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@nathanwpyle

I literally love this.

I couldn't stop laughing for 20 minutes.

No joke.

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You guys rlly don't realise how much knowledge is still not committed to the internet. I find books all the time with stuff that is impossible to find through a search engine- most people do not put their magnum opus research online for free and the more niche a skill is the less likely you are to have people who will leak those books online. (Nevermind all the books written prior to the internet that have knowledge that is not considered "relevant" enough to digitise).

Whenever people say that we r growing up with all the world's knowledge at our fingertips...it's not necessarily true. Is the amount of knowledge online potentially infinite? Yes. Is it all knowledge? No. You will be surprised at the niche things you can discover at a local archive or library.

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the nuisance of our language is stunning

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Plain and simple

Go find a moral backbone if you think this is remotely okay

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Chag Sameach

This year we are slaves.

Next year may we be free.

This year held in tunnels in Gaza.

Next year in Jerusalem.

“In each and every generation they rise up against us to destroy us. And the Holy One, blessed be He, rescues us from their hands.”

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Passover, 1945

The biggest story, unsurprisingly, was what was happening in Germany. I've found so much that I can't include everything here.

The photo above was printed in the Chicago Times on April 6th, 1945 (and I'm sorry the scan is so bad). I haven't been able to find any information about where in Germany it was taken. Perhaps it was the same event covered in this item, which appeared in the Southern Jewish Weekly (Jacksonville, Florida; it had become a monthly for the duration) on April 1st:

Regardless, Schloss Rheydt, in München-Gladbach (now Mönchengladbach), which a month earlier had witnessed a Purim celebration, now became the site of a seder. Here's the fullest account I found, from the Chicago Tribune for March 31st:

Joseph Shalom Shubow (1899-1969) was born in Lithuania and grew up in the U.S. beginning in 1908. An alumnus of Harvard University, he received his ordination from the Jewish Institute of Religion, which indicates that he was a Reform rabbi (but perhaps with a greater openness to traditional practices than someone trained at Hebrew Union College, which would have stood him in good stead as a chaplain). Prior to his induction in 1943 he served Temple B'nai Moshe, in Brighton, Massachusetts, and returned to them after the war. However, he was still in the Army in late 1945, by which time he had been awarded the Bronze Star.

As in previous years, supplies for these seders had to be organized well in advance, as noted in this item from the Chicago Times for March 16th:

Of course, Germany wasn't the only place where Allied troops needed support, nor were those troops the only people who needed help, as noted in this clipping from The Jewish Chronicle (London) for January 26th:

And food — for Passover or otherwise — wasn't the only thing that was needed. These photos appeared on March 1st in The Sentinel (Chicago):

And this is from the B'nai B'rith Messenger (Los Angeles) of March 23rd:

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IT WAS ONE GIANT FROG

🐸

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Understanding Passover and Other Jewish Holidays: An Easy Guide

Passover, also known as Pesach, is one of the most significant holidays in the Jewish calendar, celebrated with rituals that have deep historical and spiritual significance. Alongside Passover, there are other important Jewish holidays like Purim, each with its unique traditions and meanings. In this article, we'll explore what Passover is, its importance, and touch on other Jewish holidays, infusing a bit of Jewish humor to lighten our exploration.

What is Passover?

Passover is a Jewish festival that commemorates the Israelites' exodus from Egypt, which is detailed in the Hebrew Bible in the Book of Exodus. The holiday lasts for eight days in most Jewish communities (seven in Israel and among some liberal Diaspora communities), and it involves a number of rituals and customs designed to remember the hardships of slavery and the joy of liberation.

The central ritual of Passover is the Seder, a festive meal where the story of the exodus is retold using a text called the Haggadah. During the Seder, families and friends gather to read the Haggadah, eat symbolic foods placed on the Passover Seder plate, and discuss the themes of freedom and slavery. Key elements of the Seder include eating matzah (unleavened bread), maror (bitter herbs), and other foods that symbolize various aspects of the exodus story.

The Significance of Pesach

Pesach is another term for Passover, and it highlights the holiday's emphasis on passing over the houses of the Israelites during the tenth plague – the slaying of the firstborn Egyptians. This event led to Pharaoh releasing the Israelites from bondage, marking the beginning of their journey to freedom. Pesach is a time for reflection on the struggle for liberation and the value of freedom, themes that resonate in many cultural and historical contexts.

Other Jewish Holidays: Purim

Purim is another joyful Jewish holiday that usually occurs a month before Passover. It commemorates the events recounted in the Book of Esther, where Queen Esther helps save the Jews from extermination in ancient Persia. Purim is marked by public readings of the Book of Esther, giving charity to the needy, exchanging gifts of food, and enjoying a festive meal. One of the more fun aspects of Purim is the tradition of dressing in costumes, which adds a playful element to the holiday.

