Mar 13, 2024 | All Posts, On This Day |
As Jacob was preparing to cross into the land of Canaan to face his brother and chief nemesis, Esau, the Bible tells us that he was greatly distressed and afraid. In his defense, there was ample reason to be concerned; Esau was bringing 400, presumably armed,...
Mar 12, 2024 | All Posts, On This Day |
It was on this day in the year 1970 that the Israeli Knesset passed a bill that defined a Jew as being someone who was born of a Jewish mother, or someone who had converted to Judaism. This legal definition of who was a Jew led to another position that...
Mar 11, 2024 | All Posts, On This Day |
Today is the first day of Adar II. People often ask, “Why is there a second month of Adar?” The reason is quite simple even if the calculations are a bit involved. It boils down to this: this happens to be a leap year on the Hebrew calendar. As opposed to simply...
Mar 10, 2024 | All Posts, On This Day |
Today is the 30th day of Adar, the last day of the first month, Adar and tomorrow will mark the beginning of the new month, Adar Shini, or Adar II. The beginning of the month, in Hebrew, is called Rosh Chodesh (“Head of the month”) and is typically every 28 to 30...
Feb 24, 2024 | All Posts, On This Day |
It was on this day in the year 1790 that the first advertisement, offering private Hebrew instruction in an American publication, appeared in The Pennsylvania Packet, placed there by Abraham Cohen. In those days, there were no organized Hebrew schools and so the...
Feb 23, 2024 | All Posts, On This Day |
According to tradition, it was on this day that Moses was circumcised in Egypt. His circumcision would have occurred in a very troubling time for Hebrew parents who saw the birth of a male child, considering that Pharaoh had ordered their deaths. Later, Moses would be...
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