The Martyred Woman of Valor: Dulcea of Worms

Posted on: May 17th, 2012

The Middle Ages boasted a number of outstanding Jewish women. The most remarkable among them was Dulcea of Worms, wife of Rabi Eleazar Rokeach. We learn out about her remarkable character and capabilities from an elegy her loving husband composed in the form of an alphabetic acrostic fashioned after King Solomon’s “Woman of Valor" in Proverbs 31. Dulcea of Worms, however, rose above the stature of the Biblical “Eishet Chayil” both in capabilities and character.

Holocaust Heroines: Hilda Pistiner

Posted on: April 26th, 2012

When I first saw Hilda Pistiner I believed she was a German tourist. Later, when I met her personally and found out she was an Israeli born in Bukovina, I labored under a second mistaken assumption: I believed she had been a pioneer in pre-State Israel, her fresh youthful blond looks untouched by the Holocaust. How wrong have I been!

The Heroines Of The Pesach Story

Posted on: April 16th, 2012

It’s fascinating to realize that the People of Israel growing into a mighty nation in Egypt was a reward for the heroism of the Hebrew midwives.

The Fast of Esther: International Agunah Day

Posted on: March 29th, 2012

This year International Agunah Day was observed on March 7th, the Jewish calendar date of Taanit Esther, the Fast of Esther. The date was determined by ICAR - The International Coalition for Agunah Rights. ICAR is a coalition of 27 organizations working together to abolish defiance in granting a “get” (Jewish divorce) and extortion in the divorce process within the framework of Jewish Law.

A Journey with Destiny: The Story Of A Righteous Filipina’s Conversion To Judaism

Posted on: March 15th, 2012

The heading of this article is the title of Angelita Valdes’ biography written by her husband, Dr. Robert Dublin. Dr. Dublin was the physician who treated and nursed the young Filipina dancer and TV starlet back to life when she became ill with tuberculosis meningitis - a life threatening disease. Angelita Valdes’ biography is an astonishing story of an amazing woman’s life.

Hadassa Dubrofsky: A True Role Model

Posted on: February 17th, 2012

Hadassa Dubrofsky, a lovely twelve-year old girl from Toronto, Canada decided to forgo bat-mitzvah presents and replace them with something even more meaningful and exciting – an act of chesed (charitable kindness).

Viera Rybarova: A Remarkable Mission

Posted on: February 3rd, 2012

Last year Viera Rybarova, professor of English language and literature in Bratislava, Slovakia, undertook a formidable task. Having read my Holocaust memoirs, she decided to translate one of the books into Slovak, where there is still a shortage of literature on the tragic fate of the Jews seventy years ago.

Sister Rose Thering: Sister Rose’s Passion

Posted on: January 24th, 2012

Sister Rose's Passion is a documentary film on the life of Sister Rose Thering, a life that stood for love of Jews, for fighting prejudice, anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial.

Sarah Aaronson: The Heroine of NILI

Posted on: January 5th, 2012

Nearly eighty-five years have passed since Sarah Aaronson shot herself in the head, putting an end to the torture her Turkish interrogators inflicted upon her for refusing to disclose information about her associates in the NILI, an anti-Turkish spying organization that supplied the British with intelligence.

Yehudith: The Heroine Of Channukah

Posted on: December 22nd, 2011

“Women are obligated to participate in kindling the Chanukah lights,” instructs the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, a nineteenth century commentary on the Shulchan Aruch, the basic Jewish legal text. And, surprisingly, even more: “A woman can light the candles for all the members of her family.”