A group of Jewish American volunteers from Park Synagogue in Cleveland, Ohio visited Israel to work on farms, cook meals, visit communities affected by the war and listen to the stories of those who survived the October 7th terrorist attacks. Hear the inspiring stories of how Israelis and American Jews supported each other during difficult times during this life-changing trip. Interviews include: Rabbi Sharon Marcus, Paula Herman, Miriam Rose, Sandi Horwitz, and Scott Jacobson.

Jewish artists in the Zionist movement sought to revive both the Jewish State and Jewish culture.

Meet E. M. Lilien, who befriended Herzl and depicted the merger of ancient and modern, Boris Shatz, who metaphorically met the Bezalel of the Bible, Ze’ev Raban, who drew the now ironic Visit Palestine posters, Abel Pann, who re-envisioned the Patriarchs and Matriarchs as exotic Mediterranean figures, Moshe Castel whose Hebron roots inspired him, Yudel Pen, the father of the Jewish Renaissance, and Marc Chagall, whose imagined new interpretations of the prophets.

Plus, non-Jewish artists whose works could be described as “Jewish” such as James Tissot, Rembrandt, and Börries von Münchhausen who turned from Zionist to Nazi.

What is Jewish art? What did Abraham look like? And do Jewish artists draw him “Jewish” enough? Find out in this journey through the early years of the Israeli art revival.

NOTES:

* Ephraim Moshe Lilien: “The First Zionist Artist”

* Revealed After 100 Years: Abel Pann’s Showpiece Portrait

* Yehuda Penn

* The Son and the Stranger: E.M. Lilien, Börries von Münchhausen, and Juda (1900)

* James Tissot’s Journey to the Jewish Museum

* Rembrandt Van Rijn and the Jews

* Baruch Nachshon

* Moshe Castel Museum

A young Robert F. Kennedy describes first-hand the tense final days of the British Mandate of Palestine, the Arab preparations for war and the tenacity of the underequipped Jewish fighters seeking an independent Israel in 1948.

“Jews Make Up for Lack of Arms with Undying Spirit, Unparalleled Courage” reads a headline from the Boston Post in a series of Kennedy articles that were lost for decades until being uploaded online in 1998. Hear about his close-calls in the days leading up to Israel’s War of Independence.

Plus, the tragic assassination of Senator Kennedy by an Arab nationalist in 1968.

NOTES:

* Robert Kennedy’s 1948 Reports from Palestine by Lenny Ben-David, who recovered the rare articles in 1998 - Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs

* Original blog upload of lost Kennedy articles

* Lenny Ben-David explains finding lost RFK articles.

* Recent Article Hides RFK Assassin’s Hatred for Israel

* The Forgotten Terrorist: Sirhan Sirhan and the Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy by Mel Ayton

* Author Mel Ayton archive of RKF murder myths and facts

* "R.F.K. Must Die!": Chasing the Mystery of the Robert Kennedy Assassination by Robert Blair Kaiser

* Coverage of Robert F. Kennedy's assassination in 1968 - Walter Cronkite, CBS news

* Kennedy Recalls Visit to Plaestine; Makes Plea for Votes in the Bronx and Westchester - New York Times, 1964

Ezra Yakhin, author of the book Elnakam, talks about what it’s like to tell young Israel Defense Force soldiers about his life experiences from the days of the Jewish underground to the War of Independence in 1948. What is the reaction of youth who grew up with smart phones to a 96-year-old who grew up when most didn’t even have phones at home and the British still ruled the Land of Israel? Ezra says today’s youth are modern Maccabees, the brightest and most dedicated he has seen with motivated, inspired volunteers being the norm. He says spirit and love of the land is just as important as weapons and training.

NOTES:

* Elnakam by Ezra Yakhin - Amazon.com

* Elnakam by Ezra Yakhin in Hebrew

* Israel’s oldest serving reservist hopes for better future - Israel21C

* Biography of Shulamit Kishik-Cohen, who helped Lebanese Jews by Ezra Yakhin

* Lechi history website

* Major Farran's Hat: The Untold Story of the Struggle to Establish the Jewish State

* The Scandalous Murder of Alexander Rubowitz

Noted author Dr. Alan Unterman is interviewed about his famous uncle Chief Rabbi Isser Yehuda Unterman who stressed being kind and understanding as much as being loyal to Torah values. Hear about the controversies of the day when the State of Israel was founded and how the Zionist movement had to deal with Jewish religious issues for the first time.

- What happens when a woman holds out her hand for the rabbi to shake?- How does one deal with losing an election for Chief Rabbi?- Does a rabbi hold a grudge when publicly embarrassed?- Why does the Chief Rabbi wear a top hat?

Dr. Unterman gives us a first-hand glimpse about the man who bridged the gap between the old-school European Litvish yeshiva world and the new modern Zionist State of Israel.

NOTES:

* Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi Isser Yehuda Unterman Installed in Jerusalem - JTA, 1964

* Yael Unterman, Bibliodrama

* Book by Dr. Alan Unterman

* Biography of Isser Yehuda Unterman (1886 - 1976)

* Video of Rabbi Unterman being inaugurated Chief Rabbi

The Israeli pilots who flew non-stop to Iraq to take out the Osiraq nuclear reactor felt they were doing it to prevent another Holocaust. Learn about the international condemnation Israel faced at the United Nations as well as the many who later thanked Israel for preventing Iraq from going nuclear. Hear from Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, United States Secretary of State Alexander Haig, and others on the dramatic strike.

