Wednesday,  Kislev 15, 5770
December 2, 2009

Noah's Ark, oil on canvas painting by Edward Hicks, 1846 Philadelphia Museum of Art

Date 1846 A painting by the American Edward Hicks (1780–1849), showing the animals boarding Noah's Ark two by two.

Noah’s Ark Comes to Rest on Mount Ararat (2104 BCE)  

On this day, the bottom of the Noah's ark, submerged 11 cubits beneath the water's surface, touched down and came to rest on the top of Mount Ararat.

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Heshvan

Heshvan (Cheshvan) or Mar Cheshvan the second month of the civil year year and the eighth month of the ecclesiastical on the Hebrew calendar. Heshvan has 29 or 30 Days in it. Heshvan usually occurs in October - November on the civil calendar.

Kislev 1

Kislev usually occurs in November–December on the Gregorian calendar and is sometimes known as the month of dreams.

http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/monthly.html?year=2009&month=11&country=34

Heshvan (Cheshvan) November

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Cheshvan  sometimes called Marcheshvan "eighth month") is the second month of the civil year (which starts on 1 Tishrei) and the eighth month of the ecclesiastical year (which starts on 1 Nisan) on the Hebrew calendar.

It is an autumn month of 29 days, except in "complete" years, in which it has 30 days. Cheshvan usually occurs in October–November on the Gregorian calendar.

The Great Flood, which wiped out the
world, started in Cheshvan.

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Tishrei 30 - October 18

The Knesset gathering or assembly; is the legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.

In 1958, the foundation stone was laid for Israel's Knesset building in Jerusalem. The Knesset is composed of 120 members, the same size as the Great Assembly ("Knesset HaGedola") that served as the rabbinical body during the Second Temple era. (The Great Assembly redacted the biblical books Ezekiel, Daniel and Esther, and composed many prayers such as the Amidah.) Today, the Israeli Knesset is known as a bastion of democracy in the Middle East, with women, Arabs, and other minorities represented.

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Tishrei 3 - September 21

Tishrei 3, in 1825, an American diplomat named Mordechai Manuel Noah laid the foundation stone for Ararat, the first modern-day attempt to establish a national Jewish homeland. To implement his plan, Noah petitioned the New York State legislature for rights to Grand Island, a 27-square-mile parcel of land located between Buffalo, New York and Niagara Falls. Noah also levied a "redemption tax" upon each Jew in the world. Despite a grand opening ceremony, the plan fizzled when no Jews moved to Ararat / Grand Island.

More to view:
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/MNoah.html

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Elul 28 - September 17

In 1849, the first synagogue was dedicated in Cape Town, South Africa, called Tikvat Israel -- "Hope of Israel," referring to the Cape of Good Hope. Originally, the Dutch East India Company's rules required that all residents must be Christians. Only after freedom of religion was introduced in 1803 did Jewish settlers from England and Germany come in significant numbers to Cape Town. Around the turn of the 20th century, the development of diamond and gold mines attracted a large number of Jewish immigrants. South African Jewry enjoyed great prosperity, strongly represented in the commercial and professional sectors. The Jewish community was characterized by a deep attachment to traditional Jewish values and strong bonds with Israel. The Jewish population of South Africa reached a peak of 120,000 in the early 1970s, but with political turmoil and the dissolution of Apartheid, tens of thousands of Jews left to settle in Israel, Australia and the U.S. Tikvat Israel synagogue -- South Africa's first -- is still standing today.

More to view:

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vjw/South_Africa.html

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September 9, 2009    Eul 20, 5769

The students and staff of the Mir Yeshiva, they had fled to Lithuania with the fall of Poland in 1939. There, they were able to obtain visas from the Japanese consul-general in Lithuania, and made a miraculous escape across Siberia by train, arriving in Shanghai where they spent the remainder of the war years. After the war, new Mir yeshivas were established in New York and Jerusalem, which today is the largest yeshiva in the world with over 5,000 students.

More to view:

http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/svencionys/svencionys.html

http://www.uoregon.edu/~rkimble/Mirweb/MirHistory.html

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In 1729, Congregation Shearith Israel laid a foundation stone in lower Manhattan for the first structure ever designed and built as a synagogue in continental North America. At the time, New York had the only Jewish community in the country; it would be some two decades later before organized Jewish settlement began in Philadelphia, Lancaster and Charleston. Shearith Israel was the only Jewish congregation in New York City from 1654 until 1825, having been founded by Brazilian Jews of Spanish and Portuguese origin. Governor Peter Stuyvesant, known for his anti-Semitic views, had initially denied Jews the right to worship in a public gathering; these Jews fought for their rights and won permission. Today, Shearith Israel occupies a grand structure at 70th Street and Central Park West.

