Jewniverse Articles Archive - Page 46 of 174

The Medieval Jewish Wedding Ring Tradition You Probably Never Knew About

You may have recently learned that diamonds are only a girl’s best friend because De Beers made it so. Sigh — how’s a girl to have a betrothal symbol with a little more meaning? Look no further than a nearly forgotten Jewish tradition: the house ring. Originating in Europe and dating back to the 14th […]

By Leah Falk

Shel Silverstein and the Playboy Mansion

When Shel Silverstein Was a Playboy Mansion Regular

Some people get their inspiration from singing in the shower or running cross-country. Others – like author Shel Silverstein – get them from the Playboy Mansion. Yes, Shel Silverstein. The same guy who wrote such crowd-pleasers as Where the Sidewalk Ends, A Light in The Attic, Falling Up, or the classic children’s story about open […]

The Year Jesus Came to Thanksgiving. Sorry, Jews, etc.

The Year Jesus Came to Thanksgiving. (Sorry, Jews, et al.)

Though the first Thanksgiving took place in Plymouth, Massachusetts, 1621, it wasn’t until 1863 that President Lincoln codified the holiday as an American tradition. It was only a few short years more before someone tried to exclude the Jews. In 1868, Governor John W. Geary of Pennsylvania issued a proclamation, a how-to guide for […]