Tonight Rosh HaShanah begins. It is probably safe to say that many Jews associate the holiday with two theological themes. The first, emphasized especially in children's books and early Jewish educational settings, is the birthday of the world - … [Continue reading] about "Day of Judgment"
Memory, History, and Jews in the Eighteenth Century
I've just spent a fascinating few days reading through Jewish ritual calendars luhot - that date from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Many of these calendars contain a short, one or two page, list of important Jewish historical events, … [Continue reading] about Memory, History, and Jews in the Eighteenth Century
"Fruit and the Fruit of Fruit"
My article, "Fruit and the Fruit of Fruit: Charity and Piety among Jews in Late Antique Palestine" has just appeared the Jewish Quarterly Review 100 (2010): 244-277. It can be accessed online here, with an institutional subscription. … [Continue reading] about "Fruit and the Fruit of Fruit"
Costly Mistakes
In the new Bevis Marks synagogue in London, in 1701, the hazan, or salaried prayer-leader, was fined for every mistake he made while reading from the Torah. The minute books of the synagogue record actual cases of fining the hazan. In his book, The … [Continue reading] about Costly Mistakes
Inscriptions of Israel/Palestine
I am happy to report a significant upgrade to the site, Inscriptions of Israel/Palestine. The site will eventually make accessible all of the published inscriptions from the region that date from the Persian, Hellenistic, and Roman periods. … [Continue reading] about Inscriptions of Israel/Palestine