More to view:

http://www.shearithisrael.org/

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  Elul 11, 5769   August 31, 2009 

In 1950, Operation Magic Carpet, which secretly airlifted 45,000 Yemenite Jews to Israel, was concluded. Many of the Jews had never before seen an airplane; they likened the ride to a fulfillment of the biblical verse, "And I bore you on eagles' wings" (Exodus 19:4). According to tradition, Jews had lived in Yemen since the 7th century BCE. Upon arriving in Israel they were housed in tent camps; there was very little infrastructure and resources to accommodate them, as the Jewish population of Israel nearly doubled in its first three years. Yet within a short time, the immigrants had been absorbed into the fledging Israeli society.

More to read:

http://www.alaskaair.com/as/www2/company/History/MagicCarpet.asp

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 Av 29, 5769 - August 19, 2009 

In the Hebrew year 2448, Moses carved the second set of Tablets out of sapphire, as recorded in Exodus 34:4. After seeing that the Israelites had made the idolatrous Golden Calf, Moses broke the first set of tablets (Exodus 32:19) and God then instructed Moses to carve new tablets.  The second set of tablets was placed in the Ark of the Covenant, along with the first broken set. This second set symbolizes the ability of every person to make amends and rebuild anew. In fact, it was on the day of Yom Kippur that Moses came down from Mount Sinai holding the second set of Tablets, and it is on every subsequent Yom Kippur day that we have a special opportunity to make amends.

'So he cut out two stone tablets like the former ones, and Moses rose up early in the morning and went up to Mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and he took two stone tablets in his hand. '

Exodus 34:4

More to read:

http://www.bibleplaces.com/tabernaclemore.htm

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In 423 BCE, Nebuchadnezzar's troops breached the walls of old Jerusalem and entered the city. Four weeks later, the Holy Temple was destroyed, and the Jews were exiled to Babylon. Originally, a day of fasting and mourning was observed on the 9th of Tammuz. Seventy years later, however, when the Second Temple was built, the fast was abolished and the day was turned into a holiday. Some 500 years later when Jerusalem fell on the 17th of Tammuz -- prior to the destruction of the Second Temple -- the Sages decreed the 17th of Tammuz as a fast day to commemorate both tragedies.

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 Tammuz 7, 5769    - June 29, 2009 Torah reading: Chukat-Balak

In 1938, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt initiated a conference at Evian, France, where 32 world leaders discussed the problem of Jewish refugees. Unfortunately, little was accomplished, as nation after nation offered excuses for their refusal to accept Jewish refugees. Chaim Weizmann was quoted as saying: "The world seemed to be divided into two parts -- those places where the Jews could not live, and those where they could not enter." The conference failed to pass even a resolution condemning German treatment of Jews. The lack of action further emboldened Hitler, proving to him that no country had the moral fortitude to oppose the Nazi assault on European Jewry.

More to view:

http://motlc.wiesenthal.com/site/pp.asp?c=gvKVLcMVIuG&b=394913

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Sivan 29, 5769     June 21, 2009 Torah reading: Korach (ISRAEL : Chukat)

In the Hebrew year 2448 (1312 BCE), Moses sent 12 men -- one from each tribe -- to scout out the Land of Israel. Their mission seemed rather innocuous: devise a strategy for battling the Canaanites and for settling 3 million Jews in the new land. In Israel, God showed the spies encouraging signs that the land is plentiful and rich example -- clusters of grapes so enormous that eight men were needed to carry it (Numbers 13:23). God also made sure the spies encountered heavily fortified Canaanite cities -- which in fact is a sign of Canaanite weakness, since the truly powerful do not need to hide behind walls. Yet after 40 days, the spies came back and recommended against entering the land. The Jews accepted the report, and as a consequence, God said: Because you don't want to enter the land, then all Israelites will die out over the next 40 years in the desert, and only your children will enter the land. The spies delivered their negative report on the calendar day of Tisha B'Av. Hundreds of years later, the destruction of the First Temple occurred on Tisha B'Av, and 500 years after that, the Second Temple was also destroyed on Tisha B'Av. Today, Tisha B'Av is observed as a national day of mourning for the Jewish people.

