Documents from the Cairo Genizah: How is one to be buried? And more importantly, what should one wear to the burial? Egyptian Jews had clear requirements on the matter.
1695: What Is Missing from the Young German’s Medical Diploma?
It is unusually beautiful, but a small detail is missing from the diploma Capilius son of Yosef Piktor received.
Moving Testimony: A Prayer from the Anusim of the Communist Revolution
A rare manuscript reveals that even in the midst of Soviet oppression there were Jews who insisted on preserving a remnant of their ancestors’ faith.
A Parrot from India Recites ‘Shema Yisrael’ in Cairo
A particular parrot mentioned in a manuscript from the famous Cairo Genizah possessed an impressive knowledge of Jewish scripture!
Who Was the Real Merchant of Venice?
Find out all about the real man behind the fictional Shylock!
Resolving Biblical Contradictions – in Translation
The first Hebrew translation of the famous work El Conciliador also served as the translator’s own personal diary
The Jew Who Fought Against the Censors of the Inquisition
From a rare Jewish-Italian manuscript: An outraged letter from the Jews of Ferrara to the Inquisition authorities requesting they stop censoring their printed books.
Just How Literate Were Jewish Women of the Past? The Cairo Geniza Tells All
Boys in antiquity were taught to read and write – this we know. But were girls their brothers’ peers? What about their mothers?
No Children Allowed: Introducing Lilith, the Jewish Vampire Queen
Dracula? He’s nothing compared to the first vampire in history, the one and only Lilith. Among her many “hobbies”: hounding humankind, causing crib death and night emissions in men, and sucking blood.
The Feminist Version of the Jewish Morning Blessing
Do you thank the Almighty for making you a man or a woman? Two fifteenth-century manuscripts show the choice is yours!
