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David Poratta

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Mar 30, 2026, 6:11 PM

A Haberdasher Helped a President Recognize Israel

On May 14, 1948, a US president sat at his desk while the world held its breath. His secretary of state was opposed to the move. His military advisers were wary. War in the Middle East was hours away. The Cold War was...

Feb 13, 2026, 8:23 PM

The Lost artwork of Ary Lochakov – 80+ Years later

Mystery By The Bay Eighty years after disappearing from Paris, the life’s work of Jewish painter Ary Arcadie Lochakov mysteriously resurfaced on a San Francisco park bench. How? Who was he? And who kept then abandoned his long-missing art? The discovery reopened...

Nov 23, 2025, 4:50 PM

Learning Hebrew: A Rollercoaster of Realities

Notes from The Learning Field So, it is time to crowbar out some time (Hebrew lessons, wobbly dishwasher, vomiting cat...be damned) and fire off another dispatch from the front lines of my quest to master Hebrew. (Before diving in, here’s...

Sep 10, 2025, 7:50 AM

The Samech, the Mem, and Me…( and all of us)!

Does making mistakes when learning Hebrew drive you nuts? Take heart — you’re in good company. You, me, and scads of medieval scholars. (This may or may not be Part 1 of a series…) So....It’s not me. It’s not you. Thanks to the...

Aug 22, 2023, 6:41 PM

Paris’ Ghastly ‘Dr. Satan’ shining false hope when France ‘went dark’

Beyond sadistic: Marcel Petiot poisoned Jews & others desperate to flee war-ravaged Europe. (Marcel Petiot - center - at trial via Getty Images) It starts young. At age 11 he allegedly sexually harassed a girl in his class and, later, was...

Jul 6, 2023, 10:41 PM

The Mysteriously Enchanting History of Lisbon’s Jewish Orphan Library

Lisbon's Lost Jewish Library In very modern Lisbon is an aging lost library. An unclaimed artifact from a fading era of persecution, chaos, sanctuary and, for the fortunate, freedom. This historical gem is safeguarded by Portugal's only Ashkenazi synagogue, Ohel...

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About Me

David is a university lecturer, writer, and former US and international news producer. Passionate about horses, he was — briefly — a rodeo bull-rider. Now based in Paris, he uncovers forgotten and overlooked stories that invite readers to see the world differently. Experience his work at 60secondparis.substack.com.

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