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New Mexico Jewish Journal
Jewish News and History
A Long Journey Home
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
Our Kafkaesque Immigration System 2.0
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
Jewish European History
Etty and the Etty Project: Susan Stein in New Mexico
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
Op-ed
"Write On NM!" with Letter-to- Editor List by State.
Michael Baron, Ph.D. with Letter-to-Editor List by State No one can forget the image of Capitol Police Officer Daniel Hodges having his head crushed on January 6, 2021, one of 140 officers injured that day, subsequent to which over 1,500 who stormed the Capitol were convicted of serious
Hanukkah
The History of the Ten US Hanukkah stamps
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
Chevra Kadisha
"Chevra Kadisha: The Last Responders," Conference gathering at Camp Ramah, Ojai
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
Op-ed
Affordable Care Act benefits must be preserved
by Merilee Dannemann “Pre-existing condition.” Remember that term? Fifteen years ago, you heard it all the time on the news. It was the issue that scared the daylights out of millions of Americans who couldn’t get health insurance, or whose insurance was impossibly expensive. A pre-existing condition might have
Community News
Chavurah Members Help Ease Food Insecurity in New Mexico
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
Why Release Another Jewish Album Now? A personal essay by songwriter 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
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JCC BOOKFEST JAN. 11 via zoom from TEL AVIV - NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARD WINNER AYELET TSABARI - Songs for the Brokenhearted: A Novel
SIGN UP AND SUBSCRIBETIP JARRETURN TO HOME HERE FOR MORE STORIES Community Supporters of the NM Jewish Journal include: Jewish Community Foundation of New Mexico Congregation Albert Jewish Community Center of Greater Albuquerque The Institute for Tolerance Studies Jewish Federation of El Paso and Las Cruces Temple Beth Shalom Congregation
Event
JAN. 11 Erwin Chemerinsky, DEAN UC Berkeley Law School: Free Speech, Campus & Academic ~ View on the JEWISH LEARNING CHANNEL: WOMEN'S RIGHTS with INTERNATIONAL LEADER RUTH HALPERIN-KADDARI, ISRAEL ~ REMBRANDT and the JEWS
HTTPS://WWW.DISTINGUISHEDLECTURES.COM/ VIEW NOW ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVL9D3mqEzo WATCH RECORDING OF "Yiddish Theater" TALK NOW HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuyU4qeT98g The Institute for Tolerance Studies includes the Santa Fe Distinguished Lecture Series, The Jewish Learning Channel with videos