Miami Jewish community marks Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day
Hundreds of members of Miami's Jewish community and its allies gathered in Miami Beach to commemorate Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day on Sunday night.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the largest and deadliest Nazi concentration camp, ending a horrific chapter in human history. All in all, six million European Jews and people from other minorities were killed by the Nazis during the Holocaust.
The program, held at Temple Emanuel-El and organized by the Holocaust Memorial Miami Beach, remembered the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust and honored the legacy of the dwindling number of survivors. The event showcased stories from survivors and from second, third and fourth-generation descendants who are continuing to educate the next generation on the consequences of hate.
Currently, there are about 220,800 Holocaust survivors living in 90 countries around the world, with half residing in Israel and about 18 percent in North America, according to a new report from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, also referred to as the Claims Conference.
The vast majority, 96 percent, are 'child survivors' who were born after 1928 and more than 1,400 Holocaust survivors are estimated to over 100 years old. Nearly 50 percent of all Holocaust survivors will pass away within the next 6 years, while 70 percent will pass away within 10 years, according to the report. As Holocaust survivors continue to age and pass away, events like the one at Temple Emanu-El become even more important, allowing the stories of survival to live on.
This story was produced with financial support from Trish and Dan Bell and from donors comprising the South Florida Jewish and Muslim Communities, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald maintains full editorial control of this work.
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New York Post
4 hours ago
- New York Post
Archaeologist uncovers ‘persuasive' evidence of true location where Jesus turned water into wine
A historian believes he's found the location of Jesus Christ's first miracle – and has newfound evidence to back it up. Scripture gives limited details about Jesus' first miracle, which is said to have taken place at Cana. The Gospel of John states that Jesus turned water into wine during a wedding in the village. Advertisement 'Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons,' the gospel states. 'Jesus said to the servants, 'Fill the jars with water,' so they filled them to the brim.' The passage continues, 'Then he told them, 'Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.' They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine.' The prevailing theory states that Kafr Kanna, an Israeli town in the Galilee, was the true location of Cana. Pilgrims have long venerated the site, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia of 1914. 4 The Gospel of John states that Jesus turned water into wine during a wedding in the village. Getty Images Advertisement But historian Tom McCollough says that Cana was actually located five miles north of Kafr Kanna. The site, called Khirbet Qana, was a Jewish village from 323 B.C. to 324 A.D. McCollough taught religion and history at Centre College until his retirement in 2017. He told Pen News that Khirbet Qana presents the most compelling evidence so far. '[No other village] has the ensemble of evidence that makes such a persuasive case for Khirbet Qana,' he said. Advertisement The main piece of evidence is a series of tunnels used by Christians — marked with various crosses and references to Christ, which date back over 1,500 years. 'We have uncovered a large Christian veneration cave complex that was used by Christian pilgrims who came to venerate the water-to-wine miracle,' McCollough said. 'This complex was used beginning in the late fifth or early sixth century and continued to be used by pilgrims into the 12th-century Crusader period.' 4 The site, called Khirbet Qana, was a Jewish village from 323 B.C. to 324 A.D. Universal Images Group via Getty Images Advertisement During his excavation, McCollough also uncovered an altar and a shelf with a stone vessel. He noted that there was space for five additional jars — consistent with the biblical account of six stone jars. On the walls of the complex, his team of excavators also uncovered references to Kyrie Iesou, a Koine Greek phrase meaning Lord Jesus. 'The pilgrim texts we have from this period that describe what pilgrims did and saw when they came to Cana of Galilee match very closely what we have exposed as the veneration complex,' he said. Speaking to Pen News, McCollough also used the work of Flavius Josephus, a first-century Jewish historian, to back up his argument. 'His references to Cana align geographically with the location of Khirbet Qana and align logically with his movements,' he said. 