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In 1827 Czar Nicholas I implemented the military draft on the Jewish community of Russia as a means of integrating Jews into Russian society. The Jewish kahal was required to supply the young recruits, who then generally served for 25 years in the Czar’s army. The most infamous element of the draft was the cantonists. These were a select group of future draftees who were taken at a younger age to...

Yaakov Wasilewicz inspires others through his personal story, and through his music. He had to find his own path to Jewish observance, which required tremendous sacrifice by a loved one … in this case, his mother. Through tremendous perseverance and some timely encounters with caring Rabbis to facilitate his journey, Yaakov ultimately found his way. […]

The cradle of the Chassidic movement was in the areas of the Polish Kingdom which were soon annexed to the Russian Empire during the partitions of Poland in the last quarter of the 18th century. This took place just as the nascent movement was spreading rapidly throughout these areas and beyond. Chabad in White Russia, the various branches of the Chernobyl and Ruzhyn dynasties in Ukraine, Karlin,...

The aftermath of the assassination of Czar Alexander II in 1881 was a watershed time period in Russian Jewish history. A reactionary phase led to the passing of the infamous May Laws which restricted Jewish life, and reversed many of the previous reforms. A series of violent pogroms broke out primarily in Ukraine and southern Russia in 1881-1884. There was a mass expulsion of Jews from Moscow and...

Joe Zimmerman pondered the existence of Hashem at a relatively young age, which led him to a quick transition to an observant life. But it wasn’t always easy for Joe. In fact, a devastating fire had a big impact on his journey. But with the help of mentors and teachers, he found his way. This […]

From the time of the first partition of Poland in 1772, until the Russian Revolution in 1917, the Czarist Russian Empire was host to the largest Jewish population in the world. The generally antisemitic Romanov dynasty early on formulated solutions to what they referred to as the ‘Jewish question’. Based on the twin themes of subjugating the Jewish populace with a series of discriminatory and rest...

We know from the story of Avraham Avinu that the circumstances of one’s birth don’t automatically dictate the trajectory of adulthood. That’s certainly the case for Mitio Rothstein, who experienced extremely difficult challenges as a kid. His story is one of the most inspiring we’ve had the privilege to tell.   Saturday to Shabbos is a […]

World renowned posek of the 19th century, prolific author and courageous leader, Rav Shlomo Kluger (1785-1869) achieved immortality in the Torah world through his nearly half century tenure as Magid and Av Beis Din in the prominent Galicia town of Brody. As political and economic changes swept through the Habsburg Empire over the course of the 19th century, traditional norms changed, technological...

As the architect of Orthodoxy in the modern era, Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch (1808-1888) has an outsized impact on the Torah world until this very day. In his own lifetime his leadership of German Jewry overall and in particular his own community of Frankfurt stemmed the tide towards secularization, and created a framework for a flourishing Torah community within modern life. His seminal works of...

Rivkah Kaplan experienced a tumultuous childhood. The challenges of her early years drove her to seek meaning and fulfillment … which she ultimately found through Orthodox Judaism, in no small part because of a blessing given to her son by the Lubavitcher Rebbe. This is her story.  Saturday to Shabbos is a Tachlis Media podcast. […]

One of the leading halachic authorities of the 19th century, Rav Yechiel Michel Epstein (1829-1908) achieved immortality through his indispensable magnum opus Aruch Hashulchan. He grew up in Bobruisk in the Russian Pale of Settlement, and served for a decade as rabbi of Novozybkov, before assuming the helm of the prestigious Novardok community, where he’d serve as rabbi for the remaining 34 years...

