We Prefer it Open Traversing the rickety road from the Israeli port of Eilat to its Egyptian equivalent in Taba, past thousands of imported cars lined up in spectacular order, glinting in Eilat’s glaring sun,...
An Uphill Procession Etthiopia, on the eve of 29 Heshvan. From widely scattered villages, Jews flock to the foot of a designated mountain. Purified by bathing in the nearby river, after seven days of abstinence...
The Great 19th Century Egyptian history has certainly had its glory, but it seems almost ironic that Egyptians should term the period from the late 18th century until World War I “The Great 19th Century.”...
First Century Pilgrimage It is difficult for us to imagine how the Biblical command of Aliya LeRegel, or pilgrimage, impacted on the lives of Jews some two thousand years ago. When we picture Pesach, we...
Three Soldiers The first was in the armored corps. His tank took a direct hit, and he alone survived, burnt from head to toe. In the long months he lay in a hospital bed, he...
Up Against the Wall Walking into the first exhibit hall of the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust (at the southern tip of Manhattan Island, just across from the ferry...
The First Crusade In 1071, the Byzantine Empire was dealt a crippling blow when a tribe of Mongolians conquered Anatolia, today a popular tourist destination in Turkey. The Seljuks, as they were called, had left...
Petra, the mysterious capital located in Jordan, is without a doubt the jewel in the Nabatean crown. Named for the red rock out of which it was carved (petrae is Latin for “rock”), the city...
Red Sea Port Traversing the rickety road from the Israeli port of Eilat to its Egyptian equivalent in Taba, past thousands of imported cars lined up in spectacular order, glinting in Eilat’s glaring sun, it’s...
The Price of Equality Though Jews campaigned long and hard for equality in their many countries of dispersion, the privilege proved to be a mixed blessing. In Europe, the price of emancipation was total cultural...
Impressive and Unique Wending its way up the Mediterranean coast, and weighed down with its cargo of Egyptian wheat, the great merchant ship was headed for Rome and its bustling grain markets. But why not...