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 Sivan 19, 5769 - June  11, 2009 Torah reading: Be'halot'cha (ISRAEL : Shlach)

In 1855, the first Jewish hospital in America, Jews' Hospital of New York, admitted its first patient. The phenomenon of Jewish hospitals may have been linked to the experience in Europe, where restrictions were placed on the number of Jewish patients admitted to public hospitals, and even in America where quotas were placed on Jewish doctors studying and practicing. Today, Jewish hospitals are found in dozens of major cities including Los Angeles, Cincinnati and Baltimore. These hospitals are often ranked as tops in their field; for example, Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis is the largest hospital in Missouri, is regarded as one of the nation's top three medical schools, and is ranked as one of America's top-10 hospitals overall.

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 Sivan 17, 5769    June 9, 2009

In the Hebrew year 1656 (2100 BCE), Noah's Ark came to rest on Mount Ararat, as recorded in Genesis 8:4. Though the torrential rains only lasted for 40 days and 40 nights, it would be several months before the waters subsided enough for Noah's Ark to come to rest, and another several months before the dove returned with an olive branch in its beak -- a sign that it was safe to exit the Ark. As symbolized by the rainbow, God promised never to flood the Earth again.

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 Sivan 7, 5769 - June 4, 2009

In 1948, the government of Costa Rica gave diplomatic recognition to the new State of Israel. Due to its political balance, Costa Rica is often referred to as the "Switzerland of Central America." For years, Costa Rica was one of the only countries to house its embassy in Jerusalem. Of the 184 nations with which United States has diplomatic relations, Israel is the only one where the U.S. embassy is not located in the capital city

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  Sivan 4,  5769  - May 27, 2009

In the Hebrew year 2448, Moses wrote the first part of the Torah, from Genesis up until the revelation at Mount Sinai. By the end of his life, Moses had written 13 Torah scrolls -- one for each tribe, and one more to place in the Ark of the Covenant. The existence of multiple scrolls in multiple locations ensured the integrity of the Torah text, as scrolls could be checked against one another for accuracy. Indeed, this method has continued for millennia, and Torah scrolls from Morocco to Russia, Australia to Iraq, all contain the same letter-for-letter text.

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 Iyar  16, 5769 - May 10, 2009

In the Hebrew year 2448, Manna fell for the first time in the desert of Sene. This came one month after the Exodus, as the supply of matzah the Israelites took from Egypt had run out. The Manna fell six days a week; a double-portion fell on Friday to include Shabbat. Unlike other miracles that were one-time events, the Manna continued to fall day after day throughout the 40 years of Jewish wandering in the desert.

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In 1943, the first Jewish agricultural settlement was established in the Negev, Kibbutz Gevulot. David Ben-Gurion believed that the Negev -- encompassing about half the land mass of Israel -- was the fledging country's great frontier. Though the Negev was virtually uninhabited and thought by many to be uncultivable, Ben-Gurion believed that the desert could be tamed and turned into an asset. Many agricultural innovations, such as the use of hydroponics, have been developed in order to cultivate the Negev. And today, Beersheba -- first known as the biblical watering hole for Abraham's sheep -- is a modern city of 190,000.

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Holocaust Remembrance Day!

Lighting 6 candles one for each million jews murdered in the Holocaust

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Nissan 25, 5769/April 19, 2009

Christian X of Denmark

( September 28, 1870 –  April 20, 1947)

In 1933, King Christian X of Denmark attended the 100th anniversary celebration of a synagogue in Copenhagen, to demonstrate his solidarity with the Jews.

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Nissan 5, 5769 - March 30, 2009

In the Hebrew year 2488, Joshua sent scouts to survey Jericho in anticipation of the Jewish conquest. The mission was risky in the sense that 40 years earlier, Moses had sent scouts to Israel, only to have them recommend against entering the land. This time the mission was successful, and in the ensuing siege, Joshua's troops -- amidst shofar blasts -- encircled Jericho seven times until its walls came down. The events are recorded in the biblical Book of Joshua, chapters 2 and 6.

