Articles

Prague

Europe contains many cities of charm, beauty and interest. European cities exude the wonder of a Jewish past, and in some cases, of a fragile present. Prague has to be one of the most beautiful and atmospheric cities in the world. Wrap up warm in the early winter and inhale the wonders of its buildings, bridges, art, museums, synagogues, cemeteries, Golem, clocks and towers...

Berlin - An Exciting City

"There is perhaps no other major Western city that bears the marks of twentieth-century history as intensely and self-consciously as Berlin", stated Andreas Huyssen in his work The Voids of Berlin...

The Longest Journey

Through the millennia of our long history, we have always been a people on the move. As a result we have indeed inhabited the four corners of the earth. Sometimes for a short period and on other occasions for thousands of years...

Fighter for Orthodoxy

The Chatam Sofer was born into a world of change, controversy and conflict. Judaism was attacked externally and internally by the realities of a world that espoused the rationalism of Enlightenment and Haskala, a world that saw thousands of Jews sacrifice their Judaism on the bed of assimilation, acculturation and conversion. Becoming more European meant becoming less Jewish...

The Land of Israel: The Promised Land

The Promised Land, the Holy Land, Zion, Jerusalem. The very names conjure up wonderment and uniqueness. Geographically, spiritually, theoretically and historically, that sanctified area has often been viewed as the centre of the Earth...

The Hidden Secrets

Why does it appear there is nothing Christian on the ceiling of one of the holiest Christian places on earth?
Why only Old Testament imagery?
What is Supersessionism?
Where are the Hebrew letters, Kabbalistic hints and family tree?
How did Michelangelo create such stunning beauty, and what was the influence of Leonardo da Vinci?
Who is not filled with admiration and amazement at the awesome sight?

Polish Jewry I

Jews were first invited into Poland around the tenth century. They came through voluntary migration at the invitation of princes and kings who wanted Jews to help Polish commerce in their fledgling country...

Polish Jewry II, The Deluge and The Messiah 1648-9

Mid-17th century Poland was seen as the Goldene Medinah and was perceived as so special that many had visions that the coming of the Messiah was imminent and he would first come to Poland...

Polish Jewry III, 'On the Edge of Destruction: Poland between the Wars' 1918-39

Between the late 18th century and 1939, Poland and Polish Jewry were in a decline. Whilst most of Western Europe and its Jews were embraced by enlightenment, emancipation and increasing affluence, Eastern Europe became more backward with pogroms, blood libels, and a resurgence of anti-Jewish hatred...

Polish Jewry IV, "My People Were No More"

For 1000 years Jews had lived in Poland. For 1000 years they had been part of, yet separate from, Polish society. They had produced a wealth of Jewish learning and literature, great seats of learning and yeshivos...

Chanukah

Chanukah is a post-Biblical, minor festival. It is the Jewish winter festival of lights and universally recognised by the lighting of candles in homes. Synagogues ond often in city squares and parks. Beautiful eight branched candelalbras adorn the Jewish world. For eight days Jews of all ages, and in all ages, commemorate the story of salvation od the Jewish people from acient Greek influence that threatened the survival of Judaism and the Jewish way of life.