I watched a group of early high schoolers visit the Holocaust museum’s permanent exhibition today. What did I learn? That digital cameras are cool again. Who knew?

Incredible find, this cemetery dates to 1070CE. A reminder that space matters — “Though Jews were given licence to operate within the old Roman walls of the city, they were obliged to be buried outside it.”

*watching a nature documentary* Narrator: “the female waits by her deceased relatives’ side for 3 days.” Me: “Three days?!?” My non-Jewish husband: “She’s sitting shiva, chill.”

Yesterday, I successfully defended my dissertation. It’s been a wild six years here at UNC, and while pursuing a PhD can be incredibly stressful and frustrating, I do not take for granted the ability to pursue my passion in this way.

My mother used to always say, “You only have to watch the last five minutes of a basketball game” and I never understood that, bc certainly that’s also true for all other sports?? But after catching a few of this season’s playoff games, I fear she’s right about that one too.

Today, more than six months after voters elected me to keep my seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court, my opponent conceded the election. Read my statement here.

Thank you, Senator. Proud to have been able to vote for you in the past.

The UNC-CH chapter of the AAUP strongly and unequivocally condemns the targeting of international students and scholars. In light of the April 8 revocation of six UNC student visas, we call on UNC-CH to take concrete steps to support students and scholars at risk: unc-ch-aaup.org/news#2025-04...

No one talk to me for a week after June 27th.

A quick and easy to use tool to email your representatives to save the NEH.

It’s fascinating to watch the reaction to @booker.senate.gov ‘s over 16hr speech on the Senate floor. On the one hand, there’s a lot of applause - others claim he’s not actually doing anything worthwhile. As someone studying historical resistance, resistance takes many forms.

Thanks for the invite! Always love talking about cemeteries!

Very grateful for the support of fellow grad students throughout the PhD process. I recently started a Zoom working group with grad friends I met at various conferences over the years. It’s turned into a super consistent and supportive part of my week. It’s lovely. And grad students are the best.

Just read about Jesse Eisenberg being granted Polish citizenship earlier this week. I looked into this a few years ago - we have so much documentation of my family’s Polish roots but Polish law is quite specific and we wouldn’t qualify. Back then, people questioned why I would want Polish

New thinking point: What would x experience have been like if there had been no men in the room?

It’s been so long since the last time I received genuinely good news that I’m not sure when I’ll ever get good news again.

As a society, we didn’t deserve a good Super Bowl game.

Tomorrow night! Talk includes stories about greedy men, cemetery abuse, and one man that became known as the “King of the Dead.” Register in link below.

From an ad in Gazeta Żydowska for Motl Pinkiert’s funeral business in the Warsaw ghetto. The Pinkiert name would become synonymous with death in the ghetto, particularly as Pinkiert cashed in on high death rates. I’ll be sharing more on this in my Zoom talk, one week from today.

From an ad in Gazeta Żydowska for Motl Pinkiert’s funeral business in the Warsaw ghetto. The Pinkiert name would become synonymous with death in the ghetto, particularly as Pinkiert cashed in on high death rates. I’ll be sharing more on this in my Zoom talk, one week from today.

Another plug for my Zoom talk on Feb 3 with @uncjewishstudies.bsky.social Register for free at link below!

My review of Once There was Warsaw for @ingeveb.bsky.social, an incredibly compelling memoir recently translated into English.

You know you come from a bowling family when you can watch a sitcom episode that takes place at a bowling alley and your mother calls out the main character’s “terrible form” and your father catches another character foul.

In one month (from yesterday 🙄), I will be giving a talk on Jewish burial societies and funeral homes through @uncjewishstudies.bsky.social . Event will be on Zoom and is open to the public but registration is required. See link below. Feb 3rd @ 5:30pm

There’s something special about the last candle to go out on the last night of Hanukkah.

Night 2. The Noah’s Ark menorah was my grandmother’s. I don’t normally light that one as it’s not really my style but as she died earlier this year, my mother and I decided to each light one of her menorahs, as well as our own, in her memory this Hanukkah.

א פרייליכן חנוכה!

When you’re doing a bit of work on the day that Hanukkah begins and stumble across something very timely… “Hanukkah Celebration at Community Shelter” in Głos Gminy Żydowskiej, Dec 1937 🗃️

Jason Kelce (dressed as Santa) saying “Happy Hanukkah” at the end of MNF countdown while everyone else was saying “Merry Christmas” made my night. Appreciate the shoutout, Jason!

An early morning virtual @jewishstudies.bsky.social panel with @wtworek.bsky.social and Olga Petrova on Eastern European Jewish politics and spaces during the interwar period. Special thanks to @oskarcz.bsky.social who agreed to chair the panel at the last minute!

The one benefit of Zoom conferences: when attendees’ cats decide they want some camera time.

Fellow AJS-ians! On Wed, 8.30-10.00am est I'll be presenting on "The Myth of Apolitical Hasidism" in Lubavitch, in a panel with Olga Petrova and @abcurry.bsky.social . On thu, 3.30-5.00 pm est will chair an exciting panel on Women in Hasidism. kumt masnvayz! @jewishstudies.bsky.social

Working on my sixth conference paper of 2024, but also the ninth presentation of my research overall for this calendar year and let me just say: That was too much. Saw some cool places, met some great people…but the burnout is real. I’ll be presenting at AJS on 12/18 if anyone is interested 😅

Working on a review of this recently-translated memoir. Certainly recommend for anyone interested in prewar Jewish life in Warsaw, with particular attention towards the Yiddish press. Kutsher’s fast-paced, humor-filled writing makes for a very dramatic and engaging read.

In February, I’ll be giving the Carolina Center for Jewish Studies’ Emerging Scholars Talk on Zoom. Event page is linked below, but registration won’t be live until January. Mark your calendars for February 3 at 5:30pm EST if you’re interested in Jewish burial societies and funeral homes in Poland.

So fun to attend a conference with so many friends and colleagues from your own institution. Like @tessmegginson.bsky.social said, this wasn’t even all of us! Too many to wrangle together for a photo.

Presented part of the final chapter of my dissertation yesterday on Jewish survival and resistance through the cemetery at the ASEEES 2024 Conference. It was great to be on a panel with an amazing colleague, Alma, and to have such meaningful Q+A and discussion after. @aseees.bsky.social

Incoming President Trump’s meritless legal threats against newsrooms and publishers demonstrate the mounting safety risks that journalists and media outlets are facing ahead of Inauguration Day. The Journalist Safety Urgent Care helpline is here to help the press continue their vital work. (1/3)

At @aseees.bsky.social Convention 2024. Looking forward to what I’m sure will be a fascinating week. I’m helping out at registration, so come say hi!

Vipers dressed in empath’s clothing.

BREAKING: Democrats could be on the verge of winning a critical Supreme Court race in North Carolina by less than 200 votes. Never say your vote doesn’t matter.

This year has been the worst year of my life. Last week and the election was just the cherry on top. But a few weeks ago I had a discussion with a friend about a Yiddish phrase, which I can’t stop thinking about and is one of the few things I’m holding onto right now. מיר וועלן זיי איבערלעבן

Not sure what this app will turn out to be, but so far there are a lot of birds on my "Discover" feed and that’s pretty cool.