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 Adar 10, 5769  - March 6, 2009

In 1980, Israel and Egypt exchanged ambassadors, marking a new era of cordial, if cold, diplomacy. In 1973, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat had orchestrated an attack on Israel in the Yom Kippur War, but after suffering defeat he became resigned to Israel's existence.

 In 1977, Sadat and Menachem Begin signed the Camp David Peace Agreement, for which they received the Nobel Peace Prize. Much of the Arab world was outraged by Sadat's overtures toward Israel, and he was assassinated by a Muslim extremist in 1981.

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Adar  7, 5769                                      March 3, 2009

Yahrtzeit of Moses in 1273 BCE (Jewish year 2488), on the same day of his birth 120 years earlier. (Consequently, "May you live to 120" has become a common Jewish blessing.) Moses was born in Egypt at a time when Pharaoh had decreed that all Jewish baby boys be drowned in the Nile River. His mother set him afloat in a reed basket, where he was -- most ironically -- discovered by Pharaoh's daughter and brought to Pharaoh's palace to be raised. When Moses matured, his heart turned to aid the Jewish people; he killed an Egyptian who was beating a Jew, and he fled to Midian where he married and had two sons. God spoke to Moses at the Burning Bush, instructing him to return to Egypt and persuade Pharaoh to "let my people go." Moses led the Jews through the ten plagues, the Exodus, and the splitting of the Red Sea. Seven weeks later, the Jews arrived at Mount Sinai and received the Torah, the only time in human history that an entire nation experienced Divine revelation. Over the next 40 years, Moses led the Jews through wanderings in the desert, and supervised construction of the Tabernacle. Moses died before being allowed to enter the promised Land of Israel. He is regarded as the greatest prophet of all time.

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In 1273 BCE (Jewish year 2488), Moses completed his farewell address to the Jewish people, and God informed Moses that the day of his death was approaching (Deuternomony 31:14). Amazingly, the anniversary of Moses' completing his teaching coincides with the date in 1482 of the first printing of the standard format used for Jewish Bibles today: vowel signs, accents, translation (Targum), and Rashi commentary.

More to view:

Israel Calendar

http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/monthly.html?year=2009&month=3&country=34

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, the time for you to die is near; call Joshua, and present yourselves at the tent of meeting, that I may commission him." So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the tent of meeting.  Deuteronomy 31:14

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Adar  3, Adar 5769   - February 27, 2009

In 350 BC, the building of the second Holy Temple was completed in Jerusalem, as recorded in the biblical Book of Ezra (6:15). The re-building of the Temple had begun under Cyrus when the Persians first took over the Babylonian empire. The re-building was then interrupted for 18 years, and resumed with the blessing of Darius II, the Persian king whom is said to be the son of Esther. The Second Temple lacked much of the glory of the First Temple: There was no Ark of the Covenant, and the daily miracles and prophets were no longer part of the scenery. The Second Temple would stand for 420 years.

Cyrus:

King of Persia, King of Anshan, King of Media, King of Babylon, King of Sumer and Akkad, King of the four corners of the World.

More to view:

http://www.farsinet.com/iraninbible/

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Shvat 15, 5769 February 9, 2009

Today is Tu B'Shvat, the New Year for the Trees. This is technically the day when trees stop absorbing water from the ground, and instead draw nourishment from their sap. In Jewish law, this means that fruit which has blossomed prior to the 15th of Shvat could not be used as tithe for fruit which blossomed after that date. The custom on Tu B'Shvat is to eat fruits from the seven species for which the Land of Israel is praised: "...a land of wheat and barley and (grape) vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and (date) honey" (Deut. 8:8).

On this date in 1925, the Technion opened in Haifa, becoming Israel's first modern university. Albert Einstein served as president of the first Technion Society. Today, Technion graduates comprise the majority of Israeli-educated scientists and engineers, and Israel is now home to the greatest concentration of high-tech start up companies anywhere outside of the Silicon Valley. High-tech industry accounts for more than 54% of Israel's industrial exports. In Israel, nine out of every 1,000 workers are engaged in R&D, nearly double the rate of the U.S. and Japan. More achievements: The Technion is credited with the birth of fiber-optics. In 1998, the Technion became the fifth university worldwide to successfully design, build, and launch its own satellite. In 2004, two Technion professors received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their research in the protein breakdown in cells.

