Humans of Judaism

Did you know that Harry Houdini, the great escape artist and world-famous magician, was Jewish? Houdini (né Erik Weisz) was born to a Jewish family in Budapest, Hungary in 1874. His father, Rabbi Mayer Samuel Weisz, moved the family to the United States when Houdini was four years old. They lived in Appleton, Wisconsin, where Rabbi Weisz led the Zion Reform Jewish Congregation. The family soon fell on hard times and eventually moved to New York City to find work. It was there that Houdini’s career began. He trained as a trapeze artist and magician, but his real success came from experimenting with escape acts. He freed himself from handcuffs, straitjackets, shackles, and more. But Houdini’s most sensational trick was escaping from an airtight, locked tank filled with water while suspended upside down by his ankles. He continued to perform this escape act for the rest of his life. Houdini passed away 100 years ago on October 31, 1926 and is still remembered as the world’s most legendary magician.  Source: @jggoltz

On October 7, Shir Siegel was engaged to be married when her parents, Aviva and Keith, were abducted by Hamas terrorists and taken hostage in Gaza. Aviva was held captive for 51 days, and Keith for 484 days. After their release, Shir married in August 2025 with both parents by her side. Today, Aviva and Keith hold their granddaughter, Shir’s firstborn, in their arms. #MazalTov!

How did a rabbi who founded the Simon Wiesenthal Center become a two-time Academy Award winner and someone Frank Sinatra considered his rabbi? This is the story of Rabbi Marvin Hier.   Born in 1939 and raised on the Lower East Side, Hier grew up knowing what the Nazis had done to his relatives and dedicated his life to Holocaust education and promoting tolerance. In 1977, he founded the Simon Wiesenthal Center, named after the Holocaust survivor and Nazi hunter. His work soon caught the attention of Frank Sinatra, who admired Simon Wiesenthal and became a close friend and key supporter of the Center, helping Hier build connections throughout Hollywood. Hier later established the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles and founded Moriah Films, producing documentaries that brought Holocaust history to audiences around the world, two of which won Oscars.   Over the course of his remarkable career, Hier has met with eight US presidents, four kings, three popes and the Dalai Lama. His work also brought together some of the most recognizable voices in entertainment, including Orson Welles and Billy Crystal, as well as Elizabeth Taylor, who narrated one of his award-winning documentaries.   This photo shows Rabbi Hier with Simon Wiesenthal at Wiesenthal’s 90th birthday celebration in Vienna. Wiesenthal chose the Imperial Hotel, once a favorite of Hitler, because he wanted the hotel’s history to record that a Jew had celebrated there with a kosher dinner and Yiddish music, a powerful statement about Jewish survival. As Hier recalled Wiesenthal saying, “Hitler is no longer here, but even in the Imperial Hotel, Jews are still alive and still singing.”   Today, you may recognize Rabbi Hier from his recently released Netflix documentary, The Hollywood Rabbi. Having stepped down as CEO in 2023, he now serves as Founder and Dean Emeritus of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, an institution that continues his work of educating future generations and promoting tolerance. Photo: @simonwiesenthalcenter

One year ago today, all living hostages were finally reunited with their loved ones in Israel after two years of Hamas captivity in Gaza. 🇮🇱🎗️

Oskar Schindler passed away on October 9, 1974, and is buried in Israel. Pictured here are Holocaust survivors he saved, standing alongside individuals from the movie Schindler’s List at his grave in Jerusalem. Schindler is responsible for saving the lives of approximately 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust. In 1993, he was formally recognized as Righteous Among the Nations, and more than 8,000 descendants are alive today as a result of his efforts. Photo: @yadvashem

This is a photo of the Siman Tov family before October 7. Johnny, his wife Tamar, and their children, 5 year old twins Shahar and Arbel and 2 year old Omer, were together in Kibbutz Nir Oz when Hamas terrorists set fire to their home, broke into their safe room and opened fire. None of them survived. We will never forget.

Ariel and Kfir Bibas were the youngest hostages taken to Gaza on October 7 and were murdered in cold blood by Hamas. 🧡💔 There are no words.

“This is my father, Marc Mordechai Peretz z”l. He was murdered trying to save me from the massacre at the Nova festival. When the rockets started, he got in the car and drove toward me alone. He ran over two terrorists, broke through police checkpoints, and kept going until He was killed on Route 232. Dad, thank you for trying to save me. Thank you for 20 wonderful years, for your endless love, and for everything you gave us. I love you and will miss you forever.” - Maya Marc was 51 years old. May his memory be a blessing.

On the left are shoes of Holocaust victims from Auschwitz. On the right are shoes of October 7 victims from the Nova Music Festival. Each shoe belonged to someone, a child, parent, spouse, friend, loved one, and represents a life wiped out by senseless hate. Never Again is Now.

Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the Jewish year. May you be sealed for good. G’mar Chatima Tova. Photo: @noamc_official

This year, Leonard Cohen’s birthday falls on Yom Kippur. Cohen was born in Montreal on September 21, 1934. By 1973, Cohen was a poet, songwriter and international star. That October, on Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, Israel was attacked by several of its neighbors. At the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War, Cohen dropped everything, flew to Israel, and performed for troops on the front lines. One of Cohen’s most famous lyrics is, “There is a crack, a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.” May his memory be a blessing.

Happy 105th birthday to Holocaust survivor Joseph Garay! Joseph survived the Nazis, moved to the US and started a new life. He raised a family, created a successful business and became a pillar of his community. Joseph is living proof that the best revenge against the Nazis is a life well lived. Source: @jsgaray

31 year old American Israeli Danny Lewin was the first victim of the September 11th attacks. Born in Denver, Colorado, in 1970, Lewin’s family moved to Israel when he was just a teenager. Danny soon served as an officer in the IDF and later attended the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology while also working full-time for IBM. In 1996, Lewin received a scholarship at MIT and moved back to the US to pursue his PhD. In 1998, he co-founded Akamai Technologies, making him a millionaire before he turned 30. On September 11, 2001, Danny was a passenger on American Airlines Flight 11. He was headed to LA on business, and at some point, he must have sensed something was wrong. According to an FBI report, in an act of heroism, Lewin attempted to stop two of the terrorists when a third terrorist fatally stabbed him from behind. This has been recorded as the first death from the 9/11 tragedy. May his memory be a blessing. Photo: Akamai