Category: NEWS

The real Jewish history behind Netflix’s ‘Transatlantic’ and the WWII rescue mission that inspired it Netflix's new seven-episode historical epic aims to recreate a rescue operation run by Varian Fry, of prominent 20th-century artists from Marseille, after the Nazis defeated France and before the United States entered the war While the United States swung its door shut to most refugees during World War II, a young American in France saved thousands, including some of the 20th century’s defining artists and thinkers — such as Marc Chagall and Hannah Arendt — from the Nazis   The rescue mission of Varian Fry, which went largely unrecognized during his life, is the subject of Netflix’s new drama “Transatlantic,” launching Friday from “Unorthodox” creator Anna Winger. 6 View gallery From '‘Transatlantic’ (Photo: Anika Molnar/Netflix) Starring Cory Michael Smith as Fry, the seven-episode “Transatlantic” aims to recreate his operation in Marseille after the Nazis defeated France and before the United States entered the war. Winger has injected several imagined romances, war efforts...

In wake of heavy loss, Rabbi Leo Dee calls for unity behind Israeli flag By NOA ROSEN : APRIL 11, 2023   The Efrat community was left in shock on Friday morning after a terror attack in the Jordan Valley took the lives of Efrat residents and sisters Maia and Rina Dee when on their way to Tiberias for the weekend. Their mother, Lucy (Leah), was critically wounded in the attack and was transported to Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital where the medical team fought for her life over several days before being forced to determine her death on Monday afternoon. Rabbi Leo Dee, father of Maia and Rina and husband to Lucy, delivered an emotional speech on Monday evening in which he declared April 10 as "Dees Day," asking everyone to post a photo of themselves with the Israeli flag - or even just a photo of an Israeli flag - on social media in honour of his wife and children. "Today is Dees Day, when we can all...

Copied from a post online, with the kind permission of Martin Neville of Jewish Britain : Well, Seder night has been and gone ...all that preparation for a couple of hours each night and it passes quicker than you can say Hymie Goldberg Well Yontif (yiddish before anyone corrects me) has been and gone but its still a kind of Yom Tov as we have Easter Sunday and Bank holiday Monday to get through. The only decision we've got to make now is how to butter our matzah without it crumbling to pieces and is it cheese, chopped herring, smoked salmon or kosher le pesach Jam to again have on the matzah ..because almost 3 days in and the matzah is getting a little boring ...and with some people its obviously having a not so nice effect on their stomachs. Now heres a story. My mum always said that if you ate the burnt egg from the Seder plate you would be a Chosson...

https://youtu.be/f0qsy32Hk4s...

On Shabbat 1st April 2023, St. Anne's Shul had the honour of hosting the Barmitzvah of Isaac Purdon, followed by a celebration Kiddush hosted by his mother, Emma Purdon.   Here is Isaac's speech :   Thank you all for being here today to celebrate my Bar Mitzvah with me. What is it like being Jewish? To me it is about feeling proud to be Jewish. This is how I feel when I am in the synagogue, sharing prayers with the community and having that spiritual feeling that I get each time I attend. Today is a special day, it is Shabbat Ha Gadol. So what is the story behind today? It was in Egypt that Israel celebrated the very first Shabbat Ha-Gadol on the tenth of Nissan, five days before their redemption. Many miracles were performed for the Children of Israel on this first Shabbat haGadol. The Torah commanded them to take their lambs and tie them to the bedpost. When they did so, their Egyptian neighbors saw this...

Rules for Passover From avoiding leavened products to the Fast of the First Born, here's your cheat sheet of Passover practices. BY MY JEWISH LEARNING Passover is among the most widely celebrated Jewish holidays. While the particulars vary significantly from community to community, and even between individual families, there are many Passover customs that are observed in some form by large numbers of Jews. Avoiding leavened bread Passover is the strictest Jewish holiday when it comes to food. For eight days (seven in Israel), Jews traditionally avoid eating food made from leavened grain. Most significantly, this means avoiding any bread or bread products, with some Jews additionally abstaining from any grain product, including beer, pasta, oatmeal and most liquors.   Ridding the house of hametz In addition to not eating bread, some Jews completely rid their houses of bread products — known in Hebrew as hametz. Those who observe this custom strictly will clean their house thoroughly to ensure even the crumbs behind the couch are removed. Grain products that...

Chaim Topol, who passed away in Israel yesterday, was a beloved, acclaimed Israeli actor, best known around the world for his portrayal of Tevye in the film adaptation of Fiddler on the Roof. He was 87. Decades before Gal Gadot, Topol was the first Israeli to conquer Hollywood, receiving an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for Fiddler on the Roof in 1972 and winning a Golden Globe for the role. As David Brinn put it in a 2012 Jerusalem Post profile of the actor, “He was Israel’s most famous export since the Jaffa orange.”   He also won a Golden Globe in 1965 for Most Promising Newcomer – Male for the other role with which he would be most closely associated throughout his career, the title role in Ephraim Kishon’s comic masterpiece, Sallah Shabati.   Topol, who was usually known abroad only by his last name, was a gifted singer, as well as a talented actor. His legacy as a performer was sealed by these two roles, in which...

Harry Rabinowitz poses for a photo outside of his Delicatessen in New York City, 1910. The Rabinowitz family lived above the store at 1403 Madison Avenue and East 97th Street in the Upper East Side. Harry’s son Jerome later changed his last name to Robbins. Jerome Robbins is world renowned for his work as a choreographer of ballets as well as his work as a director and choreographer in theatre, movies and television; best known for his work on West Side Story and Fiddler on the Roof.  ...

Sale of Chametz- Authorisation Form 2023 During the festival of Passover not only may we not consume leavened products, but we may not even own them. To be certain that all chametz has been removed from our possession, Jewish law requires us to sell all our remaining chametz to a non-Jew. This chametz then legally becomes the property of the non-Jew for the duration of Passover and must be set aside in a place in one’s house that will not be used over Passover. By signing this form, you authorise Rabbi Bergson to act as your agent to sell your Chametz in accordance with Jewish Law and practice (under the guidance of the London Beth Din). The actual sale will take place on Friday 26 March at 10:00AM Please can you ensure that you submit this form to me no later than Monday 3rd April 2023. It is halachically preferable to hand this form to the Rabbi directly and perform a further symbolic act to convey your seriousness to make...