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 Shevat  1, 5769 / January 26, 2009

On this date, as the Jewish people were completing 40 years of wandering in the desert, Moses gathered the entire the nation and began his farewell address. Moses' speech would continue for 40 days until his death, as described in the Book of Deuteronomy. Moses reviewed the commandments of the Torah, gave a historical reflection, prophesized about future events, and offered poetic blessings. Also during this time, Moses wrote 13 Torah scrolls -- one for each tribe, plus one to place in the Ark of the Covenant.

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Tevet 19, 5769 - January 15, 2009

In 1901, the Jewish National Fund was founded for the purpose of purchasing settlement land in Israel. JNF had the idea of placing a collection box in every Jewish home, and by the 1920's about one million of the famous "Blue Boxes" were in Jewish homes throughout the world. Besides purchasing land throughout Israel, JNF expanded into afforestation, water projects, agricultural innovation, roadworks, schools, and immigrant services. JNF operates under the principle that the Land of Israel belongs to the entire Jewish people; based on this, the Israeli Knesset later adopted a law stating that JNF lands cannot be sold, but only leased for periods of 49 years at a time.(The Knesset is Israel's legislature.)

  Over the past century, JNF has planted over 220 million trees throughout Israel -- the only nation in the world to end the 20th century with more trees than it had at the beginning.

JNF Is Israel

More to view:

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Politics/knesset.html

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Tevet 17, 5769 - January 13, 2009

In 1728, Congregation Shearith Israel purchased a plot of land in lower Manhattan, site of the first structure ever designed and built as a synagogue in continental North America. At the time, New York had the only Jewish community in the country; it would be some two decades later before organized Jewish settlement began in Philadelphia, Lancaster and Charleston. Shearith Israel was the only Jewish congregation in New York City from 1654 until 1825, having been founded by Brazilian Jews of Spanish and Portuguese origin. Governor Peter Stuyvesant, known for his anti-Semitic views, had initially denied Jews the right to worship in a public gathering; these Jews fought for their rights and won permission. Today, Shearith Israel occupies a grand structure at 70th Street and Central Park West.

More to read:

http://findingaids.cjh.org/?fnm=CongregationShearithIsrael&pnm=AJHS

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Kislev 11, 5769 ~ December 8, 2008

In 1945, the charter of Yeshiva College (later Yeshiva University) was amended by the New York State Board of Regents, making it the first American university under Jewish auspices. Through the first half of the 20th century, many American universities maintained a regional quota system, whereby spaces for Jewish students was often limited. (This was, however, better than the situation in the Middle Ages, when universities were entirely closed to Jewish students.) Yeshiva University helped alleviate that strain, and today is regarded as one of America's leading academic institutions, offering advanced degrees in rabbinics, business, medicine, law, and Jewish education.

More to view:

http://spider.mc.yu.edu/news/photogallery/photogallery_show.cfm?categoryID=1105

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 6 Kislev 5769 - December 3, 2008

In 1958, Jerusalem inaugurated a new water reservoir, thus assuring the holy city of an adequate water supply for the first time in its 3,000-year history. Jerusalem's shortage of water was long its weakness in time of military siege. Back in the days of King David, a tunnel had been dug from the Old City to a neighboring valley, to channel water inside the Old City Walls. In modern times, the problem was exacerbated in 1948 when the Arab blockade of Jerusalem left its residents without a water supply.

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4 Kislev  5769  - December 1, 2008

In 346 BCE, a delegation of Babylonian Jews arrived in Jerusalem to ask the prophet Zechariah if the fast of Tisha B'Av should be discontinued (Zechariah Chapter 7). Tisha B'Av is a commemoration of the destruction of the Temple, and at the time, the Second Temple had just been constructed. The answer, as recorded in the Talmud, is that if Israel remains under foreign control, then the fast remains -- even if the Temple is built. But if the Temple is built and Israel is self-governed, then the fast turns into a day of celebration. In this case, since the Second Temple was eventually destroyed (also on Tisha B'Av, 420 years later), it is commemorated till today as a Jewish national day of mourning.

More to read:

http://www.enduringword.com/commentaries/3807.htm

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9 Cheshvan - November 7

Rabbi Asher ben Yechiel (1250-1327), one of the greatest Talmudic commentators of all time. He is popularly known as the "Rosh," an acronym of his name. He lived at the time of the medieval Crusades, and in fear of being captured, fled from Germany to Spain. The classic "Shulchan Aruch" (Code of Jewish Law) gives great weight to the Rosh's opinions. He was the father of eight sons, one of whom wrote a groundbreaking work of Jewish law, "The Tur."

