunta Kielten maisteriohjelma Opintosuunta – Studieinriktning – Study Track Afrikan ja Lähi-idän kielet Tekijä – Författare – Author Kira Zaitsev Työn nimi – Arbetets titel – Title Conversion to Judaism. Finnish gerim on giyur and Jewishness Työn laji – Aika – Datum – Month and year Sivumäärä– Sidoantal Arbetets art – Huhtikuu 2019 – Number of pages Level 43 Pro gradu Tiivistelmä – Referat – Abstract Pro graduni käsittelee suomalaisia, jotka ovat kääntyneet juutalaisiksi ilman aikaisempaa juutalaista taustaa ja perhettä. Data perustuu haastatteluihin, joita arvioin straussilaisella grounded theory-menetelmällä. Tutkimuskysymykseni ovat, kuinka nämä käännynnäiset näkevät mitä juutalaisuus on ja kuinka he arvioivat omaa kääntymistään. Tutkimuseni mukaan kääntyjän aikaisempi uskonnollinen tausta on varsin todennäköisesti epätavallinen, eikä hänellä ole merkittäviä aikaisempia juutalaisia sosiaalisia suhteita. Internetillä on kasvava rooli kääntyjän tiedonhaussa ja verkostoissa. Juutalaisuudessa kääntynyt näkee tärkeimpänä eettisyyden sekä juutalaisen lain, halakhan. Kääntymisen nähdään vahvistavan aikaisempi maailmankuva
American Jewish Yearbook

JEWISH STATISTICS 277 JEWISH STATISTICS The statistics of Jews in the world rest largely upon estimates. In Russia, Austria-Hungary, Germany, and a few other countries, official figures are obtainable. In the main, however, the num- bers given are based upon estimates repeated and added to by one statistical authority after another. For the statistics given below various authorities have been consulted, among them the " Statesman's Year Book" for 1910, the English " Jewish Year Book " for 5670-71, " The Jewish Ency- clopedia," Jildische Statistik, and the Alliance Israelite Uni- verselle reports. THE UNITED STATES ESTIMATES As the census of the United States has, in accordance with the spirit of American institutions, taken no heed of the religious convictions of American citizens, whether native-born or natural- ized, all statements concerning the number of Jews living in this country are based upon estimates. The Jewish population was estimated— In 1818 by Mordecai M. Noah at 3,000 In 1824 by Solomon Etting at 6,000 In 1826 by Isaac C. Harby at 6,000 In 1840 by the American Almanac at 15,000 In 1848 by M. A. Berk at 50,000 In 1880 by Wm. B. Hackenburg at 230,257 In 1888 by Isaac Markens at 400,000 In 1897 by David Sulzberger at 937,800 In 1905 by "The Jewish Encyclopedia" at 1,508,435 In 1907 by " The American Jewish Year Book " at 1,777,185 In 1910 by " The American Je\rish Year Book" at 2,044,762 DISTRIBUTION The following table by States presents two sets of estimates.
A Fresh Perspective on the History of Hasidic Judaism

eSharp Issue 20: New Horizons A Fresh Perspective on the History of Hasidic Judaism Eva van Loenen (University of Southampton) Introduction In this article, I shall examine the history of Hasidic Judaism, a mystical,1 ultra-orthodox2 branch of Judaism, which values joyfully worshipping God’s presence in nature as highly as the strict observance of the laws of Torah3 and Talmud.4 In spite of being understudied, the history of Hasidic Judaism has divided historians until today. Indeed, Hasidic Jewish history is not one monolithic, clear-cut, straightforward chronicle. Rather, each scholar has created his own narrative and each one is as different as its author. While a brief introduction such as this cannot enter into all the myriad divergences and similarities between these stories, what I will attempt to do here is to incorporate and compare an array of different views in order to summarise the history of Hasidism and provide a more objective analysis, which has not yet been undertaken. Furthermore, my historical introduction in Hasidic Judaism will exemplify how mystical branches of mainstream religions might develop and shed light on an under-researched division of Judaism. The main focus of 1 Mystical movements strive for a personal experience of God or of his presence and values intuitive, spiritual insight or revelationary knowledge. The knowledge gained is generally ‘esoteric’ (‘within’ or hidden), leading to the term ‘esotericism’ as opposed to exoteric, based on the external reality which can be attested by anyone. 2 Ultra-orthodox Jews adhere most strictly to Jewish law as the holy word of God, delivered perfectly and completely to Moses on Mount Sinai.
German Jews in the United States: a Guide to Archival Collections