'The reference to Cana in Josephus, the New Testament and in the rabbinic texts would argue the village was a Jewish village, near the Sea of Galilee and in the region of lower Galilee.' 4 He noted that there was space for five additional jars — consistent with the biblical account of six stone jars. Universal Images Group via Getty Images Advertisement He added, 'Khirbet Qana fulfills all of these criteria.' McCollough also argued that Kafr Kanna wasn't recognized as a pilgrimage site for Cana until the 18th century, which disputes the Catholic narrative about the site. 'At this point, the Franciscans were managing Christian pilgrimage and facilitating easy passage rather than historical accuracy,' he claimed. All in all, McCollough believes his excavations could bolster the case for the historicity of the Bible, and that his findings 'warrant at least a reconsideration of the historical value of John's references to Cana and Jesus.' Advertisement 'Our excavations have shown that this was in fact a thriving Jewish village located in the heart of much of Jesus' life and ministry,' he said. McCollough added, 'For the Gospel of John, Cana [was] in some ways Jesus' safe place or operational center. It is a place he and his disciples return to when they encounter resistance in Judea.' 4 On the walls of the complex, his team of excavators also uncovered references to Kyrie Iesou, a Koine Greek phrase meaning Lord Jesus. Godong/Universal Images Group via Getty Images The most recent research comes as archaeologists across the world work on uncovering sites from the Bible. Advertisement In March, an archaeologist working at Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre spoke with Fox News Digital about finding proof of an ancient garden at the site, consistent with scripture. Earlier this year, a group of Israeli archaeologists uncovered evidence of a biblical battle at the city of Megiddo in northern Israel.
Hamilton Spectator
16 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
After centuries of isolation, ultra-Orthodox Jews engage with the world more than ever
NEW YORK (AP) — Frieda Vizel left an ultra-Orthodox Jewish sect in New York in a crisis of faith at 25. But instead of cutting ties, she became a successful online personality and guide to the tight-knit world she had been raised in. She gives sold-out tours of Williamsburg, Brooklyn — home base of the Satmar dynasty — and runs a popular YouTube channel focused on the subculture engaging more with the outside world after centuries of separation. In mid-June, Vizel took a group of Jewish , Christian and Muslim tourists to see synagogues and schools, and visit kosher delis and shops. Instead of Barbie dolls, there were little ultra-Orthodox Jewish figurines. The rabbinically approved products included cellphones without screens, and DVDs and MP3 players preloaded with approved music and films, so no internet connection is needed. Yet ultra-Orthodox men on the street offered friendly greetings and praise for Vizel's recent postings even though rabbis advise them to avoid the internet unless needed for business, family or other essential needs. 'It's an interesting moment,' Vizel said. 'They're saying, 'What is the whole world saying about us?'' Growth and religious change Williamsburg and a handful of other locations worldwide — from Monsey, New York, to Stamford Hill, London to Bnei Brak, Israel — host the strictest followers of Orthodox Judaism. In a minority religion it's a minority set apart by its dedication above all else to the Torah and its 613 commandments, from No. 1 — worshipping God — to less-followed measures like No. 568 — not cursing a head of state. One in seven Jews worldwide are strictly Orthodox, or Haredi. It's a population of roughly 2 million out of 15 million Jews, according to Daniel Staetsky, a demographer with the London-based Institute for Jewish Policy Research. In a 2022 report, he projects that the strictly Orthodox population could double in size in 15 years. Another study projects that a third of American Jews will be Orthodox by 2063. Many in the community marry young and have large families. 'You're getting three generations of ultra-Orthodox for every two generations of Reform Jews in the U.S.,' said Alan Cooperman, director of religion research at the Pew Research Center. 'They are becoming the face of Judaism,' Vizel said. Reform and secular Jews It's happening while many Reform Jews in the U.S. are becoming less religious and intermarrying. That means that Jewish Americans as a whole are becoming either Orthodox or more secular, Cooperman said. 'There has been a major change, I think, that has taken place over the last generation or two and that is the polarization of American Jewry, much as we've seen the vast polarization of America as a whole,' said Jonathan Sarna, a professor of American Jewish history at Brandeis University . Among American Jews aged 18 to 29, 17% are Orthodox — a bigger share than in older generations, Pew found. And as a growing number of American Jews are Orthodox, a greater percent is Republican. Still, the majority of American Jews remain Democrats. The Pew Research Center found in 2020 that 75% of Orthodox Jews voted or leaned Republican . Walking out of Gottlieb's Restaurant with his salami sandwich, Samuel Sabel — a grocery store worker and journalist — said that 'a lot of the policies Republicans have go together with our beliefs,' citing school choice, and opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage as examples. Orthodox political activism is 'at the highest point it's ever been,' said Rabbi Avi Shafran, the retired director of public affairs at the Orthodox group Agudath Israel. 