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When the Wall Falls
The ancient synagogue in Meron is located on a hill above the grave of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. Like other Galilean synagogues from the Byzantine era, its entrance faces south, towards Jerusalem. But...
View ArticleU’netanneh Tokef – the Hymn of Israel
U’netanneh Tokef (ונתנה תוקף) is one of the most well known liturgical songs (piyyuts) – a description of the frailty of Man standing in judgement before G-d, who endures man’s sins and wants him to...
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The Mount of Olives Declaration
A thousand years ago, during the Gaonic period, the Tishrei holiday period, culminating with Sukkot, was the highlight of the year. Pilgrims would flock to Israel to spend the holidays in Jerusalem....
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Rain, Wine and Why it’s all Our Fault: The History of the Rain Libel
We’re now entering the period when we begin to pray for rain. Lack of rain was often an excuse to persecute the Jews, specifically those living in Jerusalem. There are quite a few examples from our...
View ArticleHaifa’s Last Stand
A year after the Crusaders captured Jerusalem, they turned to conquer Israel’s coastal cities. Haifa’s Jewish community is mentioned in the Genizah documents. The city was one of three forts (מבצר)...
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These Candles: The Prayer that Went Viral
In honor of the Palestinians recently getting UN recognition, I dedicate my article to ancient Palestinian traditions. On Chanukah, while lighting candles, we declare we’re lighting the candles for...
View ArticleWhen is a Palestinian Not a Palestinian?
I usually write about the Jewish history of Israel. This time around, a short piece on the flexibility of national identity among our neighbors. Less than a century ago, the Christian residents of...
View ArticleWhy Don’t We Celebrate Two Days of Purim in Jerusalem?
While the rest of Israel celebrates Purim this Sunday (the 14th of Adar), Jerusalem celebrates on Monday (the 15th of Adar). Why? Well, the easy answer is “because Jerusalem is a walled city from the...
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History of Israel: Snow in the Summer
Has it ever snowed in Israel in the summer? Two people have reported snow in the month of Sivan (late May-early June), though in both cases, it was hearsay. The first is Rabbi Moshe Basula (Moses ben...
View ArticleHistory of Israel: Eilat, City of Sin
Sura 7 in the Quran relates the following story about a Jewish town: (162) And ask them about the town that was by the sea – when they transgressed in [the matter of] the sabbath – when their fish came...
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