Jewish Humor

Jewish humor, known for its wit and often self-deprecating nature, plays a significant role in how these holidays are celebrated and perceived among Jewish communities and beyond. Humor can be found in the playful customs of Purim, the creative parodies during Passover, and even in everyday life. It's an integral part of Jewish culture, offering a unique way to cope with past adversities and current challenges while celebrating joyous occasions.

Closing Thoughts

Understanding Passover and other Jewish holidays offers insight into the rich tapestry of Jewish tradition and culture. These holidays not only commemorate historical events but also offer time to reflect on broader themes of freedom, bravery, and joy. Whether you're Jewish or just interested in learning about different cultures, the stories and traditions of Jewish holidays provide valuable lessons and an opportunity for universal reflection on the human spirit's resilience.

In exploring these holidays and the humor interwoven with these traditions, we get a glimpse into the heart of Jewish cultural identity—marked by endurance, faith, and an unending zest for life. So next time you hear about Passover, Pesach, or Purim, you'll appreciate the depth and vibrancy these celebrations bring to the Jewish community and the broader world.

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Miss Congeniality (2000) dir. Donald Petrie

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The Tortured Poets Department. An anthology of new works that reflect events, opinions and sentiments from a fleeting and fatalistic moment in time - one that was both sensational and sorrowful in equal measure. This period of the author’s life is now over, the chapter closed and boarded up. There is nothing to avenge, no scores to settle once wounds have healed. And upon further reflection, a good number of them turned out to be self-inflicted. This writer is of the firm belief that our tears become holy in the form of ink on a page. Once we have spoken our saddest story, we can be free of it.

And then all that’s left behind is the tortured poetry.

THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT is out now.

https://taylor.lnk.to/thetorturedpoetsdepartment

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a video call for help from @haya-orouq19 who is in gaza

[Transcript: Please don't scroll if you want to help a family in Gaza. Hey everyone, this is Haya Orouq, I am 18 years old from Gaza City. Today is the 167th day of the war in Gaza City. And through this war we lost our house, my university was bombed. My whole childhood neighborhood area was completely damaged. We have been displaced to three different places in search of a safer place but unfortunately there's no safer place in Gaza. Everywhere there's bombing, everywhere is dangerous, so we are now displaced in Deir al-Balah. And me and my family lost everything, we have nothing left here in Gaza.

And my mom is very sick also, she is suffering from Lupus and because she has Lupus, she is a kidney failure patient in need of an urgent treatment and care outside of Gaza. The hospitals here is so poor and bad and the quality of her treatment is getting worse and worse because the quality of the hospitals is bad, because of the conditions of the war. So please guys, help my family, we deserve to- we deserve a decent life, we deserve to start a new beginning and deserve a new life.

So, here's the link in the bio and you can help me by sharing the video, repost, comment, like, whatever you can do can help. Every one dollar can make a difference. You can make life-changing difference to my family, you can save my family, you can save my mom. I am also trying to reach out to as many celebrities who are interested in helping people like me by making videos about the family that needs help in Gaza, like me. So I will mention them in the comment and please go to them, ask them to share my videos, and to make a video about my campaign and ask them to share my link. This is so urgent, I need your help guys because my account is prevented from receiving and sending messages so I can't reach out with them. I will mention them so please help me, and help my family.

I can't bear seeing my mom struggling with death because she has a dangerous disease which is Lupus and she is a kidney failure patient and I can't bear seeing my older sister suffering from hunger. So please guys, you can do it and please make #HelpHayasFamily. Share this video, whatever you can do can help. You can share the link as widely as possible, you can share the video. End of transcript.]

you can donate to her campaign here!

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When I made this post just ten days ago, it was about mass graves discovered at Al Shifa hospital and now we have learned that the same had happened at Nasser hospital in Gaza. The same genocidal pattern: a hospital is put under siege, patients and medical staff are abducted, tortured and buried in mass graves.

But to build on the last point I wanted to bring attention to in the previous post, it is very crucial to also keep in mind is that the Palestinian Civil Defence have reported that Israel had deliberately concealed the identities of those it killed and buried in these mass graves. Close to 400 bodies have been buried in these mass graves, 58% of the recovered bodies have not been identified.

In a press conference, a spokesperson of the civil defence in Gaza said that Israel had intentionally disfigured the bodies postmortem in order to remove any identifying markers such as birthmarks. He also mentioned that they suspect that the bodies have been placed in body bags that expedited the decomposition process, destroying any possibility of them being identified.

One of the main and only ways families have been able to identify the bodies of their loved ones is through the clothes they remember them wearing the last time they saw them. I saw a video of a mother identifying her son by his striped jacket. You can see the grief mixed with relief that she will be able to give her son proper burial.

Remember when months ago I said that to be identified and buried in Gaza has become a luxury? This is very much still the case.

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