Don’t forget to listen to the special Gulf War episode: Purim & the Gulf War – An Oral History

NOTES:

* Israeli Planes Destroy Iraq Nuclear Reactor: Furor Spreads - JTA, June 1981

* Israel Defended, Criticized at House Hearings on Iraq Raid - JTA June 1981

* ‘Iraq’s Open Call’ for Nuclear Weapons ‘confirms’ Israel’s Fears - JTA July 1981

* Begin Says Gulf War Vindicated Israeli Attack on Reactor - AP, July 1991

* Iraq and the Rules of the Nuclear Game - Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, July/August 1991

* Target: Saddam’s Reactor

* Operation Opera - Raid on Iraqi Nuclear Reactor - Jewish Virtual Library

* From Condemnation To Praise: Why Israel’s Bombing of Iraq’s Osirak Nuclear Reactor Stands Test of Time

* Operation Opera - Israel's Raid on the Iraqi Reactor 1981

* Two Minutes Over Baghdad By Amos Perlmutter, Michael I. Handel, Uri Bar-Joseph

* Operation “Opera” - Israeli Air Force

* Operation Opera––An Inside Look into one of the Most Infamous IDF Operations - IDF

* Israel's Best Defense by Col. Eliezer Cohen

In 2016 I visited Uman, Ukraine for the holiday of Rosh Hashanah and learned a great deal about this historic Jewish community and the famous rabbi who inspired generations with his songs and tales. Hear about the battle of Uman in the 1790s and how the tomb of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov was saved from being turned into a 9-story apartment building by the Soviet Union. Plus, a personal story of how I found my own name and almost got arrested for it.

NOTES:

* When a rabbi's grave became the site of an international incident - by Ben Bresky, Jerusalem Post

Hebrew writer S. Y. Agnon became Israel’s first Nobel Prize laureate in 1966. In this special interview, Rabbi Jeffrey Saks, Director of Research at the Beit Agnon heritage center in Jerusalem, talks about this historic event, and his dramatic acceptance speech steeped in Jewish tradition. Plus, Agnon’s best-seller, Days of Awe, a compendium of High Holiday wisdom.

NOTES

* Beit Agnon center and museum in Jerusalem

* WebYeshiva, directed by Rabbi Jeffrey Saks

* Agnon Receives Nobel Prize - Israeli news, 1966

* Shmuel Agnon Banquet speech, full text - official Nobel Prize site

* The Etrog by S. Y. Agnon, translated by Rabbi Jeffrey Saks

* Excerpts from Days of Awe by S. Y. Agnon (podcast)

Aaron Zvi Propes was the first member of Betar and a loyal follower of controversial Zionist leader Zev Jabotinsky. While his comrades like Menachem Begin went on to politics, he founded music festivals, including the Israel Festival which is taking place this week. Learn about how as a teen, Propes and his Jewish Latvian high school friend coaxed Jabotinsky out of retirement and into inspiring generations of young Zionists. Plus, the early days of the Zimriya World Choir festival, the International Harp Contest, and the reconstruction of the 2,000-year-old Roman theater in Caesarea all of which Propes initiated.

NOTES:

* Israel Festival - official website

* International Harp Contest in Israel - official website

* Zimriya World Assembly of Choirs in Israel - official website

* “Zimriya” Establishes Four Prizes for Musical Compositions - JTA, 1954

* International Music Festival Concludes in Israel with Special Concert - JTA, 1961

* First Music Festival Opens for Israel’s Bar Mitzvah - JTA, 1961

* Trees Planted in Israel by Violinist Isaac Stern, Cellist Pablo Casals - JTA, 1961

* Jabotinsky - The Man and the Vision - Founding of Betar

* Aharon Propes entry in the Encyclopedia of the Pioneers of the Yishuv and its Builders, volume 4 (1950)

The World Rummikub Championships took place this month and to celebrate we look at some great Israeli / Jewish board games.

1.      Rummikub – Created by Ephraim Hertzano, who left Communist Romania to create the tile game in his Israeli home.

2.      Guess Who? Created by husband and wife team Theo and Ora Coster. Theo survived the Holocaust and was a classmate of Anne Frank. Hear excerpts from his book about her.

3.      Aliyah – The Jewish trivia game created by American Jewish Sunday School teacher Sallie Abelson.

4.      Juden Raus! – A German Nazi era game. Whoever sends the most Jews to Palestine wins.  

5.      Exodus Adventure – Exclusive interview with developer Rabbi Pesach Stadlin on this new innovative role-playing game featuring a 20-sided dreidel.

NOTES:

* Exodus Adventure Players manual and more information

* Exodus Adventure: An Israelite role playing experience - Amazon

* Classmates of Anne Frank documentary with Theo Coster

* We All Wore Stars: Memories of Anne Frank from Her Classmates by Theo Coster

* Juden Raus! Board Game review

* History of Rummikub - Rummikub.com

* Interview with Micha Hertzano, head of the company that makes of Rummikub

* From Romania to Israel: Rummikub Makes Waves - JTA

* Rummikub is the chairman of the board - Israel21c

* Sallie Abelson Developed Popular Trivia Game to Teach Jewish History

* Sallie Abelson, business entrepreneur created Aliyah game

* Making Aliyah—the Board Game - Tablet