'No question about that.' 'There is time and money and ability and savvy and education that allows for a much more, aggressive, much more positive and active effort on political things,' he said. But while cultural issues are important, 'when push comes to shove, we'll vote our interests, our immediate interests, not the larger issues that are always on the table,' Shafran said. 'We are practical,' he said. 'Put it that way.' Politics — local, national and global Vizel guided her group past 'Get out the vote' signs in Yiddish, along with a campaign letter from Donald Trump in the window of Gottlieb's deli. In New York City's Democratic primary for the mayoral election, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo intensely courted Orthodox communities, counting at least 36 sects and yeshivas — religious schools — among his supporters. But Cuomo suffered a stunning upset at the hands of Zohran Mamdani in a demonstration of grassroots organizing over bloc voting. In Florida, Orthodox Jews backed Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis before he signed a expansion of taxpayer-funded vouchers for private schools, a movement that has galvanized religious groups across denominations. But the election this month for the World Zionist Congress — an international body predating Israel that controls more than 1,500 square miles (3885 square kilometers) of land there, along with about $1 billion a year from land sales — showed dominance by the Reform bloc despite intense campaigning by Orthodox parties and strong results ahead of coalition building. The 2020 Pew study found that Reform Jews are 37% of the American Jewish populace, followed by Jews that claim no particular branch — 32% —and then Conservatives at 17% . The Orthodox make up 9%. The president of the Union for Reform Judaism, the largest Jewish group in North America, said 'it's a mistake to assume unaffiliated Jews don't care about being Jewish — many do, and Reform Judaism often reflects their spiritual and moral values. 'Reform Jews continue to hold overwhelmingly liberal worldviews and political values,' Rabbi Rick Jacobs wrote. 'In the aftermath of October 7th, many have deepened their connection to Jewish peoplehood while remaining firmly committed to justice, equity, and peace through the Reform Movement.' Rabbi Pesach Lerner founded the Orthodox party Eretz Hakodesh five years ago to compete in the election for the World Zionist Congress. The main American party representing Reform Judaism in the Zionist Congress had a better individual showing than Lerner's in voting in the United States, but Orthodox parties did well and said they were optimistic that coalition-building would let them compete with traditional liberal Jewish interests. Reform Jews and their allies 'went so far to the left of traditional, of national, or family values, in 'wokeism,' that I'm glad the right finally decided that they can't sit back on the sidelines,' Lerner said. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. 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San Francisco Chronicle
16 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
After centuries of isolation, ultra-Orthodox Jews engage with the world more than ever
NEW YORK (AP) — Frieda Vizel left an ultra-Orthodox Jewish sect in New York in a crisis of faith at 25. But instead of cutting ties, she became a successful online personality and guide to the tight-knit world she had been raised in. She gives sold-out tours of Williamsburg, Brooklyn — home base of the Satmar dynasty — and runs a popular YouTube channel focused on the subculture engaging more with the outside world after centuries of separation. In mid-June, Vizel took a group of Jewish, Christian and Muslim tourists to see synagogues and schools, and visit kosher delis and shops. Instead of Barbie dolls, there were little ultra-Orthodox Jewish figurines. The rabbinically approved products included cellphones without screens, and DVDs and MP3 players preloaded with approved music and films, so no internet connection is needed. Yet ultra-Orthodox men on the street offered friendly greetings and praise for Vizel's recent postings even though rabbis advise them to avoid the internet unless needed for business, family or other essential needs. 'It's an interesting moment,' Vizel said. 