Back in 1930, a year into this country’s greatest economic depression, everyone’s favorite Yiddish newspaper was getting spooky with their ads.

This Yiddish Forverts Breyer’s ice cream ad for Halovin featured witches soaring and a 2 quart special order nut filled pumpkin flavored ice cream Jack- o’- lantern. Other unique flavor combos for the holiday were on offer, such as ‘choconut’ and orange as well as Halloween decorative novelties including cats, dried colored corn and skulls.

Given the pagan, death centric holiday that is Halloween, it wasn't a natural with the Forward's immigrant readership. Forward former Executive Editor and Whiskey Correspondent Dan Friedman recalled it best "For the Jewish community — coming from Europe — the devilish practices of Halloween were not only bewildering but also threatening. Yes, we could come to terms with people walking the streets dressed in costumes, but it was harder to understand an alien custom where people banged on our front doors demanding goods — promising retribution if they weren’t satisfied. “Trick or treat” seemed, if not quite a pogrom, a lose-lose proposition. As indeed perhaps it still does."

And yet, the Yiddish paper had done a lot of public service journalism on behalf of Halloween for its readership. Mystical Yiddish writer and poet Dovid Einhorn spent columns of text explaining the early Druid roots to Halloween. The Forward's Jay Grayson, normally on the sports beat, clearly had time to spare and contributed his thoughts on how Jewish parents ought to permit their children to go out trick or treating. Don't fear the doorbell ringing on Halloween, he advised. Do as the Americans do and generously offer free candy to the strangers in costumes!

And as far as Breyer's-the Forward had what to say on the topic of ice cream as well, with Friedman initiating a series on Jews and ice cream (with staff doing the tastings!), and former Forward Middle East Correspondent Naomi Zeveloff uncovering their own family relationship to the Haagen-Daazs mishpokhe. What's left to say except, L'chaim Halovin!