Sergey Kadinsky

Straddling the Caucasus Mountains between Russia, Turkey, and Iran, the republic of Georgia is known to many Israeli travelers for its hospitality, resulting from its history and location. American Jews could look at the globe and regard this country as too distant. Last week, Manashe Khaimov of the nonprofit SAMI - Sephardic American Mizrachi Initiative, made the connection between American and Georgian Jews on a weeklong trip.

When presidents deliver the State of the Union Address, there are customs associated with the annual ritual that include their names being announced as they enter, the presence of all but one cabinet member, and honorees from the citizenry. There was also a mustached congressman from the Bronx who made sure to arrive early to snag a prime seat by the aisle and shake the hand of the president as millions watched. Former Rep. Eliot Engel died last Friday at 79, from complications of Parkinson’s Disease.

 In the aftermath of the Holocaust, stories of survivors were initially overlooked as they rebuilt their lives and other crises shook the Jewish people, such as the Israeli War of Independence. Then there were historians who relied too heavily on the military and government records of the atrocities. Finally, there was Yaffa Eliach, who changed the way in which the world interacts with survivors of genocide. Her son, Rabbi Yotav Eliach, spoke about her work last Sunday at the Yom HaShoah program at the Young Israel of West Hempstead.

International hostility towards Israel as it defended itself against Hamas awakened many Jews to the antisemitism that emerged into the open. Joshua Forgy felt the message of ongoing hostility towards Jews in the message of the Haggadah, along with themes of Jewish peoplehood and resiliency. Earlier this year, he wrote Haggadah shel Pesach – B’Damayich Chayi, published by Mosaica Press.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani celebrated his first 100 days in office with a rally in Maspeth, where Democratic Socialist headliner Sen. Bernie Sanders praised his work. Ostensibly, the event was as much about the mayor as the workers who make the city function, and tickets were offered to employees of all city agencies.

This year’s Pesach begins when Shabbos ends, allowing for a longer Chol HaMoed during the week. For readers planning their own Pesach programs at home, here are the opportunities for tourism with little traveling involved.