Home > Africa

Africa

Counting the Hours – Measuring Time

Eshbal Ratzon

Way back when man began marking time, the natural unit of choice was the day. When did people begin breaking days into hours, and why were some hours longer than others? And if an Egyptian,...

archaeologyArticlesEgyptFirst Temple periodIraqIssue 52 | April 2020timekeeping

Why Is This Passover Different? – Ethiopian Pesach

Sharon Shalom

How does Ethiopian Jewry’s observance of Pesach differ from that of most Jews, and why? Are these differences a function of this community’s historic isolation or a matter of principle? And what can they teach...

20th centuryArticlesEthiopiaEthiopian JewsIssue 76 | March 2026PesachZionism

Egypt’s Exodus – Egyptian Rule in Canaan

Assaf Avraham

Though there’s no evidence outside the Bible for the Jewish people’s sojourn in Egypt, historical and archaeological finds from the end of the late Bronze Age in the land of Israel indicate that Egyptian domination...

AntiquityArticlesEgyptIssue 76 | March 2026Land of IsraelPesach

First among Physicians – Ibn Jumay’

Amir Mazor

Saladin’s personal physician and Maimonides’ friend, Hibat Allah ibn Zayn ibn Jumay‘ left a colorful paper trail of Arabic medical works and fragmentary documents from the Cairo Geniza. Discovering an unsung Jewish hero Amir Mazor...

ArticlesCairo GenizaEgyptIssue 66 | September 2023medicineMedieval PeriodScientists

Judaism’s Service Entrance – Freed Slaves

Moshe Yagur

Though viewed today as an outmoded evil, slavery was part of medieval Jewish life in Arab lands. Somewhat surprisingly, slaves owned by Jews were considered semi-Jewish; having entered the Jewish people through this “back door,”...

AntiquityArticlesCairo GenizaEgyptIssue 72 | March 2025

Portrait of a People | Cape Crusader

Naomi Samuel

Naomi Samuel InteriorOil on canvas295 x 320 cmCape Town, c. 1930–35Iziko South AfricanNational Gallery, Cape Town Wolf Kibel1903-1938 ExpressionismTwentieth-century movement seeking to convey emotion rather than reality, often through distortion or exaggeration I...

20th centuryAfricaArtColumnsIssue 73 | June 2025Land of Israel

Feeding the Heavens – Jewish Birdfeeding Customs

Yossi Ziv

Both Polish and Ethiopian Jews traditionally fed birds at specific times of year, ascribing deep meaning to this practice. Did the custom spread from south to north with the migratory flocks, or was it simply...

ArticlesEarly modern periodEthiopiaGermanyIssue 71 | December 2024Jewish CommunitiesTu Bishvat

From the Archives | Building Zion from Rhodesia

Denise Rein

A booklet produced by a Zionist youth movement in Rhodesia reflects a rich and vibrant community that lasted less than a century. Its young authors had no idea civil war was about to change their...

20th centuryAfricaColumnsIssue 26 | May 2015Jewish CommunitiesZionism

Victory at a Price – British Counter-Guerrilla Warfare

Haggai Olshanetsky

Is there any basis for the claim that guerrilla forces are invincible? The British Empire has bested them in a few vicious wars – but at what cost? And for how long? The answers often...

20th centuryAfricaArticlesIssue 69 | June 2024Middle East

My Son, the Pirate – Samuel Pallache

Yoav Pulver

Few rabbis have lived as colorful a life as Samuel Pallache. Merchant, diplomat, and emissary to the king of Morocco, Pallache even resorted to piracy to exact his people׳s revenge on the Spanish fleet Yoav...

ArticlesEarly modern periodIssue 32 | June 2016Moroccan JewsMoroccoNetherlandsStatesmen

Africa

Counting the Hours – Measuring Time

Why Is This Passover Different? – Ethiopian Pesach

Egypt’s Exodus – Egyptian Rule in Canaan

First among Physicians – Ibn Jumay’

Judaism’s Service Entrance – Freed Slaves

Portrait of a People | Cape Crusader

Feeding the Heavens – Jewish Birdfeeding Customs

From the Archives | Building Zion from Rhodesia

Victory at a Price – British Counter-Guerrilla Warfare

My Son, the Pirate – Samuel Pallache

Join us

Follow us

Deepen your knowledge and embrace your Jewish heritage

Africa

Counting the Hours – Measuring Time

Why Is This Passover Different? – Ethiopian Pesach

Egypt’s Exodus – Egyptian Rule in Canaan

First among Physicians – Ibn Jumay’

Judaism’s Service Entrance – Freed Slaves

Portrait of a People | Cape Crusader

Feeding the Heavens – Jewish Birdfeeding Customs

From the Archives | Building Zion from Rhodesia

Victory at a Price – British Counter-Guerrilla Warfare

My Son, the Pirate – Samuel Pallache

Feel free to share

You may also be interested in