(JTA) — 2016 was a particularly captivating chapter in the Jewish story: The unexpected rise of Donald Trump frightened some Jews and emboldened others; several leading historical Jewish figures died; the U.S.-Israel relationship repeatedly made headlines.
And, as always, the year was also chock full of random, bizarre and inspiring Jewish moments.
Below, in no particular order, are the 10 most-read stories on JTA’s website in 2016. They range from an account of a Jewish transgender man becoming a father to Kirk Douglas’ 100th birthday party to a side-by-side comparison of the presidential candidates’ Jewish sons-in-law.
Check out the list below and see if you missed any of them.
Jewish transgender man gives birth and embraces life as a single ‘abba’
World’s oldest man, a Holocaust survivor in Israel, to celebrate bar mitzvah 100 years late
Stephen Bannon: 5 things Jews need to know about Trump’s chief strategist
Dustin Hoffman breaks down on ‘Finding Your Roots’ after discovering his Jewish history
Trump vs. Clinton: Battle of the Jewish sons-in-law
Jewish cancer patient finds bone marrow donor following worldwide search, Kim Kardashian’s pitch
When John Kasich linked Jesus’ blood to Passover at a Hasidic matzah bakery
Kirk Douglas to celebrate his 100th birthday in star-studded Beverly Hills bash
A Florida rabbi protested Donald Trump – and lost his job
That time ‘Hamilton’ creator Lin-Manuel Miranda sang in Hebrew
And now for a bonus round: These three articles didn’t get quite as many page views — but the JTA audience spent a considerable amount of time reading them:
From matzah balls to footballs, two Jewish brothers recall their journey to the NFL
Meet the Jews in Donald Trump’s inner circle
Modern Orthodox dating gets a close-up in new web series