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11 Elul 5768 / September 11 2008

In 1950, Operation Magic Carpet, which secretly airlifted 45,000 Yemenite Jews to Israel, was concluded. Many of the Jews had never before seen an airplane; they likened the ride to a fulfillment of the biblical verse, "And I bore you on eagles' wings" (Exodus 19:4). According to tradition, Jews had lived in Yemen since the 7th century BCE. Upon arriving in Israel they were housed in tent camps; there was very little infrastructure and resources to accommodate them, as the Jewish population of Israel nearly doubled in its first three years. Yet within a short time, the immigrants had been absorbed into the fledging Israeli society.

More To Read:

http://www.arabia-felix.com/arabia-felix-61.html

http://www.alaskaair.com/as/www2/company/History/MagicCarpet.asp

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9 Elul 5768 /  September 9 2008

In 1654, Jacob Barsimson became the first Jewish settler in New Amsterdam (New York), and a few months later a group of 23 Jews arrived from Brazil. At first, Governor Peter Stuyvesant denied Jews the right to engage in trade, own real estate, serve in the military, and conduct public religious services. Barsimson, an observant Jew, filed an appeal to the Dutch West India Company, and succeeded in gaining equal rights for Jews. In one incident, Barsimson was summoned to court on Shabbat and courageously refused to appear. In a landmark decision that extended the limits of religious freedom, the court did not hold him accountable. Barsimson's Jewish pride and pioneering spirit paved the way for generations of Jewish immigrants yet to come.

More to view:

http://www.fau.edu/library/brody1.htm

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29 Tammuz 5768 / 1 August 2008

Yahrtzeit of Rabbi Shlomo Yitzhaki (1040-1105), pre-eminent rabbinic commentator known by the acronym, Rashi. His commentary on the Five Books of Moses is studied till today by almost every Jewish child and adult, layman and scholar alike. And his monumental commentary on the Talmud, which appears in every standard edition, is the basis upon which nearly all Talmud study is based. Rashi lived in France, where his grandchildren composed the Tosfot commentary on the Talmud, which is second only to Rashi in being indispensable for a proper understanding of the text. Amazingly, Rashi accomplished all his work during the period of the Crusades, when life was extremely dangerous for the Jews. Just as amazing, Rashi made his living as a wine merchant, and wrote rabbinic commentaries in his spare time. Incidentally, Rashi's commentaries are the primary source of information for the study of French language and culture in the Middle Ages. The recent 900th anniversary of his death was widely commemorated in France, with public ceremonies, conferences, and a postage stamp issued in his honor.

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3 Tammuz 5768 / 6 July 2008

3 Tammuz In 1272 BCE (Jewish year 2489), Joshua commanded the sun to "stand still at Gibeon" (Joshua 10:12). Joshua was involved in conquering the southern part of Canaan, and Shabbat was fast approaching. Not wanting to do battle on Shabbat, Joshua prayed for a miracle, and the sun stopped twice -- once at midday and once before sunset, giving the Israelites extra time to complete the battle.

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1 Tammuz 5768 / 4 July 2008

This is the traditional date of the birth and the death of Joseph (1560-1450 BCE), the son of Jacob and Rachel. Joseph's father gave him a multi-colored coat, which aroused the envy of his half-brothers. They suspected that Joseph would try to assume family leadership when he told them of his two dreams, in which the brothers all bowed down to him. The brothers sold Joseph into slavery, where he was brought to Egypt and eventually rose to the post of Prime Minister. Twenty years later, the family was reunited in Egypt, and Joseph forgave the brothers, saying that it was all part of God's plan. Shortly before Joseph's death he made the Israelites take an oath that they would bury him in Israel. His remains were eventually buried in Shechem, and throughout the millennia, Joseph's Tomb was a place of pilgrimage and prayer. The tomb was destroyed by Arab mobs in the Intifada of 2000.

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15 Iyar, 5768

Tuesday, May 20, 2008  

Manna, the "bread from heaven" which sustained the Children of Israel during their 40 years of wandering through the desert, began to fall on the 15th of Iyar of the year 2448 from creation--one month after the Exodus.

