Sample Sources
The sources below are those contained in our three curated collections—covering themes of Passover, Gender Roles, and Holocaust Resistance. They represent a fraction of the thousands of sources that will be available when the full site launches in 2024.
Minyan
Three Russians who didn’t understand Hebrew sat in the back of the synagogue. One was missing an arm. Two Polish Jews sat in front of them. One had his place by the partition so that he could stretch…
Child Sacrifice in Relief
Child sacrifice in relief, Pozo Moro, Spain, ca. 500 BCE. The relief shows a two-headed monster receiving offerings in bowls. One bowl holds a child. Because the site shows Phoenician influence, the…
Widows
I was going to publish this novel under another name.
If I sought to hide its true father, it was not because I was ashamed of the son, but because books with my name on them…
Memoirs of a Bootlegger’s Son
“I have a partner for the Point St Charles business,” said Pa.
“A partner! Why a partner?” said Aunt Julia. “Why are you afraid to do anything by yourself? And who is this partner?”
“Henoch,” he told…
Hamsa-like Hand in Khirbet el-Kom (Makkedah) Tomb
This small hand, carved in stone with downward-pointing fingers, was probably apotropaic—that is, meant to protect the person buried in the tomb where it was found. It was carved on a wall between the…
Truth Comes in Blows
I’d known right away that I’d dressed all wrong for the interview, and I sensed even this early that it was becoming a formality. I’d prepared myself to play it in Jack Carter’s cool way. But the imp…
A Tale of Three Wishes
It was quite an adventure. The night was moonless and cool. The children had heard that demons lurk outside, ready to attack those who dare to go out on a dark night. There was also talk of corpses…
The Story of Bruria
“Ma’aseh Bruria,” a group creation compiled from Talmudic and Midrashic sources.
Conceived, originated and researched by: Gabriella…
Coin with Shofar/Falcon
The front of this coin depicts an animal horn, probably a shofar (parallel lines across the horn suggest horns of rams and some other animals). If this is a shofar, it likely signifies praying to God…
Musicians in a Relief from Nineveh
Depicted in a relief from Sennacherib’s Palace in Nineveh, these musicians, followed by an Assyrian soldier, hold stringed instruments against their chests, plucking the strings as they walk. Dressed…
Elephantine Letter (Request about the Rebuilding of the Elephantine Temple)
Elephantine letter, dated to year 17 of King Darius II (November 25, 407 BCE). See Request about the Rebuilding of the Elephantine Temple) and Darius and Xerxes, Kings of Persia. The letter is…