Editor's Message
EDITOR'S MESSAGE: Key Questions for our Community. In the early hours of Saturday, February 28th, while most Americans were absorbed by the Epstein saga, the U.S. and Israel launched a joint strike against Iran. By Saturday afternoon, a heightened security alert had been issued to Jewish institutions
Community News
Story and Photos by Diane Joy Schmidt Day of Celebration and Reflection February 4, 2026 was declared New Mexico Jewish Community Day at the Roundhouse in Santa Fe, while the legislature was in session. Some twenty Jewish community organizations set up tables throughout the day in the West Hall — though
Gloria Abella Ballen
... about Walter Benjamin and the perfect place, the Neue Galerie, where I found his book, The Story Teller: Tales out of Loneliness.
Ron Duncan Hart
...to think of its aftermath, the sharp contrast between this celebration of life painted by Klimt and the Nazi wave of hatred that would destroy the Jewish life
Arts Review
by Corinne Joy Brown What happens when a professor of Spanish literature and language becomes a character in his own graphic novel, functioning as both author and subject? Nothing less than the creation of a story that holds more suspense and depth than the best “who-dunnit” ever written, one where
Jewish European History
By Jonah Wald During December of 2025 and going into the January of 2026 I went with my family to Barcelona, Spain. We learned a lot about the rich history of this area and I became very interested. These are some things I learned on my trip. The Spanish Inquisition
Op-ed
By Merilee Dannemann Some years ago, New Mexico’s Senate Judiciary Committee had the nickname Fernando’s Hideaway. The nickname came from a song called “Hernando’s Hideaway,” published in 1954, from a Broadway musical comedy called “The Pajama Game.” The song, with an enticing tango rhythm, is still a
SIGN UP TO GET THE NEWSLETTER
Letters to the Editor of 200 words or less, about articles published in the NM Jewish Journal will be considered for publication in Letters and may be edited for length and clarity. Include your name (indicate if ok to publish) and email (which will not be included). Avid Readers Recommend:
Please also refer to ABQJEW's resource page PRAY for a comprehensive list of synagogues and to go to their individual links to find out more information. ABQJEW - PRAY - COMPREHENSIVE LIST The First night of Passover begins April 1st, 2026. First Night Seders are on April 1st
As of today, February 18th, we enter the joyful month of Adar in the Hebrew year of 5786. This means Purim is just around the corner, starting at sundown on Monday, March 2, followed soon by Passover on the evening of April 1st. The USA will celebrate its 250th birthday
by Corinne Joy Brown Citizens of New Mexico fascinate me. Native Americans, settlers, adventurers, retirees, and transplants. People who arrived by accident and others who came for a reason. Some who thought they were merely passing through, then realized, decades later, they never left. Let’s not leave out the
By Randall Edmunds In a time when old musical traditions from around the world have seen renewed interest, none has received as much attention and energy as klezmer. Almost lost because of cultural upheaval and assimilation, klezmer today is a dynamic, evolving art form. Nowhere is that evolution more joyfully
By Judith Fein It is very rare that I weep in the dark because I am so moved, hold my breath from the brilliance of a production, or watch an almost three-hour show and immediately want to see it again. And I can’t recall whispering, “How did they do
by Dianne R. Layden, Ph.D. In her remarkable first book, Melting Point: Family, Memory, and the Search for a Promised Land, Rachel Cockerell presents history and memoir in an experimental format in which original source material, with all its nuances, is presented as historical context – the search in the
Story and Photos by Lena S. Keslin “To have seen Italy without having seen Sicily is not to have seen Italy at all, for Sicily is the key to everything.” —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 1816 My friend, Judith Zorzy, had been telling me about the beauty and history of Ortigia
In our February issue, we have a number of joyful, artistic, informative and possibly provocative articles from writers both new and familiar, and links to earlier stories you've been meaning to catch up on. Tu B'Shvat begins at sundown on Sunday, February 1, 2026, and ends
Phyllis Wolf, Chief Programs Officer, Jewish Community Center of Greater Albuquerque Editor's Note: When I got Phyllis's note that she would be saying farewell at the end of April I spontaneously wrote this letter to her, one of many that she has received, and she has
By Ellen Marks Visit the Roundhouse during any New Mexico legislative session, and you’ll find the rotunda filled with information tables, musical performances, news conferences and sometimes food — all touting a particular cause or group. For example, during this year’s 30-day session, there are more than 80 such