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Yom HaAzmaut   - Israel Independence Day 

 State of Israel Proclaimed (1948)

It falls on the 5th of the Jewish lunar month Iyar (pronounced "eeyahr"), celebrating the declaration of the state of Israel by David Ben-Gurion in Tel Aviv on May 14, 1948 (5 Iyar, 5708), and the end of the British Mandate of Palestine.

It is always preceded by Yom Hazikaron, the Israel fallen soldiers Remembrance Day on the 4th of Iyar.

An official ceremony is held every year on Mount Herzl on the evening of Yom Ha'atzmaut. The ceremony includes a speech by the speaker of the Knesset (the Israeli Parliament), a dramatic presentation, a ritual march of soldiers carrying the Flag of Israel, forming elaborate structures (such as a Menorah, Magen David and a number which represents the age of Israel) and the lighting of twelve torches (one for each of the Tribes of Israel). Every year a dozen Israeli citizens, who made a significant contribution in a selected area, are invited to light the torches.

The British mandate to govern the Holy Land expired on Friday, May 14, 1948. A United Nations resolution passed six months earlier endorsed the establishment of a Jewish state in the biblical homeland of the Jewish people. That afternoon, the state of Israel was proclaimed in Tel Aviv.

The date~  Iyar 5 on the Jewish calendar ~ is celebrated in Israel as the Israeli "Independence Day."

http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/mideast/israel.htm

The National Anthem of Israel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjfFpFW9OdA&feature=related

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Today In Jewish History

1 Iyar 5768 -  May 6 2008

In 372 BCE, the foundation of the Second Holy Temple was laid in Jerusalem, as recorded in the Book of Ezra (3:8).

The grandson of a Jewish king, Zerubavel, led the first band of Jews back from the Babylonian exile. He helped clear away the charred heaps of debris which occupied the site of the Second Temple, and the foundation was laid amid public excitement and rejoicing. This Second Temple would become the center of Jewish worship for 420 years, before being destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE. Today, the Western Wall is a remnant of the Temple complex, the focal point of Jewish prayers for millennia.

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Today In Jewish History - 24 Nisan- 29 April 2008

In the Hebrew year 2448 (1312 BCE), after crossing the Red Sea, the Jews came to a place called Mara -- literally "bitter," because the water there was bitter. The people complained and Moses miraculously made the waters turn sweet. It was here that God gave the Jews some of the first mitzvot -- the laws of Shabbat and some civil laws -- in anticipation of the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, some six weeks later.

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April 13, 2008 / 8 Nisan 5768

The grand 180-day feast hosted by King Achashverosh came to an end on this day.

Achasverosh miscalculated the start date of Jeremiah's prophecy which promised the rebuilding of the Holy Temple after 70 years of Babylonian exile. When, according to his calculations, the seventy years had passed and the Jews were not redeemed, he orchestrated this grand party to celebrate the "demise" of the Chosen Nation. During the course of the party he brazenly displayed many of the vessels looted from the Holy Temple by the Babylonian armies.

14 Nisan - Fast of the Firstborn - on 12 Nisan when the 14th falls on Shabbat

15-21 Nisan - Passover - also the 22 Nisan outside of Israel.

27 Nisan - Yom HaShoah - on 26 Nisan or 28 Nisan when the 27th falls on Friday or Sunday respectively, interfering with Shabbat.

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Shabbat, April 12, 2008

7 Nissan, 5768

The Jewish nation mourned for thirty days following the passing of Moses. (During this time, Joshua, the new leader of the Jewish nation, sent scouts to spy on the land of Canaan.

On the 7th of Nissan, the first day after the mourning period came to an end, Joshua instructed the Jews to stock up on provisions and prepare themselves to cross the Jordan river and begin the conquest of the Promised Land. This was the first time Joshua addressed the nation, and they unconditionally accepted him as their new leader.

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Thursday, 5 Nissan, 5768  

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Shabbat, 29 Adar II, 5768/ April 5, 2008 (Saturday)

Parshah Tazria - Leviticus 12:1-13:59

Torah Reading for Week of Mar 30-Apr 5,2008 - Adar II 23-29 5768

The Parshah of Tazria continues the discussion of the laws of Tumah v'Taharah, ritual impurity and purity.A woman giving birth should undergo a process of purification, which includes immersing in a mikvah (a naturally gathered pool of water) and bringing offerings to the Holy Temple. All male infants are to be circumcised on the eighth day of life. Tzaraat ("leprosy") is a supra-natural plague, which also can afflict garments. If white or pink patches appear on a person's skin (dark red or green in garments), a Kohen is summoned. Judging by various signs, such as an increase in size of the afflicted area after a seven-day quarantine, the Kohen pronounces it tameh (impure) or tahor (pure). A person afflicted with tzaraat must dwell alone outside of the camp (or city) until he is healed. The afflicted area in a garment is removed; if the tzaraat spreads or recurs, the entire garment must be burned.

