Inside United Hatzalah & Other Orthodox Jews in the News

Dan Brown Can’t Cite Me to Disprove God
The fictional me—and perhaps Mr. Brown too—might hope to put these holdouts back on their heels. But disputes like this never answer the most important question: Do we need to keep learning about God? For my part, in light of everything I know, I am certain that we do.

A Photographic Guide to 180 of NY’s Most Beautiful Historic Orthodox Synagogues
The Eldridge Street Synagogue is to take a seat alongside history. Built in 1887, the synagogue, which is also a museum, is one of 180 Orthodox houses of worship featured in Michael Weinstein’s new book “Ten Times Chai: 180 Orthodox Synagogues of New York City.” In his photographic ode to New York City Jewish history, Weinstein included 100 Orthodox synagogues in Brooklyn, 35 in Manhattan, 35 in Queens, five in the Bronx, and five in Staten Island.

10 Things to Know About Kosher Wine
Many of you probably grew up with shiver-inducing memories of mass-produced, syrupy-sweet kosher wine and might be interested to know you have way more options than your parents might have. So, just how different is kosher wine from the non-kosher stuff? “When it comes to taste, there’s no difference between kosher and non-kosher wine,” says Jay Buchsbaum, who ought to know because he’s Executive VP of Marketing and Director of Wine Education at Royal Wine Corp., the top kosher wine purveyor in the US. There’s a common urban legend that wine must be blessed by a Rabbi to be considered Kosher. Not true! But there are strictly enforced purity guidelines. Which if you think about it makes kosher wine a good option for everyone.

Frontier Jews Find More ‘Green Acres’ Than Goldene Medina in Rural Dakota
After Kristallnacht and the Anschluss, Felix and Margarethe Steiner fled their native Vienna for the warm embrace of a decidedly chillier destination: Fargo, North Dakota. The Jewish couple crossed the Atlantic Ocean and the North American continent because of Herman Stern, a Fargo businessman and civic leader who rescued between 100 and 125 of his German and Austrian coreligionists from 1933 to 1941. “It’s a great American Jewish story,” said Steve Hunegs, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas.

Does Chabad Annoy You? Check Your Privilege
We ask because, every now and then, asking changes the world. One Rosh Hashanah, I ran through a nursing home in the waning hours of the holiday asking if anyone was Jewish. The front desk assured me that nobody was, but I knocked on each door anyway (I was younger then, and seldom took “no” for an answer). One old woman croaked from her room that she was Jewish, and as I entered brandishing my shofar, she started to cry.

Their Father in Heaven Saves Lives 
Although they married young 24 years ago, Eli Beer introduces his wife, Gitty, as being “my second wife,” and she presents him as “my second husband.” The competitors for their spousal devotion are the organization United Hatzalah (UH), which Eli founded in 2006 and that Gitty joined recently as an authorized medic who took a 200-hour course in first aid and resuscitation.

If you found this content meaningful and want to help further our mission through our Keter, Makom, and Tikun branches, please consider becoming a Change Maker today.