GERMAN HISTORICAL INSTITUTE,WASHINGTON,DC REFERENCE GUIDE 24 GERMAN JEWS IN THE UNITED STATES: AGUIDE TO ARCHIVAL COLLECTIONS Contents INTRODUCTION &ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 1 ABOUT THE EDITOR 6 ARCHIVAL COLLECTIONS (arranged alphabetically by state and then city) ALABAMA Montgomery 1. Alabama Department of Archives and History ................................ 7 ARIZONA Phoenix 2. Arizona Jewish Historical Society ........................................................ 8 ARKANSAS Little Rock 3. Arkansas History Commission and State Archives .......................... 9 CALIFORNIA Berkeley 4. University of California, Berkeley: Bancroft Library, Archives .................................................................................................. 10 5. Judah L. Mages Museum: Western Jewish History Center ........... 14 Beverly Hills 6. Acad. of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences: Margaret Herrick Library, Special Coll. ............................................................................ 16 Davis 7. University of California at Davis: Shields Library, Special Collections and Archives ..................................................................... 16 Long Beach 8. California State Library, Long Beach: Special Collections ............. 17 Los Angeles 9. John F. Kennedy Memorial Library: Special Collections ...............18 10. UCLA Film and Television Archive .................................................. 18 11. USC: Doheny Memorial Library, Lion Feuchtwanger Archive ...................................................................................................
Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, Ph.D. and the Rise of Social Jewish Progressivism in Portland, Or, 1900-1906

Portland State University PDXScholar Dissertations and Theses Dissertations and Theses 1-1-2010 A Rabbi in the Progressive Era: Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, Ph.D. and the Rise of Social Jewish Progressivism in Portland, Or, 1900-1906 Mordechai Ben Massart Portland State University Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Massart, Mordechai Ben, "A Rabbi in the Progressive Era: Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, Ph.D. and the Rise of Social Jewish Progressivism in Portland, Or, 1900-1906" (2010). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 729. https://doi.org/10.15760/etd.729 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. Please contact us if we can make this document more accessible: [email protected]. A Rabbi in the Progressive Era: Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, Ph.D. and the Rise of Social Jewish Progressivism in Portland, Or, 1900-1906 by Mordechai Ben Massart A thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in History Thesis Committee: David A. Horowitz Ken Ruoff Friedrich Schuler Michael Weingrad Portland State University 2010 ABSTRACT Rabbi Stephen S. Wise presents an excellent subject for the study of Jewish social progressivism in Portland in the early years of the twentieth-century. While Wise demonstrated a commitment to social justice before, during, and after his Portland years, it is during his ministry at congregation Beth Israel that he developed a full-fledged social program that was unique and remarkable by reaching out not only within his congregation but more importantly, by engaging the Christian community of Portland in interfaith activities.
An Autobiographical Sketch

