Jewish Slavery in the Nineteenth Century
White slavery and prostitution of young Jewish teenage girls from the late nineteenth century through the early part of the twentieth century is a tragic fact that many, even most in the Jewish community, are not aware. Yet, young women, most of whom originated in the Pale of Settlement (far off territories by the Russian-Polish border), found themselves conned into leaving their impoverished families by dapper young men who came offering marriage and the promise of a comfortable and even luxurious life. These men were actually Jewish pimps, who worked in the white slavery trade, trafficking unsuspecting, young Jewish girls into a life of prostitution. As young as sixteen, these girls, and their...
Matchmaker, Matchmaker . . .
(lubavitch.com) When Fiddler on the Roof made its 1964 debut under the bright white lights of Broadway, theater-goers and reviewers hailed it as a period piece with rich nostalgic value, but little relevance to contemporary society. Much has changed since the Tony-award winning musical first opened its doors, and today, many people are looking at one particular aspect of shtetl life with new interest. Yenta is getting a face-lift. With grumbles about a dating crisis reverberating throughout the various segments of normative Judaism, singles and parents are turning to matchmakers with a vengeance. And they are responding with an increasingly high-tech presence reflecting changing social needs...
Discover What is Really Klezmer Music
Trying to give a extensive definition of the klezmer is quite a difficult task. Originally, this is the music of the Jewish communities who lived in Eastern Europe a few centuries ago. It is a buoyant dance music meant to go along with the events of the Jewish social life like weddings and days of celebration. Klezmer is a music capable of expressing and embracing the human passions and feelings, from blessedness to unhappiness, from laugh to teardrops. In truth the word klezmer is the juxtaposition of two Hebrew words, "kli" and "zemer" which mean respectively instrument and song, klezmer is therefore word for word the instrument of the song, the vessel of the voice. Klezmer was played by traveling...
Why Do Jews Choose Both Secular and Jewish Baby Names?
Jewish baby names are complicated. Why? Well, Jewish parents not only have to choose a secular name for their babies but a Jewish one as well. Once again it's more difficult for the chosen people. There is a new modern way of getting around this - opt to have a name that can be used for both such as: Aaron, Ezra or Levi. But, why is it that Jews have historically chosen to have 2 names for their babies? Let me tell you a story... Before our son was born, my wife and I were trying to decide what to name him. A family member had just passed away and we were trying to figure out how to name our son after her. She wanted to name our son's Jewish name after her but I said I wanted to name his...