The Jewish-American comedian directed and acted in numerous films starring zany characters. A century after his birth, fans and scholars recall the performer whose manic energy, inventive filmmaking, and decades of philanthropy left an indelible mark on popular culture.
Remembering Judith Resnik, the First Jewish-American in Space
Resnik and her six crewmates were killed 40 years ago aboard the shuttle Challenger. Their memories continue to encourage young people to reach, as did the seven astronauts, for the stars.
Paul Newman’s Other Great Role
He was among the most respected American actors of the late 20th century. He understood drama. Hands-on charity, too. Newman used the lucky, cool hand he was dealt to improve kids’ lives — and did it with an absence of hubris.
Sandy Koufax: A Jewish Baseball Hero Turns 90
Sitting out an important game on Yom Kippur, setting pitching records and retiring young for health reasons combined to make the iconic Dodgers pitcher a legend in the 1960s. He remains so.
John F. Kennedy and Israel: A Look Back
Recalling the 35th president’s impact on American-Israeli relations.
Barney Dreyfuss, a Jewish Under-the-Radar Baseball Hall of Famer
The German immigrant arrived in America in 1881 and left an imprint on its national pastime, including launching the World Series championship.
The Singing Rabbi
Shlomo Carlebach’s musical influence endures across the Jewish world, more than a century after his birth.
Life On an American University Campus, in the Immediate Aftermath of October 7
Ayelet Glaser was a student at Columbia University on October 7, 2023. Her experiences during the days that followed led directly to her “Aliyah” – her immigration to Israel, where she lives today. Here she shares some of what she saw, heard and felt during that life-changing period.
George Gershwin: A Jewish Voice in the American Soundscape
“I think that many of my themes are Jewish in feeling, although they are purely American in style,” Gershwin, one of the greatest composers in U.S. history, said. His wondrous music still defies categorization.
Leo Frank, 1915: The Case America Still Reckons With
More than a century after the lynching of a Jewish-American man in Georgia, rising antisemitism makes the tragedy’s warning painfully clear.
