Jewish Life Around the World

an image of a person standing and holding a suitcase

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

Susy Gallor

December 23, 2022

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.

Beejhy Barhany, the chef and owner of an eclectic Ethiopian restaurant in Harlem, New York, Tsion Café

Jewish Life Around the World

Interview with Beejhy Barhany, Owner of Tsion Café in Harlem

Ellie Rudee

November 8, 2022

Beejhy Barhany (she/her) is an entrepreneur and activist who was born in Ethiopia, raised in Israel, and currently resides in New York. Today, she is the chef and owner of an eclectic Ethiopian restaurant in Harlem, New York, Tsion Café, that incorporates cuisine from the many places that have influenced her journey.

a laptop on a table with apples and honey, kiddish cup, candle sticks and flowers

Israel

Keeping Family Close, Regardless of Distance

Rabbi Stacey Blank

September 21, 2022

As I boarded the plane to Israel in the summer of 2002 for my first year of rabbinical school at HUC in Jerusalem, my mother said, "Please, just don't meet an Israeli." As soon as the plane touched down at Ben Gurion airport, I knew that I was home. A few months later, I met that Israeli. From our first conversation, he understood that I was studying to be a rabbi, and I understood that he wanted to live only in Israel.

Passover

Celebrating Mimouna and Creating Traditions with Gal Andres

Ellie Rudee

April 11, 2022

In honor of the upcoming holiday of Mimouna, celebrated by Moroccan Jews at the end of Passover, we sat down with Gal Andres (she/her/hers), 33, who shared her favorite Mimouna celebrations and traditions.

Major Philip Rudin shortly before the United States entered WWII

Holocaust

Reflections on the Significance of Pearl Harbor on American Jewry

Rabbi A. James Rudin

November 29, 2021

December 7 marks the 80th anniversary of the surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service on the US naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu. The attack led to America's formal entry into World War II. What ensued would have a profound impact on Jews everywhere, including the American Jewish community.