An Autobiographical Sketch My own personal concern for the relationship between human rights and religion stems from my upbringing and background. I was brought up in the Jewish tradition in Germany and became a refugee child in England at the age of three. My status as a refugee taught me that you can adapt to wherever you live, and in so doing experi- ence a breadth of human society which enriches you. is was made possible for me through the concerns and caring attitude of others. We kept the major Jewish holidays and went to synagogue, and although we were more liberal than orthodox, my father kept traditional values. Our family on my fa- ther’s side were partly of Sephardi origin. Sefarad is the old rabbinic word for Spain and Portugal, thus ‘Sephardi’ denotes those Jews whose ancestors hailed from Spain or Portugal and who were expelled from the Iberian Peninsula in (Spain) and (Portugal) respectively. Many of the merchant families found refuge in North- Western European cities such as Amsterdam, Copenhagen, London and Hamburg. In Hamburg, the Sephardi Jewish community was the ﬁrst Jewish group to be allowed to settle within that city, partly because they successfully pretended to be Portuguese Catholic merchants. Yet the community was quickly allowed to practise Judaism and, unusually, given permission to establish a synagogue, a privilege that local German Jews would not be accorded until the second half of the seventeenth century. e two communities were separate from very early on. Some of my family were thus part of a long Sephardi history in the midst of the northern ‘Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg’ which itself had a longstanding tradi- tion of trade and exchange all over the world, although my forefathers came from Copenhagen and Rendsburg, which was originally Danish before it became part of Prussia.
Black-Jewish Coalition” Unraveled: Where Does Israel Fit?

The “Black-Jewish Coalition” Unraveled: Where Does Israel Fit? A Master’s Thesis Presented to The Faculty of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Brandeis University Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership Program Professors Ellen Smith and Jonathan Krasner Ph.D., Advisors In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts by Leah Robbins May 2020 Copyright by Leah Robbins 2020 Acknowledgements This thesis was made possible by the generous and thoughtful guidance of my two advisors, Professors Ellen Smith and Jonathan Krasner. Their content expertise, ongoing encouragement, and loving pushback were invaluable to the work. This research topic is complex for the Jewish community and often wrought with pain. My advisors never once questioned my intentions, my integrity as a researcher, or my clear and undeniable commitment to the Jewish people of the past, present, and future. I do not take for granted this gift of trust, which bolstered the work I’m so proud to share. I am also grateful to the entire Hornstein community for making room for me to show up in my fullness, and for saying “yes” to authentically wrestle with my ideas along the way. It’s been a great privilege to stretch and grow alongside you, and I look forward to continuing to shape one another in the years to come. iii ABSTRACT The “Black-Jewish Coalition” Unraveled: Where Does Israel Fit? A thesis presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences of Brandeis University Waltham, Massachusetts By Leah Robbins Fascination with the famed “Black-Jewish coalition” in the United States, whether real or imaginary, is hardly a new phenomenon of academic interest.
The Good Principal

South Philadelphia High School is known throughout the world for the talent it has produced. Its alumni include Jack Klugman, the stage, TV and film actor; Marian Anderson, a The contralto and one of the most celebrated musicians of the 20th cen- tury; and Israel Goldstein, the founder of Brandeis University. Three years ago, the venerable school’s reputation was tarnished. After racial tensions escalated into violence, an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice found that the school had been “delib- Good erately indifferent to the severe and pervasive harassment” of Asian students. Fifteen miles away, at Springfield Township High School, an up- scale suburban school ranked 16th among Philadelphia magazine’s Principal top public high schools in 2009, Principal Otis Hackney followed the news coverage. Hackney had completed his master’s in educa- Three years ago, Otis Hackney tional leadership at Lehigh in 2006 and served two years as assistant principal at South Philly before taking the reins at Springfield. was asked to turn around a school At a faculty meeting, someone asked Hackney if he was glad that he was no longer at South Philly. notorious for tensions among “I said, ‘If I had gotten what I wanted, I’d be principal of South Philly right now,’” Hackney recalls. students. The key, he says, is Not long afterward, a friend from South Philly called. The con- versation turned into a job interview, and almost before Hackney simple, but elusive: Teaching knew it, South Philadelphia had asked him to return—as principal. “I got the phone call during a night lacrosse game, and at first I people to respect each other.
The Complex Relationship Between Jews and African Americans in the Context of the Civil Rights Movement

