Long Live Esperanto!
In the 1920′s, an Esperanto convention was held in Brazil. Learned scholars from every part of the globe participated — Esperantists from England, France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Russia, the United States, Mexico, Canada, South Africa — you name it, it was represented there.
Presentation after presentation extolled the value of Esperanto, explaining how sharing a common language would lead to world peace, universal understanding, and a utopian future.
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Filed under: Jewish History, Politics
The War Hero
A Jewish boy of the American Expeditionary Forces would steal out of his trench every night, during the hours of gloom and silence when the batteries paused in their spray of death and destruction, and return each time with ten or fifteen captives from the enemy camp.
This feat, repeated every night by the young hero, so impressed his superior officers that he was finally summoned to headquarters and commended for his heroism.
“You have never told …
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Filed under: Jewish History, Ritual, Synagogue Life
All in the Family
A shnorrer was soliciting from Baron Rothschild for a handout. Displeased with the amount he’d been given, the shnorrer complained, “Your son gave me twice as much.”
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Filed under: Charity, Jewish History, Traditions
R-E-S-P-E-C-T, Tell Me What it Means to Me
There were two carriage drivers of Poland who were in constant rivalry for passengers. One was Ivan and the other Mikhail. One day, as Ivan was driving from Warsaw, and the other was approaching Warsaw from the opposite direction, they met on the road, several miles from the city.
When they recognized each other, they drew up their horses and exchanged chilly greetings.
“I see, Mikhail, that you have that crook, Yussel the Jew, as a passenger,” …
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Filed under: Jewish History, Non-Jewish
The Informer
The Jews in a small Russian town found it necessary for their own safety to bribe the informer before any meetings were held, so he would not report their affairs to the Czarist authorities. One day such an important matter came up that the informer demanded three hundred rubles as his price for silence.
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Filed under: Jewish History, Rabbis, Russians
Spot the Landsman
An old woman approached a blonde, blue-eyed man. “Excuse me, Mister,” she began tentatively, “but you’re a Jewish boy?”
He regarded her disdainfully for a moment and then replied, “No, madam, I’m not.”
Still uncertain, she repeated her question.
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Filed under: Family Life, Immigration
My Cousin the Cantor
A young man, just off the boat, arrives on the Lower East Side at the turn of the Twentieth Century. He is all alone and is looking for his only contact to the new world, his cousin, Cantor Rosensweig.
As he wanders, he approaches an elderly woman and says, “Tante, can you tell me where I might find Cantor Rosensweig?”
The woman replies, “You mean Cantor Beryl Rosensweig, who sings so off-key that his attempts at davening …
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Filed under: Cantors, Congregants, Immigration, Synagogue Life
This Site Under Construction
Dear Egypt,
If you destroy the pyramids we will not rebuild.
Sincerely,
The Jews
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Filed under: Arabs, Jewish History, Politics
I’m Fine, Thank You
One day, as Isaac Levy is driving home, a truck crashes into his car. He’s very lucky and suffers only moderate injuries. Nevertheless, he’s off work for two months. As a result, he contacts a Personal Injury lawyer who, after hearing the details, recommends that Isaac take the truck driver to court for dangerous driving. Isaac agrees.
A few weeks later, Isaac arrives in Court and soon he’s in the witness box answering questions thrown …
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Filed under: Immigration
The French Way
When Mr. Ginsberg, a widower, retired he decided to treat himself to a trip to Paris, and booked passage on the French liner Liberte, famous for its opulence and its cuisine. On the first night he was seated by the Maitre d’ at a table facing another passenger traveling alone — a Frenchman who spoke no English. The Frenchman, already seated at the table, smiles at Mr. Ginsberg and says, “Bon appetit.”
Mr. Ginsberg, who speaks …
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Filed under: Immigration, Uncategorized
Ah, Paris!
On her first trip to Paris, Mrs. Lapidus sees Mrs. Cohen, a friend from the Upper West Side, walking on the Champs Elysees. She rushes up to her, exclaiming effusively and without pausing, “Sadie, Sadie, I didn’t know you were going to be in Paris! Is Irving with you? Oh, isn’t this city marvelous? We’ve seen almost everything, but one thing bothers me. Would you believe that we’ve been here three days, and I haven’t …
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Filed under: Immigration
Miami Beach Aspirations
Mrs. Sam Lapidus from the Bronx is delighted to find that her sunbathing companion at Miami Beach each day is a bejeweled Mrs. Irving Goldstein from Great Neck on Long Island. Fascinated by Mrs. Goldstein, Mrs. Lapidus has studied her carefully for clues to her age. She cannot detect signs of a face lift. There is no evidence of graying roots in her carefully coiffed blonde tresses.
Finally, unhappy with her inability to find age-revealing clues, …
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Filed under: Immigration, Jewish History
Meet C. R. Eldrich
Abe runs into his old friend Hymie in Miami and yells, “Lipshitz, how’ve you been?”
Hymie whispers anxiously, “Shhh. My name isn’t Hymie Lipshitz any more. I’ve changed it to C. R. Eldrich.”
“From where did you get such a fancy name?” asks Abe.
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Filed under: Immigration, Jewish History
A Blaze of Glory
One dark night outside a small town, a fire started inside the local chemical plant. In a flash, the plant exploded into flames.
The alarm went out to the fire departments from miles around. When the firefighters appeared on the scene, the chemical company president rushed to the fire chief and said, “All of our secret formulas are in the vault in the center of the plant. They must be saved. I will give fifty thousand …
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Filed under: Immigration, Uncategorized
How Long is a Chinaman
A tourist in San Francisco is walking around in Chinatown and sees a sign that says: “Moishe Levy’s Chinese Laundry”.
He thinks, “Moishe Levy?!? Where does that come from?”
So he walks in and sees an old Chinese gentleman behind the counter. He asks, “How did a place like this get a name like “Moishe Levy’s Chinese Laundry?”
The old man answers, “Is name of owner.”
The tourist asks, “Well, who and where …
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Filed under: Immigration