Why Is This Yom HaAtzmaut Different from All the Others?
OPENING YOUR EYES
This Yom HaAtzmaut we celebrate 77 years since the declaration of the independence of the State of Israel. And it’s not just...
Rabbi Hayim haCohen (1585-1655) and the pirates who stole books
Rabbi Hayim haCohen was born in Egypt in 1585. His father, Ribbi Abraham haCohen, belonged to a distinguished family of Cohanim, descendants of Don...
Declaration of Independence (May 14, 5 Iyar, 1948)
A MOST DIFFICULT DECISION
The British were to leave the territory of Palestine on May 15 at midnight. The Jewish leaders planned to announce the...
What Did The Prophet Zekharia See?
Look closely at this picture. Do you see anything special? Just children playing . Right? Well, not so fast…
This is the Old City of...
YOM HAATZMAUT: What did Isaiah see?
מִי-אֵלֶּה, כָּעָב תְּעוּפֶינָה וְכַיּוֹנִים, אֶל-אֲרֻבֹּתֵיהֶם
There will be those who will flying like clouds, and like doves to their nests
The Tora predicted that the...
Rabbi Yehuda Alqalai (1798-1878) and Modern Zionism
Rabbi Yehuda Alqalai was one of the first rabbis (or Jews) in modern times to formulate the idea of a return to Zion. Following...
Three Miracles of the Independence War
ON VICTORY AND DEFEATOn the day that the Jewish leaders declared the establishment of the new State of Israel, on May 14, 1948 (5...
Lag LaOmer and the Study of Mysticism
In the Sephardic tradition, the 33rd day of the Omer, or Lag LaOmer (sic), is known as the day of the Hillula of Rabbi...
YOM HAATZMAUT: From Tikvatenu to Hatikva
A young man from Galitzia (hoy en Ucrania), named Naphtali Herz Imber, inspired by the founding of Petah Tikvah in 1878, wrote a poem...
The Role Played By The New York Times During The Holocaust
In the past, and in a different context, I’ve written about the mistake of conceiving Judaism as a "religion", instead of understanding it as the...