Jeff Cohen recently met Rabbi Reuven Boshnack at a Shabbaton he organized in Fair Lawn, NJ for more than 50 Yeshiva University students. Watching how he navigated Shabbos with so many students, Jeff was surprised to find out that Boshnack didn’t grow up religious. This is his full circle story.  Saturday to Shabbos is a […]

Would you turn down an amazing career opportunity, simply because it conflicted with Shabbos? David Notowitz faced that decision as he adopted a Torah lifestyle. This is his story.  Saturday to Shabbos is a Tachlis Media podcast. Learn more at tachlismedia.com  

After losing his family, community and yeshiva in Ponovezh, Lithuania during the Holocaust, Rav Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman (1886-1969), the Ponovezh Rav, endeavored to rebuild what was lost in the Land of Israel. He was a dreamer who carried out his vision with a zeal and energy which seemed superhuman. His crowning achievement was rebuilding the beloved yeshiva he lost in his hometown, by establishin...

Matthew Miller is an AI analyst who’s worked in the U.S., Canada and the UK. He specializes in machine learning, natural language processing, ethics, and facial recognition. At the heart of Miller’s story is the way he’s successfully melded his spiritual and intellectual pursuits.  Saturday to Shabbos is a Tachlis Media podcast. Learn more at […]

A special place in Jewish history is reserved for the Machal fighters of 1948. These were primarily World War II veterans, who volunteered to fight for Israel during its War of Independence, and their participation served a key role in Israel’s victory. Comprised mostly of Jews, but included non-Jews as well, they formed the nucleus of Israel’s nascent air force, navy, and filled many specialized...

Leah Aharoni spent her formative years in the Soviet Union, where she lived under the harsh reality of Communism. Her circuitous story includes living in the U.S. and, eventually and permanently, Israel, where she’s helping displaced people from Ukraine and in her own home country. This is her story.  Saturday to Shabbos is a Tachlis […]

In this final installment of ‘The Great Shanghai Escape’ series, we explore the story of the refugees stay in Shanghai during the war years. While integrating with the local Jewish community in Shanghai, the refugees remained there for the duration of the Japanese occupation until and even beyond the end of the war. Educational, religious and social institutions flourished, and the Mir Yeshiva set...

Michael Doniger is a voiceover artist. A near-death experience almost derailed his dreams and his Jewish journey. This is his story. Saturday to Shabbos is a Tachlis Media podcast. Learn more at tachlismedia.com  

The refugees stay in Japan lasted much longer than their brief transit visas had initially allowed for, with the imperial government allowing them to remain for several months. Though some refugees made it to the United States or other countries, most had nowhere to go. With the Japanese government commencing the operational planning for Pearl Harbor, they wished to rid the country of all foreign...

Rabbi Mordechai Yosef Ben Avraham was born “Shariff Hassan.” To say that his life’s journey took him away from the circumstances of his birth would be an understatement. This is his story. Saturday to Shabbos is a Tachlis Media podcast. Learn more at tachlismedia.com  

As part of our ongoing series about the Great Shanghai Escape, I had a conversation with my friend and collaborator Dovi Safier, who is a known expert on this topic, as well as having done some original research highlighting new angles of the narrative. Prior to getting to the topic at hand, our conversation covered recent history discoveries related to the family of the Slabodka Yeshiva, bearing...

Chava Avner left Illinois as a secular Jew and came back fully observant. Her background helps her connect with Jews of all different backgrounds in her role as teacher. This is her story. Saturday to Shabbos is a Tachlis Media podcast. Learn more at tachlismedia.com

The Soviets charged the refugees exorbitant fees for the exit visas and travel expenses. The Joint and the Vaad Hatzalah provided funds for these costs, with Rav Avraham Kalmanowitz investing herculean efforts to ensure the Mir contingent were able to fund their escape. Many refugees sold their personal belongings. They then embarked on a 10-12 day train journey on the Trans-Siberian Railroad acro...

Heather Dean made a career of interviewing some of the biggest names in Hollywood, Broadway, television and music. Her interview list is a who’s who of A-list celebrities. But she left the glitz and glamor behind for a life of Torah Judaism. This is her story. Saturday to Shabbos is a Tachlis Media podcast. Learn […]