Jewish News and History
By Sabra Minkus After a 2000-plus year journey from Israel, a group called B'nei Menashe are in the process of returning to a land they believe is their ancestral home – Israel. They are believed to be the descendants of Manasseh, son of Joseph. They were exiled from northern
immigration issues
By Emily Alvarez Mark M. (name and identifying details withheld for safety) fled his home country in South America in late 2018 after receiving threats that made remaining there impossible. He entered the United States legally on a B-2 visitor visa and, within months, filed an affirmative asylum application, a
Chevra Kadisha
By Gail Rubin, CT Between the general tendency to avoid discussing death, and the rule against revealing one’s participation in a specific tahara, many communities don’t know about the Chevra Kadisha and Jewish rituals they perform around end-of-life. It’s been six years since Kavod v’Nichum last
Jewish European History
by Dianne R. Layden, Ph.D. The short play Etty about the life of Dutch woman Esther “Etty” Hillesum (1914-1943) during the German occupation was performed by Susan Stein in schools and houses of worship in New Mexico in October 2025.* I saw the performance in Albuquerque at Congregation Albert
Hanukkah
By Jim Winnerman It is likely you are aware the United States Postal Service periodically issues a commemorative Hanukkah stamp. Perhaps you have noticed them on the envelope of a Hanukkah card you have received or used them on your own cards and letters around the holiday. The tradition of
Community News
by Denise Suttle This article first appeared in the weekly newsletter of Chavurat Hamidbar, Albuquerque. Wednesday mornings at 10:00 AM you’ll find a dedicated group of Chavurah members and community teammates clad in sweats, ball caps, sneakers and aprons—ready to serve fellow New Mexicans. The Roadrunner Food
Larry Lesser
Like many Jews, I’m still reeling from the last two years and the continuing rise of antisemitism. A 2025 ADL/World Union of Jewish Students poll found more than three-quarters of Jewish college students now conceal their religious identity. On the other hand, many of us have found that
CHOICE of Free or Paid
TRIPLE YOUR CONTRIBUTION! Throughout December every $1 will be matched by $2 = $3. A base subscription of $36 (annually or monthly/ $3) becomes $108. A direct $360 contribution becomes $1080. A charitable tax-deductible donation made through the New Mexico Foundation, our fiscal sponsor, of $500 becomes $1500 (see options below)
First off, Saturday Nov. 1st, 5:15 "CULTURAL ROOTS OF CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM and its Implications for American Jewry" lecture by Ron Duncan Hart, to be followed by Havdalah with Rabbi Neil Amswych. Temple Beth Shalom, Santa Fe. REGISTRATION REQUIRED: RSVP https://sftbs.shulcloud.com/form/havdalah.html/. By
TRIPLE YOUR CONTRIBUTION! We have a 2:1 match from December 1st thru Dec. 31st. Every $1 will be matched by $2 = $3. For example a new base subscription of $36 ($3/month or annual) becomes $108. A direct $108 contribution becomes $324. A charitable tax-deductible donation of $500 becomes
The New Mexico Jewish Journal is independent, we depend on your support, please donate, subscribe. Read all our Past Issues here, also, use the magnifying glass 🔍 Search icon above to find topics and authors. We have eleven new stories in, plus the October briefs NEWSLETTER with the latest community event
All 20 hostages have arrived in Israel as of October 13th, 2025. VIEW how this is being reported around the world. View front page and homepage news around the world on the morning of Oct. 13. (Selected screenshots by Diane Joy Schmidt for NMJewishJournal.com - shared under fair use
By Emily Alvarez Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security have made their mission clear: Detain and deport a record number of immigrants in the United States, regardless of criminal history or ties to the country. The heightened number of detentions and deportations has had catastrophic consequences
"Freedom fighter, double agent, femme fatale — Tamar said she was all three. Decades after her death, a page she wrote in a diary from a Nazi-run women’s camp reveals a hidden identity, leading her journalist daughter on a global reckoning with the secrets she took to her grave.
"When a young bride and her husband escape the Nazi onslaught for the safety of her childhood home—a remote Jewish village in Lithuania—they discover that the most chilling threat may come not from the invaders, but from those they once called neighbors." "Extinguished Lives"
By Howard Friedman David (Dave) Specter was a local Albuquerque businessman and co-owner of Zeon signs. His elderly mother was in poor health and he wanted to find a facility that catered to senior Jews who needed a place to live where they could be cared for. Since there was
By Ron Duncan Hart Warning: This article is for a mature audience and contains the vivid original Inquisition description of the torture of a Portuguese Jew. Tens of thousands of voices of hidden Jews are recorded in the archives of the Spanish Inquisition. In their trial records we can see
by Norma Libman I’ve spent the better part of the past year talking to smart people about interesting ideas. What could be more fun? Visit Speakers Bureau at www.nmjhs.org under Programs tab Actually, I was on assignment from the Board of NMJHS to refresh and revamp our