Humans of Judaism

Former hostage Omer Shem Tov welcomes Boy George to Israel and thanks him for showing his support by coming to the country and performing. Reflecting on October 7, Omer recalls arriving at the Nova festival to dance and be free with his friends. “I never imagined this place would change my life.” Omer was kidnapped from the festival and held captive in Gaza for 505 days. He thanked Boy George for his courage in coming to Israel, saying: “You need a lot of courage to do so, and not to just say words but to hop on a plane and perform here and to bring people closer.”

Ross Geller is 60 today! Happy birthday to our friend and proud Jew, David Schwimmer! Born November 2, 1966, in Queens, and raised in Los Angeles, where he celebrated his Bar Mitzvah, David has spent decades working across stage and screen. Pivoting to his career, he’s a director, producer, actor, and co-founder of Chicago’s Lookingglass Theatre Company. Since October 7, he has repeatedly spoken out against antisemitism, called for the hostages’ return, and stood up for Jewish students on campus. At the ADL’s Never Is Now, he said: “As you know, speaking out often comes at a cost… I’ve been attacked and threatened by people I’ve never met. I’ve been abandoned by people I thought were friends… But I’ve also found amazing moments of meaning and solidarity.” “Our spirit is unbreakable, our joy is irrepressible, our story is impossible. We are kind, resilient, innovative, generous and strong… But so many have chosen not to say anything publicly at all, and if I can say something directly to them: I really wish you would.” We never want to be on a break with David Schwimmer. Photo: gdcgraphics, CC BY-SA 2.0

Did you know that Harry Houdini, the great escape artist and world-famous magician, was Jewish? Houdini (né Erik Weisz) was born to a Jewish family in Budapest, Hungary in 1874. His father, Rabbi Mayer Samuel Weisz, moved the family to the United States when Houdini was four years old. They lived in Appleton, Wisconsin, where Rabbi Weisz led the Zion Reform Jewish Congregation. The family soon fell on hard times and eventually moved to New York City to find work. It was there that Houdini’s career began. He trained as a trapeze artist and magician, but his real success came from experimenting with escape acts. He freed himself from handcuffs, straitjackets, shackles, and more. But Houdini’s most sensational trick was escaping from an airtight, locked tank filled with water while suspended upside down by his ankles. He continued to perform this escape act for the rest of his life. Houdini passed away 100 years ago on October 31, 1926 and is still remembered as the world’s most legendary magician.  Source: @jggoltz

On October 7, Shir Siegel was engaged to be married when her parents, Aviva and Keith, were abducted by Hamas terrorists and taken hostage in Gaza. Aviva was held captive for 51 days, and Keith for 484 days. After their release, Shir married in August 2025 with both parents by her side. Today, Aviva and Keith hold their granddaughter, Shir’s firstborn, in their arms. #MazalTov!

How did a rabbi who founded the Simon Wiesenthal Center become a two-time Academy Award winner and someone Frank Sinatra considered his rabbi? This is the story of Rabbi Marvin Hier.   Born in 1939 and raised on the Lower East Side, Hier grew up knowing what the Nazis had done to his relatives and dedicated his life to Holocaust education and promoting tolerance. In 1977, he founded the Simon Wiesenthal Center, named after the Holocaust survivor and Nazi hunter. His work soon caught the attention of Frank Sinatra, who admired Simon Wiesenthal and became a close friend and key supporter of the Center, helping Hier build connections throughout Hollywood. Hier later established the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles and founded Moriah Films, producing documentaries that brought Holocaust history to audiences around the world, two of which won Oscars.   Over the course of his remarkable career, Hier has met with eight US presidents, four kings, three popes and the Dalai Lama. His work also brought together some of the most recognizable voices in entertainment, including Orson Welles and Billy Crystal, as well as Elizabeth Taylor, who narrated one of his award-winning documentaries.   This photo shows Rabbi Hier with Simon Wiesenthal at Wiesenthal’s 90th birthday celebration in Vienna. Wiesenthal chose the Imperial Hotel, once a favorite of Hitler, because he wanted the hotel’s history to record that a Jew had celebrated there with a kosher dinner and Yiddish music, a powerful statement about Jewish survival. As Hier recalled Wiesenthal saying, “Hitler is no longer here, but even in the Imperial Hotel, Jews are still alive and still singing.”   Today, you may recognize Rabbi Hier from his recently released Netflix documentary, The Hollywood Rabbi. Having stepped down as CEO in 2023, he now serves as Founder and Dean Emeritus of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, an institution that continues his work of educating future generations and promoting tolerance. Photo: @simonwiesenthalcenter

One year ago today, all living hostages were finally reunited with their loved ones in Israel after two years of Hamas captivity in Gaza. 🇮🇱🎗️

Oskar Schindler passed away on October 9, 1974, and is buried in Israel. Pictured here are Holocaust survivors he saved, standing alongside individuals from the movie Schindler’s List at his grave in Jerusalem. Schindler is responsible for saving the lives of approximately 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust. In 1993, he was formally recognized as Righteous Among the Nations, and more than 8,000 descendants are alive today as a result of his efforts. Photo: @yadvashem

This is a photo of the Siman Tov family before October 7. Johnny, his wife Tamar, and their children, 5 year old twins Shahar and Arbel and 2 year old Omer, were together in Kibbutz Nir Oz when Hamas terrorists set fire to their home, broke into their safe room and opened fire. None of them survived. We will never forget.

Ariel and Kfir Bibas were the youngest hostages taken to Gaza on October 7 and were murdered in cold blood by Hamas. 🧡💔 There are no words.