'They're saying, 'What is the whole world saying about us?'" Growth and religious change Williamsburg and a handful of other locations worldwide — from Monsey, New York, to Stamford Hill, London to Bnei Brak, Israel — host the strictest followers of Orthodox Judaism. In a minority religion it's a minority set apart by its dedication above all else to the Torah and its 613 commandments, from No. 1 — worshipping God — to less-followed measures like No. 568 — not cursing a head of state. One in seven Jews worldwide are strictly Orthodox, or Haredi. It's a population of roughly 2 million out of 15 million Jews, according to Daniel Staetsky, a demographer with the London-based Institute for Jewish Policy Research. In a 2022 report, he projects that the strictly Orthodox population could double in size in 15 years. Another study projects that a third of American Jews will be Orthodox by 2063. Many in the community marry young and have large families. 'You're getting three generations of ultra-Orthodox for every two generations of Reform Jews in the U.S.,' said Alan Cooperman, director of religion research at the Pew Research Center. 'They are becoming the face of Judaism,' Vizel said. Reform and secular Jews It's happening while many Reform Jews in the U.S. are becoming less religious and intermarrying. That means that Jewish Americans as a whole are becoming either Orthodox or more secular, Cooperman said. 'There has been a major change, I think, that has taken place over the last generation or two and that is the polarization of American Jewry, much as we've seen the vast polarization of America as a whole,' said Jonathan Sarna, a professor of American Jewish history at Brandeis University. Among American Jews aged 18 to 29, 17% are Orthodox — a bigger share than in older generations, Pew found. And as a growing number of American Jews are Orthodox, a greater percent is Republican. Still, the majority of American Jews remain Democrats. The Pew Research Center found in 2020 that 75% of Orthodox Jews voted or leaned Republican. Walking out of Gottlieb's Restaurant with his salami sandwich, Samuel Sabel — a grocery store worker and journalist — said that 'a lot of the policies Republicans have go together with our beliefs,' citing school choice, and opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage as examples. Orthodox political activism is 'at the highest point it's ever been,' said Rabbi Avi Shafran, the retired director of public affairs at the Orthodox group Agudath Israel. 'No question about that.' 'There is time and money and ability and savvy and education that allows for a much more, aggressive, much more positive and active effort on political things,' he said. But while cultural issues are important, 'when push comes to shove, we'll vote our interests, our immediate interests, not the larger issues that are always on the table,' Shafran said. 'We are practical,' he said. 'Put it that way.' Politics — local, national and global Vizel guided her group past 'Get out the vote' signs in Yiddish, along with a campaign letter from Donald Trump in the window of Gottlieb's deli. In New York City's Democratic primary for the mayoral election, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo intensely courted Orthodox communities, counting at least 36 sects and yeshivas — religious schools — among his supporters. But Cuomo suffered a stunning upset at the hands of Zohran Mamdani in a demonstration of grassroots organizing over bloc voting. In Florida, Orthodox Jews backed Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis before he signed a expansion of taxpayer-funded vouchers for private schools, a movement that has galvanized religious groups across denominations. But the election this month for the World Zionist Congress — an international body predating Israel that controls more than 1,500 square miles (3885 square kilometers) of land there, along with about $1 billion a year from land sales — showed dominance by the Reform bloc despite intense campaigning by Orthodox parties and strong results ahead of coalition building. The 2020 Pew study found that Reform Jews are 37% of the American Jewish populace, followed by Jews that claim no particular branch — 32% —and then Conservatives at 17% . The Orthodox make up 9%. The president of the Union for Reform Judaism, the largest Jewish group in North America, said 'it's a mistake to assume unaffiliated Jews don't care about being Jewish — many do, and Reform Judaism often reflects their spiritual and moral values. 'Reform Jews continue to hold overwhelmingly liberal worldviews and political values,' Rabbi Rick Jacobs wrote. 'In the aftermath of October 7th, many have deepened their connection to Jewish peoplehood while remaining firmly committed to justice, equity, and peace through the Reform Movement.' Rabbi Pesach Lerner founded the Orthodox party Eretz Hakodesh five years ago to compete in the election for the World Zionist Congress. The main American party representing Reform Judaism in the Zionist Congress had a better individual showing than Lerner's in voting in the United States, but Orthodox parties did well and said they were optimistic that coalition-building would let them compete with traditional liberal Jewish interests.
