Hebrew letters jumbled together and Stars of David in every corner – The National Library is swamped with calls from “collectors” from Arab countries offering “historical manuscripts” that supposedly once belonged to Jewish communities in Islamic lands.
How a Handwritten 12th-Century Manuscript by Maimonides Ended Up at the National Library
The original manuscript of Maimonides’ “Commentary on the Mishnah”, including mistakes and corrections made by the master himself, can now be viewed by the public
Revealed: How Hanukkah Was Celebrated a Thousand Years Ago
We collected a few greetings and well-wishes for the holiday that were found in the famous Cairo Genizah
The Case of the Headless Man and Insufficient Repentance
Learn about a Kabbalistic tradition that will tell you if you have been sealed in the Book of Life or Death following the High Holy Days.
Who Spilled Honey on the 18th Century Manuscript?
You really should listen to your mother when she tells you not to read at the dinner table…
The 13th Century Manuscript That Was Saved From the Nazis
The Worms Mahzor, written in the late 13th century, was spared the destruction of the Holocaust after it was smuggled away from the Gestapo and hidden in one of the city’s cathedral towers.
The Rescue of One of the World’s Most Beautiful Haggadot
The journey of the “Rothschild Haggadah” began 550 years ago with the artist Yoel ben Shimon in Northern Italy and ended in Jerusalem, the capital of the Jewish people
Rare: A Remnant of One of the Oldest Yom Kippur Prayer Books in the World
A glimpse at a remnant from an 11th century prayer book discovered in the Cairo Genizah
A Receipt for Funds to Redeem Captives Signed by Maimonides
Did you know that Maimonides’ first public activity in Egypt was a large-scale mission to get Jews out of Crusader captivity?
The Esther Scroll of Amsterdam That Damned the Enemies of the Jews
This was what happened when the Purim merriment of the Jews of Amsterdam mixed with a desire for revenge against the Spanish.
