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.
The Earliest Extant Minute Books of the Spanish and Portuguese Congregation Shearith Israel in New York, 1728–1786
At a meeting of the Elders and Parnassim this day Mr Heyman Levy paid the fine for refusing serving Parnass Last year, it was at the same time voted by…
The Cry of the Poor Jews of Izmir
We, the poor of Israel, inhabitants of the city of Izmir, may God protect it, slaves of our lord and king, Sultan Abdülmecid, may his name be praised and long live his reign, [are] oppressed and…
Sacrifice of Isaac
Segal’s sculptural representation of the Akedah, the biblical story of Abraham’s near-sacrifice of his son Isaac, raised eyebrows when it was first exhibited. His irreverent depiction of Abraham as a…
Sacrifice of Isaac
Sheep and rams frequently appear in the sculptures of Kadishman, a legacy of time spent as a shepherd in his youth. Sacrifice of Isaac is a reimagining of the biblical story of the Akedah, in which…
The Great Vehicle
The Great Vehicle is one of dozens of wheeled sculptures Rantzer created for “The Zionists,” his 2001 solo exhibition at the Gordon Gallery in Tel Aviv. The overall themes of the show were migration…
Seder mitsvot ha-nashim (The Order of Women’s Commandments): On the Sabbath Eve
Every woman is obligated to kindle lights on the eve of each Sabbath and Festival and this is a great mitzvah. And she makes the blessing, “Blessed are You God, our Lord, King of the universe. Who has…
Ḥemdat yamim (Choicest of Days): On the 15th of Shevat
Even though the fifteenth of the month of Shevat is during the period of shovevim, one does not fast, for it is the New Year’s Day for fruit trees. And with the tikkun [mystical repair] performed on…
‘Ir giborim (City of Heroes)
It is known that in the case of any proper work to be accomplished or any project to be achieved, the essential point is the end goal [תכלית] of the project…
Colophon: Tikune ha-Zohar (Mantua Edition)
The peaceable and faithful in Israel (2 Samuel 20:19), the heads of the exile of Ariel, the same are the mighty men of old, the men of renown (Genesis 6:4), wise men of understanding [see Deuteronomy…
Kol sakhal (Voice of a Fool)
Kol sakhal (Voice of a Fool), a polemical work attacking rabbinic Judaism, has been the subject of many scholarly debates. To this day, its composition and aims remain shrouded in mystery. The author…
They call him Meir
When I heard that Meir the teacher had exchanged his glory for futility, I said:
They call him Meir, but he has no light, for all the lights around him have gone dim.
Indeed, he has a thick cloud…