Related Blog Posts on Holocaust, Jewish History, and Jewish Values

Photo of Adrien Brody in a scene from the movie "The Brutalist"
Film

The Brutalist: A Jewish Immigrant Saga for the Ages

Wes Hopper
Brady Corbet's "The Brutalist" opens with Hungarian architect, Jewish Holocaust survivor, and soon-to-be freshly minted U.S. immigrant László Toth in the shadowy depths of a ship headed into New York Harbor.
Photo of a group of people wearing masks, superhero shirts and holding up different superhero signs that says "smash," "boom," "krunch," and "kapow."
Tikkun Olam

Extraordinary Ordinary Heroes

Rabbi Deborah Bodin Cohen
Simcha Blass, Helen Suzman, Eddie Jacobson, and Abby Stein all contributed to our world in different ways. Yet, they shared traits - commitment, integrity, resolve and an inner sense that they could make a difference.
An image of a woman's silhouette standing with the sky and clouds behind her, with the words "Breathe Bravely" in purple
Jewish Values

Breathe Bravely

Tani Prell
This reflection on the theme of bravery explores the ways that the author's mixedness, Jewishness, and range of emotions are tied to what it means to her to be brave.
This is an image of a dish call chuletas (pork chops); a dish that looks like pork, but it's actually french toast, bread molded into the shape of pork chops.
Jewish History

Crypto-Foods: the Triumph of Survival

Crystal Hill
During the Spanish Inquisition, there were plenty of ways that one could be identified as a Jew. One way people would identify their neighbors as Jews was observing whether they would eat non-kosher food that was popular with the Christian population such as pork, sausage, or fish without scales.
an image of a father and two kids reading a book
Jewish Values

The Importance of Storytelling

Rabbi Maya Y. Glasser
The Jewish people love to share stories, as memory is a central Jewish value. We cannot forget what has happened to us because we must share it with future generations. The past is one of our best learning tools.
A person in a blue jean jacket sitting at a table in front of two glasses of beer
Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion

He’Brews, He’Leads

Ellie Rudee
Third-year Hebrew Union College-NYC student Jesse Epstein hopes to make Judaism more accessible, meaningful, and relevant for today’s Jewish community – through beer. He recently became the owner of Shmaltz Brewing Company, a beer-brewing brand aimed at providing community members with a mode and environment for consumption steeped in Jewish ethics, text, and tradition.
an image of a person standing and holding a suitcase
Jewish Life Around the World

Cuban American and Jewish: Exploring the History and Intersections of My Communities

Susy Gallor
I've been reflecting on the story of America's founding - the narrative many of us learn as children in the United States. I've recently learned a different version of that story - one that I now recognize intertwines with my own. My identities as Cuban American and Jewish have been shaped by Indigenous stories in America and in Cuba; particularly the themes of beginnings, loss, transformation, and change.