Jewish History Soundbites
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1897: A Year of Transition
Though change is generally a gradual process through history, its worth noting how several momentous events which were indicators of a dynamic Jewish community all occurred during the year 1897. The
The Working Group & its Desperate Rescue Attempts
The Slovakian Working Group was likely the most heroic attempt at Jewish rescue during the Holocaust. Dealing directly with the SS and their Slovak collaborators, members of the Working Group bribed t
From Young Rosh Yeshiva to Senior Sage: Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer Part II
Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer (1870-1953) was a great Torah leader of the 20th century, whose life story spanned eras and continents. As a young teenager he studied in the vaunted Volozhin Yeshiva, then ma
From Slabodka to Slutzk: Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer Part I
Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer (1870-1953) was a great Torah leader of the 20th century, whose life story spanned eras and continents. As a young teenager he studied in the vaunted Volozhin Yeshiva, then ma
Jewish Saviors of the Holocaust Part III: The Sobibor Revolt
Within the framework of Operation Reinhard, the Nazi extermination of Polish Jewry, the SS built three death camps in Eastern Poland - Belzec, Treblinka & Sobibor. The latter was the smallest of the t
Jewish Saviors of the Holocaust Part II: From a Tunnel in Novogrudok to the Bielski Partisans
On the night of September 26, 1943 232 Jews escaped through a tunnel from the Novogrudok Ghetto. Nearly 170 survived, primarily by joining the Bielski partisans who operated nearby in the Naliboki for
Growth & Consolidation: The Lev Simcha
Rav Simcha Bunim Alter (1898-1992), the Lev Simcha of Ger, was a leader during a time period of growth and consolidation. Having grown up in Poland and emerged as a great Torah scholar, he moved to Pa
Jewish Saviors of the Holocaust Part I: Monsieur & the Belgian Orphans
Jewish History Soundbites is proud to launch a special series entitled ‘Jewish Saviors of the Holocaust’. It will explore the narratives of Jews under Nazi occupation risking their lives to save other
An Enlightened Song: The Story of Shir
Prague has had its fair share of characters throughout its storied history, yet Shlomo Yehuda Rapoport (1790-1867) or Shir as he was known was definitely one of the more interesting ones. Born into a
Captain from Kovno: Rav Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor
Perhaps the most acclaimed leader of Russian Jewry of the 19th century was Rav Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor (1817-1896). A long-time Rabbi of Kovno, his impact reached the far reaches of the Russian Empi