The Israel Museum is the largest cultural institution in the State of Israel and is ranked among the world’s leading art and archaeology museums. Founded in 1965, the Museum houses encyclopedic collections, including works dating from prehistory to the present day, in its Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Jewish Art and Life Wings, and features the [...]

Maimonides (Jewish Encounters) by Sherwin B. Nuland (Kindle Edition) Maimonides, one of the preeminent personalities of medieval Jewish history, was a jurist, philosopher, expert in Jewish law, physician at the court of Saladin and a respected and dedicated communal leader. Given all that, it’s difficult to understand the decision to present Maimonides’s legacy primarily through [...]

Terra Incognita – A novel about the Crypto-Jews of Catalonia by Libi Astaire (Kindle Edition) Terra Incognita. For the medieval Catalan navigators the term meant an uncharted territory that inspired either fear or the thrill of adventure. But for the characters of  this new novel by award-winning author Libi Astaire, “terra incognita” is a place [...]

The Eichmann Trial (Jewish Encounters) by Deborah E. Lipstadt (Kindle Edition) For the Eichmann trial’s 50th anniversary, Emory Holocaust studies professor Lipstadt (History on Trial: My Day in Court with David Irving) trains her gaze on this watershed event in Jewish history. Israeli attorney general Gideon Hausner, a commercial lawyer, lacked criminal or courtroom expertise, [...]

‘Geto‘  in Venetian dialect refers to a foundry, usually for making mortars or cannons.  The Venetian word ‘getar‘, ‘to cast,’ or ‘to smelt,’  is the accepted origin of the word ‘ghetto‘.  It was in the district of  Cannaregio that the first Venetian foundry was located. In old documents,  the area was described as an ‘unhealthy‘ [...]

Six Days of War by Michael B. Oren (unabridged) is presented by Blackstone Audio. Winner of the 2003 Los Angeles Times Book Prize in History. Six Days of War is the most comprehensive history ever published of the six days of intense Arab-Israeli fighting in the summer of 1967 that transformed the world. “Oren brings a novelist’s [...]

“Entebbe: A Defining  Moment On The War On Terrorism – The Jonathan Netanyahu Story”  by  Iddo Netanyahu (Kindle Edition) During the first hot days of July, 1976, the world watched a tense hostage situation unfold in Uganda. Palestinian and German terrorists had hijacked an Air France jet in Athens, then surprised everyone by flying to [...]

“The Israel Test” by George Gilder (Kindle Edition) . World famous economist and tech guru George Gilder (“One of the few technology writers to really do his homework” – Po Bronson, Wired) reveals Israel as an emerging technology powerhouse, second only to the U.S. and far surpassing all European rivals in launching new industry-leading hi-tech firms. [...]

“Homeland: The Illustrated History of the State of Israel” by Marv Wolfman, Mario Ruiz, William J. Rubin (Kindle Edition) National Jewish Book Award winner. Depicting the history of Israel from biblical Abraham to the present, this sophisticated, full-color graphic adaptation is academically grounded, guiding readers through highlights both in historical detail and from Israel’s world [...]

Passover: The Journey to Freedom is yet another app from StoryChimes. The story tells us of the Jewish Exodus from Egypt, the 10 plagues sent by G-d onto Egyptians before the Pharaoh agreed to set his Israelite slaves free,  Jews’ great rush while leaving Egypt, the rush so enormous that they didn’t even have time [...]

Centropa (internet name for Central Europe Center for Research and Documentation) is a Vienna and Budapest-based non-profit NGO that uses advanced technologies to preserve Jewish memory in Central and Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, the Balkans and the Baltics, and then uses those same technologies to disseminate this findings in creative and innovative ways. [...]

A new iPhone/iPad app will allow users to learn more about the  Jewish Cleveland.  Dr.  Mark Tebeau of  Cleveland State University’s Center for Public History + Digital Humanities developed the “Cleveland Historical“ app to provide enhanced information to those visiting many of  Cleveland’s historic sites. Using the app’s search function, type in “Jewish,” and you’ll [...]

“The complete idiot’s guide to Jewish history and culture” by Rabbi Benjamin Blech contains easy-to-follow coverage of all of Jewish history, including profiles of Biblical, religious, and political leaders, such as Abraham, Moses, King David, and Golda Meir. From the Back Cover You’re no idiot, of course. You know that Judaism began with Abraham and that [...]

Hanukkah is the Festival of Lights.  Every year Jews celebrate the Maccabee’s victory and restoration of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem with Hanukkah menorahs,  games, gifts and delicious latkes.  Hanukkah: The Festival of  Lights - StoryChimes takes your child on a historic journey to learn how Judah Maccabee stood up for his beliefs to prevail over [...]

The audiobook version of  The Jewish War written by Flavius Josephus, published by Audio Connoisseur and narrated by Charlton Griffin. The Jewish War is one of the most important histories to survive from ancient times, dealing as it does with a subject of which there are very few sources. This is an engaging and heart-felt [...]