In my life, I have encountered so much knowledge, love, kindness and friendship from Jewish people around me.  Many of my best friends have been of this faith, and I had even considered converting myself on more than one occasion.  The tradition, the community, the history and the dedication is stirring to the soul and inspiring to me.

Because of this, this page is and probably will always be only in it's infancy.

 It is dedicated to some of the patients of mine who I have known to survive the Nazis and to succumb to some other fate later on that had taken them from my life.  They weren't only patients, they were friends and more than that, they were Peaceful Warriors.

Gertrude Freudenthal was taken to the camps when she was a teenager.  Her father was in politics and she was a jew.  She herself was an acrobat, or gymnast, and after the war and surviving the Nazis, she came here and married her husband Herman.  I loved this lady, and I wished that I had more of a chance to hear her stories and share with her.  

Herman Freudenthal was also such a victim, and although I don't know much about his experience during the war, I do know that he was a sweet, honorable, funny and wonderful man who  was talented in Marketry, an art where various pieces of wood are cut and stained and placed like a puzzle to create an image.  He taught this art in his later years and made an image of my office which sits in the waiting room to this day.  

Salome Green was someone I didn't get to know too well, but I remember that she bore the brand from the Nazis on her arm.  She died suddenly and I never got to learn more about her story, but I remember that she was a remarkably beautiful woman although she was in her seniour years.  

Some Facts on Judaism:

The Least You Need to Know

~ The history of Judaism is intimately related to, but not synonymous with, the history of the ancient kingdom of Israel.

~ The lineage of Judaism can be traced back to the patriarch Abraham.

~ Both Christianity and Islam have been profoundly influenced by the Jewish tradition.

~ The Torah teaches about Abraham and the Covenant he formed with God.

~ Judaism's tireless emphasis on a single true God represents a significant turning point in the history of religious observance, and the keystone of the faith itself.

~ The importance of the Covenant (God's agreement with the chosen people of Israel) and the Law (the written account of God's revelation) cannot be overstated within this faith.

~ The Ten Commandments-the core of Jewish Law-have profoundly influenced not only Judaism, but Christianity and Islam as well. These 10 injunctions can be seen as central elements not only of the Jewish tradition, but of the entire monotheistic tradition.

~ According to the Hebrew Bible, prophets were chosen by God to remind the people of the love of God and of the necessity of their obedience to the Law.

~ Judaism is a distinctively community-based tradition.

What is Kosher?

Ritual cleanliness and the avoidance of unclean animals remain all-important parts of the Jewish tradition, just as they were an important part of survival in Biblical times. Like the circumcision of males, specific dietary demands help to define and distinguish both the Individual and the community he or she is a part of. To the practitioner, however, such considerations are secondary. These injunctions are, first and foremost, God's law.

A Variety of Jewish Values

¨ Orthodox Jews take a fundamental approach to the dictates of the Law, seek to pass along existing traditions without changing them, and strive to incorporate the dictates of their faith into a wide range of daily activities and social interactions.

¨ Conservative Jews acknowledge the need to make some accommodations to external society, but nevertheless grant an important, and usually dominant, role to the traditions of the past.

¨ Reform Jews do not see the dictates of the Hebrew Bible as specific, binding regula-tions on daily contact with others, but rather seek to honor tradition and faith by making religious observance accessible to contemporary practitioners.

Jewish Holidays

Rosh Hashanah celebrates both the religious New Year and the creation of the earth as described in the early chapters of the book of Genesis. Some branches celebrate both days of this holiday; others (i.e., the majority of Reform congregations) only the first day. Work is not performed.

Yom Kippur

On this day, which takes place shortly after Rosh Hashanah on the 10th day of Tishrei, practicing Jews the world over observe the Day of Atonement. From the sundown that marks the beginning of Yom Kippur until the sundown of the following day, believers forego food and drink, do no work, and repent for misdeeds of the year just past.

Sukkot

The harvest celebration known as the Feast of Booths lasts for eight days and generally takes place late in the month of October (using the secular Gregorian calendar). It is common to perform no work at the beginning and end of the celebration, but the number of days observed in this manner vary.

Chanukah (Hanukkah)

The beneficiary, perhaps, of undue media attention because of its (coincidental) placement near the Christian observance of the birth of Christ, Chanukah is often presented as a "Jewish alternative" to Christ-mas. This is unfortunate, as the Festival of Lights deserves honor, attention, and recognition on its own terms and within its own tradition. The holiday known as the Festival of Lights celebrates the victory of the Maccabees over the Syrians in the 2nd century B.C.E. It begins on the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev (usually early- to mid-December). Work is permitted during Chanukah.

Hanukkah lamp, Vienna ,circa 1900

Purim

A festival celebration commencing on the 14th day of the Hebrew month Adar (usually late February or early March), Purim commemorates the deliverance of Persian Jews from destruction, as recounted in the book of Esther. This joyous festival is preceded by a day of fasting, and soon gives way to general merrymaking. Work is permitted on Purim.

Pesach (Passover)

This major holiday, which begins on the 15th day of the month of Nisan, honors the delivery of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. According to the book of Exodus, God issued a set of instructions for the Israelites: They were to prepare a special feast in great haste before the departure from Egypt. With no time for bread to rise, the bread at the meal would have to be unleavened. Exodus also reports that God arranged for the Angel of Death to destroy the first-born males of the Egyptians, and to "pass over" the marked houses of the Israelites, killing no one within. The Passover celebration, during which practicing Jews abstain from foods prepared with yeast or any other leavening agent, is observed (usually beginning in late March or early April) for seven days by Reform Jews and for eight by members of the other major branches. Many Jews (espe-cially those who follow the Orthodox tradition) perform no work on the first and last two days of the period, but observances vary.

Shavout

This holiday celebrates both the spring harvest season and God's gift of the Torah. It takes place on the sixth and seventh days of the month of Sivan, which corresponds to May or June in the secular Gregorian calendar. As a general rule, Orthodox Jews do no work on these days; a number of Conservative and Reconstructionist practitioners follow the same practice, but Reform Jews celebrate Shavout for a single day.

Life Rituals

The baby boy is at the center of the brit milah (covenant of circumcision), the ritual removal of the foreskin enacted in accordance with Genesis 17:10. This ceremony takes place on the eighth day of the baby boy's life. A parallel naming ceremony for infant girls is known as the brit hayyim (covenant of life) or brit bat (covenant of the daughter). This, too, occurs on the eighth day of life.

At the age of 13, a Jewish male marks his entry into the community as an adult during his bar mitzvah (son of the commandment). The female counterpart is known as a bat mitzvah (daughter of the commandment), and can be held for females as young as 12. The bat mitrvah was first celebrated in the twentieth century.

The Jewish marriage ceremony is known as the kiddushin (sanctification). It takes place under a wedding canopy known as a huppah, and incorporates the ritual breaking of a glass underfoot, an act that commemorates a sad event in Jewish history, the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 G.E.

Funeral observances in the Jewish tradition follow distinct guidelines that may vary depending on the branch of Judaism in question. (Reform Jews, for instance, permit cremation, while Jews of most other traditions observe injunctions against the practice.)

The Least You Need to Know

Jewish customs, rituals, and dietary guidelines provided both social cohesion and rules for law abiding life among ancient Israelites, just as they do for practicing Jews today.

The moment-to-moment celebration of life itself, in all its diversity, underlies Jewish worship, observance, and ritual, although different branches of the faith take different approaches to the ideal forms of this celebration.

Major Jewish holidays include Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Passover.