Parshat Hachodesh  

On the Shabbat that falls on or before the 1st of Nissan, a special reading called "Hachodesh" (Exodus 12:1-20) is added to the regular Shabbat Torah reading. Hachodesh recounts God's historic communication to Moses in Egypt on the 1st of Nissan (2 weeks before the Exodus) regarding the Jewish calendar, the month of Nissan and the Passover offering.

This being the Shabbat that falls on or before the 1st of Nissan, we also read the section of Hachodesh (Exodus 12:1-20) which relates God's words to Moses in Egypt two weeks before the Exodus, instructing us to set the Jewish calendar by the monthly new moon and to regard Nissan as the "head of months." God also instructs to bring the Passover offering, to eat it with matzah and bitter herbs, and to abstain from leaven for seven days.

This Shabbat is Shabbat Mevarchim ("the Shabbat that blesses" the new month): a special prayer is recited blessing the Rosh Chodesh ("Head of the Month") of upcoming month of Nissan, which occurs tomorrow (Sunday).

Parshat Hachodesh  Blessing the New Month

Prior to the blessing, we announce the precise time of the molad, the "birth" of the new moon.

Molad (plural Moladot) is a Hebrew word meaning "birth" that also generically refers to the time at which the New Moon is "born". The word is ambiguous, however, because depending on the context it could refer to the actual or mean astronomical lunar conjunction (calculated by a specified method, for a specified time zone), or the molad of the traditional Hebrew calendar (or another specified calendar), or at a specified locale t

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27 Adar II 5768 / 3 April 2008

In 1979, Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat signed the Camp David Peace Agreement at the White House. Sadat had orchestrated the Egyptian attack on Israel in the 1973 Yom Kippur War, but after suffering defeat he became resigned to Israel's existence. As part of the Camp David deal, Israel withdrew from the entire Sinai Peninsula. For forging this first peace agreement between Israel and an Arab state, Sadat and Begin were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Much of the Arab world was outraged by Sadat's overtures toward Israel, and he was assassinated by a Muslim extremist in 1981.

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25 Adar II 5768 / 1 April 2008

  King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia died  on this  date marks the death  in 561 BCE.

Nebuchadnezzar built the most powerful nation in the world by ruthlessly attacking and annexing neighboring countries. He is sometimes called "Nebuchadnezzar the Great," but he is reviled by Jews for having destroyed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and exiling the Jews from Israel.

 The biblical Book of Daniel tells how Nebuchadnezzar erected a large idol for public worship; three Jews refused to take part and Nebuchadnezzar ordered them cast into a roaring furnace. (They miraculously emerged unscathed.) Nebuchadnezzar was a megalomaniac who built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon; in testimony to his grandeur, each brick was inscribed with his name.

The Book of Daniel (4:30) describes the downfall of Nebuchadnezzar: "He loses his sanity and lives in the wild like an animal." (Nebuchadnezzar later regained his sanity and returned to rule.)

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Today In Jewish History

1 Iyar

In 372 BCE, the foundation of the Second Holy Temple was laid in Jerusalem, as recorded in the Book of Ezra (3:8). The grandson of a Jewish king, Zerubavel, led the first band of Jews back from the Babylonian exile. He helped clear away the charred heaps of debris which occupied the site of the Second Temple, and the foundation was laid amid public excitement and rejoicing. This Second Temple would become the center of Jewish worship for 420 years, before being destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE. Today, the Western Wall is a remnant of the Temple complex, the focal point of Jewish prayers for millennia.

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Hebrew Names for Months

http://www.akhlah.com/aleph_bet/hebrew_worksheets/hebrew_months.php

Iyar -

Iyar (sometines transliterated as Iyyar) is the eighth month of the civil year and the second month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. Iyar has 29 days in it. In the Torah it is called Ziv. Iyar usually falls in April - May on the civil calendar.

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