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Picture of the Month | Planting Seedlings

Yisrael Goldman

Yisrael Goldman Tu Bishvat, the new year for trees in the Jewish calendar, has gained significantly in popularity over the generations. From a date of mainly fiscal significance for calculating agricultural tithes, it was expanded...

ColumnsIssue 9 | February 2012JerusalemPre-state of IsraelTu BishvatZionism

From the Archives | The Jewish American Secret Police

Hadassah Assouline

A Jewish community organization in New York dealt with myriad issues, even creating an internal police force to deal with rising crime Hadassah Assouline In early September 1908, the chief of the New York City...

20th centuryAmerican JewsColumnsIssue 11 | July 2012New YorkPeople

Tale of a Trail | The Underground Prisoners’ Museum

Tamar HaYardeni

“Bevingrad” was the highest-security British prison in the Middle East, but that didn’t stop Jewish paramilitaries from lying through their teeth and crawling through its sewers in a daring escape Tamar HaYardeni Where To? The...

ColumnsIndependence DayIssue 32 | June 2016

Portrait of a People | Painter of Jerusalem

Naomi Samuel

Naomi Samuel Jerusalem in SnowOil on canvas, 192741 x 61 cmPrivate collection Ludwig Blum1891-1974 Impressionism Often an artist is more popular with the public than with critics and peers. Ludwig Blum was one such....

ColumnsIssue 39 | September 2017

From the Archives | With Thanks from Damascus

Yochai Ben-Ghedalia

Not only community leaders suffered interrogation and humiliation in the Damascus Affair – so did their wives. Their letter of thanks recently came to light Yochai Ben-Ghedalia On February 5, 1840, Father Thomas, a Capuchin monk...

19th centuryanti-SemitismColumnsFrom the ArchivesIssue 15 | February 2013Syria

Did Jew Know? | Jewish Statistics from World War I

Segula Editorial

1. Rank and File Roughly 1.35 million Jews fought in World War I, in the following armies: 500,000 – Russian320,000 – Austro-Hungarian250,000 – American100,000 – German55,000 – French35,000 – British 2. Jew against Jew In dozens...

ColumnsIssue 23 | October 2014

Post-script | Posting Independence

Itamar Atzmon

Despite the need for secrecy, and with production lines under fire, Israel’s first stamps were printed in time for independence Itamar Atzmon On 5 Iyar – the final day of the British Mandate – the...

Coins and StampsColumnsIsrael Independence DayIssue 16 | April-May 2013Land of IsraelPre-state of Israel

From the Archives | Mum’s the Word

Hadassah Assouline

Eighteenth-century birth registries list a surprisingly large number of “unwed” Jewish mothers, but immorality wasn’t the issue Hadassah Assouline The friendly American yeshiva student who frequented the Central Archives to research his Bavarian ancestors found...

ColumnsIssue 31 | April 2016

Head and Tales | Golden Nostalgia

Itamar Atzmon

How did a rare gold coin end up in a hiker’s hand in the Western Galilee? Archaeologists have more theories than answers Itamar Atzmon Thirty-nine gold coins from the Hellenistic and Roman periods are registered...

ColumnsIssue 31 | April 2016

History Live | Through Lions’ Gate

Tehila Bigman

Uzi Eilam’s rich and fascinating military career peaked when he commanded his paratrooper unit to retake the Old City of Jerusalem Tehila Bigman Courtesy of the Eilam family Reserve General Uzi Eilam 1934 Born on...