No one knows when or where he was born, but on the festival of Shavuot we mark the passing of the Baal Shem Tov, one of the most influential figures in the Jewish world of the past few centuries. Was “The Besht” a real person or just a Hasidic legend? How has this enigmatic figure influenced generations of followers? How did he foresee his own death? Dr. Chaim Neria, curator of our Judaica Collection, offers insight on the life of this fascinating person.
Why Does Gaza Appear in This Antique Hebrew Scroll?
Jerusalem, Hebron, Safed, the tombs of the righteous in the Galilee, and… Gaza? Jewish scrolls from the 16th and 17th centuries offer an interesting selection of holy places in the Land of Israel. How did the city of Gaza end up on this list?
How the Inmates of a Concentration Camp Celebrated the Festival of Freedom
Despite the lack of food, the threat of deportation, and the difficult prison conditions, Jewish prisoners at the Gurs concentration camp in southern France insisted on celebrating Passover at any price. One of them wrote the Haggadah they read from by hand – from memory.
How Did Queen Esther Become a Christian Saint?
They fled from Spain to neighboring Portugal but were soon forced to cross the Atlantic on their way to the New World. They were baptized as Christians against their will and were forced to remove any signs that hinted at their Jewish heritage. But they were willing to risk their lives to hold on to something. This is the story of the conversos who invented a Christian saint who was in fact a Jewish queen, to remind themselves of who they truly were.
The Final Days of the Jewish Community in Gaza
Documents recently discovered in the Archives Department of the National Library of Israel shed new light on the forgotten Hebrew community of Gaza, as well as the Jews who lived in and visited the city even after the community no longer officially existed
The Story of a Nation That Redeems Its Captives
From Abraham who saved his nephew from captivity, to IDF helicopters carrying Israeli hostages back from Gaza – for thousands of years, Jews have fought, paid any sum necessary, and even endangered their lives to redeem and save their brethren from captivity and imprisonment
“And Charity Will Save From Death”: How Rabbi Akiva’s Daughter Saved Her Own Life
The stargazers predicted that Rabbi Akiva’s daughter would be bitten by a poisonous snake on her wedding day. The great sage now faced a cruel question: How to contend with such a prophecy? The Talmud tells of his choice, and how his daughter ultimately saved herself, unlike a certain Sleeping Beauty…
The Lost Story of Hebrew’s First Female Author, Now Discovered
Sarah Feiga Foner’s story is found in an obscure handwritten text inscribed in Solitreo script from Ioannina, Greece…
Sukkah Scuffles: Surprising Testimony From the 12th Century
The only mentions of a sukkah in the Cairo Genizah refer to communal sukkot in synagogue courtyards. A fact that caused quite a bit of trouble.
Gershom Scholem’s Mishna Comes Home
About a year after the renowned scholar’s Talmud set finally found its way home, his Mishna has too…
