When it comes to Jewish holidays, some often joke that the celebrations revolve around a similar pattern: “They [our enemies] tried to kill us, they couldn’t kill us, so let’s eat!” Chanukah originates in the middle of a literal war on our Jewish way of life. Surviving forced assimilation by threat of death is a […]

For far too long, the stories of persecution against the Jewish people have been brushed aside as exaggerations or even complete falsehood. Despite Antiochus IV Epiphane having been a real historical figure — as is the Hasmonean War — there are elements of the Chanukah story which have been met with skepticism. That is now […]

Note: This article does include some minor spoilers about the show. It’s not super often that I come across a show and think, “Wow, this show has a lot of Judaism.” Granted, most of my watching comes in the form of Gilmore Girls for the 100th time and The Great British Bake Off. Manifest, on […]

When I was a child, I learned about my family’s roots. We were from Spain, and during the Spanish Inquisition, we were expelled from the country, along with the rest of the Jews who wouldn’t convert to Christianity. My family eventually ended up in Turkey, and some of my cousins still live there today. Today, […]

“I feel like I can speak dog,” Chomie Gross says. It’s a pretty shocking statement coming from someone who had a severe fear of canines for most of her life. Now, Chomie, 34, is not only a dog lover, but trains them for a living. “I never saw this coming, and I never knew it […]

Jews are a refugee people, and as an ethnic minority we have never had a solid home base since our exile from our homeland in 70CE, due to Roman colonizers. As such, our ethnic food has become the food of the places that have housed us. While classic Ashkanazi foods like brisket, matzah ball soup […]