The Gettysburg Historical Journal Volume 20 Article 8 May 2021 The Complex Relationship between Jews and African Americans in the Context of the Civil Rights Movement Hannah Labovitz Gettysburg College Follow this and additional works at: https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/ghj Part of the History Commons Share feedback about the accessibility of this item. Recommended Citation Labovitz, Hannah (2021) "The Complex Relationship between Jews and African Americans in the Context of the Civil Rights Movement," The Gettysburg Historical Journal: Vol. 20 , Article 8. Available at: https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/ghj/vol20/iss1/8 This open access article is brought to you by The Cupola: Scholarship at Gettysburg College. It has been accepted for inclusion by an authorized administrator of The Cupola. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Complex Relationship between Jews and African Americans in the Context of the Civil Rights Movement Abstract The Civil Rights Movement occurred throughout a substantial portion of the twentieth century, dedicated to fighting for equal rights for African Americans through various forms of activism. The movement had a profound impact on a number of different communities in the United States and around the world as demonstrated by the continued international attention marked by recent iterations of the Black Lives Matter and ‘Never Again’ movements. One community that had a complex reaction to the movement, played a major role within it, and was impacted by it was the American Jewish community. The African American community and the Jewish community were bonded by a similar exclusion from mainstream American society and a historic empathetic connection that would carry on into the mid-20th century; however, beginning in the late 1960s, the partnership between the groups eventually faced challenges and began to dissolve, only to resurface again in the twenty-first century.
Supreme Court of the State of New York Draft County of New York

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK DRAFT COUNTY OF NEW YORK -------------------------------------------------------------------------X : CONGREGATION BETH ELOHIM : : and : : UNION TEMPLE OF BROOKLYN : : Petitioners, : Index No. ___________ : : VERIFIED PETITION : For an Order Approving Their Merger under Section 208 : of the Religious Corporations Law : : -------------------------------------------------------------------------X Petitioner Congregation Beth Elohim and Petitioner Union Temple of Brooklyn respectfully state that: 1. (a) Petitioner Congregation Beth Elohim is a religious corporation organized under the New York Religious Corporations Law (“RCL”) whose articles of incorporation were filed in the Office of the Clerk of Kings County on February 9, 1862. A copy of the articles of incorporation of Congregation Beth Elohim is attached hereto as Exhibit A-1 and a copy of the Bylaws of Congregation Beth Elohim, as modified to reflect the approved terms of the Merger (as defined below), is attached hereto as Exhibit A-2. (b) Petitioner Union Temple of Brooklyn is a religious corporation organized under the RCL whose articles of incorporation were filed in the Office of the Clerk of Kings County on September 1, 1921. A copy of the articles of incorporation of Union Temple of Brooklyn is attached hereto as Exhibit B-1 and a copy of the Bylaws of Union Temple of Brooklyn is attached hereto as Exhibit B-2. 12085747v.1 (c) This petition is made in support of an application for an Order, under Section 208 of the RCL, approving the
Transformations in Jewish Self-Identification Before, During, and After the American Civil War" (2020)

W&M ScholarWorks Undergraduate Honors Theses Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects 5-2020 Changing Notions of Identity: Transformations in Jewish Self- Identification Before, During, and After the American Civil War Heather Byrum Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wm.edu/honorstheses Part of the History of Religion Commons, Jewish Studies Commons, and the United States History Commons Recommended Citation Byrum, Heather, "Changing Notions of Identity: Transformations in Jewish Self-Identification Before, During, and After the American Civil War" (2020). Undergraduate Honors Theses. Paper 1562. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/honorstheses/1562 This Honors Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects at W&M ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Undergraduate Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of W&M ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Changing Notions of Identity: Transformations in Jewish Self-Identification Before, During, and After the American Civil War A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in History from The College of William and Mary by Heather L. Byrum Accepted for _________________________ (Honors, High Honors, Highest Honors) _________________________ Carol Sheriff, Director Jay Watkins III Williamsburg, VA May 5, 2020 1 Changing Notions of Identity: Transformations in Jewish Self-Identification Before, During, and After the American Civil