Reuven Goldstein

New York’s Garment District became a hub for Jewish immigrants in the late 1800’s. Fleeing pogroms, Jews brought tailoring skills, built shops and led unions. By the 1920s Jews dominated fashion manufacturing, shaping American style from 7th Ave.

Eastern European Jews brought the tradition of kosher dill pickles to New York. Transforming them into a staple of Jewish cuisine, and a New York delicacy.The sour and garlic flavor is what sets them apart. Jews were also active in pickle vending in Amsterdam in the 18th century.

“The Jews constitute but one percent of the human race…the Jew ought hardly to be heard of; but he is heard of, has always been heard of….All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality?” ~Mark Twain Harper’s 1899

By 1922, Jews made up 21.5% of Harvard students, far above their 3.5% share of the U.S. population. To limit this,Harvard imposed legacy and character based barriers. That same year, it admitted 17 year old Jewish prodigy Robert Oppenheimer, who later led the Manhattan Project.

The Spanish Portuguese Synagogue in Amsterdam has no internal electric lighting system and is lit by candles on dozens of brass holders throughout the main hall,as has been done since its opening in 1675.

Reuben and Rose Mattus, Polish-Jewish immigrants, founded Häagen Dazs in New York in 1961. Reuben invented the name to sound Danish, honoring Denmark’s rescue of Jews during WWII.

Baskin Robbins was founded in 1953 by Jewish entrepreneurs Irv Robbins and Burt Baskin, brothers in law,who merged their ice cream shops. They introduced the “31 flavors” idea, revolutionized franchising and self serve counters, and became a postwar American icon.

The Giving Tree by Jewish author Shel Silverstein, is a children’s classic. Selling over 20 million copies, Its simple yet profound tale of selfless love and sacrifice has touched generations. Making it one of the most beloved, and debated picture books of all time.

Founded in 1910 by Jewish entrepreneur Jesse Shwayder, the Shwayder Trunk Co. grew into Samsonite, the world’s largest luggage brand. Shwayder named the line after the biblical Samson. His flat durable suitcase reshaped travel forever.

The modern Krembo was developed in Israel in the 1950s, and mass produced by Strauss,one of the largest food companies in Israel. It is estimated that Israeli’s eat over 50 million Krembo a year.

President Theodore Roosevelt made history by appointing Oscar S. Straus as the first Jewish cabinet member, naming him Secretary of Commerce and Labor. German-born Straus also oversaw immigration and later served again as ambassador to the Ottoman Empire under Taft.

The “Copenhagen Maimonides,” housed in the Royal Danish Library in Denmark,was written and illuminated in Catalonia in 1348. It stands as one of the finest examples of Catalan Jewish manuscript art, showcasing the rich illumination tradition of medieval Spain.

He wasn’t kidding… “The coldest winter I ever spent was summer in San Francisco.” ~Mark Twain

“My language is German. My culture, my attainments are German. I considered myself a German intellectually, until I noticed the growth of anti-Semitic prejudice in Germany and German Austria. Since that time, I prefer to call myself a Jew.” ~ Sigmund Freud

Judeo-Provençal (Shuadit) was the traditional Jewish language beginning in medieval times, in southern France. It blended Hebrew with Occitan. Unlike Yiddish, which thrived in Eastern Europe Shuadit remained local and became extinct in the 19th century.

“Two Jews”by Vasily Vereshchagin. Housed in Moscow’s Tretyakov Gallery, shows two Jewish men in conversation at the Western Wall.Painted in the 1870s during his travels to Jerusalem.

The Gutenberg Bible was printed in Mainz in 1455 by Johann Gutenberg. There are Approximately twenty volumes worldwide, known to be in complete condition. The Morgan Library and museum on Madison Avenue, displays one in pristine condition.

In 1940, Menachem Begin was arrested by the Soviet NKVD in Vilna for his Zionist activism with Betar. Seen as a political threat and accused of being a “British agent,” he was sent to a Siberian labor camp after the Soviets took over eastern Poland in 1939.

Jaffa’s Port, one of the world’s oldest harbors, dates back over 4,000 years. It served ancient Egyptians, Phoenicians,and Bnei Yisroel. Mentioned in the Tanach, it was the landing site for cedars for Solomon’s Temple and later a key entry point for pilgrims to Israel.

Jewish clothier Julius Rosenwald was born and raised in Springfield, Illinois. He served as president, and chairman of the board of Sears Roebuck. Under his tenure Sears became America's largest retailer.