It was on this day in 1852 that poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, author of such poems as “Paul Revere’s Ride,” visited the Jewish cemetery in Newport, Rhode Island. His visit to the centuries-old cemetery inspired him to write a poem about those who were laid to rest there. Here is an excerpt: “How come they […]
It was on this day in 1969 that the remains of 25 members of those who had committed suicide at Masada in the year 73 A.D. were interred at the foot of Masada with full military honors. To most Israelis, the story of Masada is equivalent to what the Alamo is to many Americans; the […]
It was on this day in 1863 that President Abraham Lincoln revoked orders that had been issued by Ulysses S. Grant expelling all Jews from military districts under his command. Grant’s General Order #11 ordered Jews off of their property simply because they were Jews. This was the first time this happened in America. General […]
Tradition says that it was on this day that Moses destroyed the Golden Calf as recorded in Exodus 32: So it was, as soon as he came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing. So Moses’ anger became hot, and he cast the tablets out of his hands and broke them […]
In Judaism, this day is considered a fast day and a day of semi-mourning for the destruction of both Temples. It’s also the believed to be the day that Moses, returning from the top of Mt. Sinai, found the people worshipping the Golden Calf, provoking him to break the tablets of the Law. Considering the […]
According to tradition, it was on this day that Aaron fashioned the Golden Calf. It’s recorded in Exodus 32: Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this […]
According to tradition, it was on this day that Hur, the son of Miriam, died in defense of the faith against those who wanted to build a Golden Calf. This was the same Hur who, along with Aaron, held the hands of Moses in the battle against Amalek. This tradition speaks to the fact that, […]
On this day in 1776, a Jewish plantation owner from South Carolina named Francis Salvador, was killed in a skirmish with British regulars. The reason this is noteworthy is because it’s believed that Salvador was the first Jewish patriot killed in the American Revolution. There would be many more, Jew and non-Jew, who would give […]
It was on this day, in 1906, that the Home Construction Company organized and began to build homes outside of ancient Jaffa. Over time this area would become known as the city of Tel Aviv. In Hebrew, Tel Aviv means the “hill” or “mound of spring.” We could shorten it and say “Spring Hill.” The […]
Since we were speaking of events in Acts 2, yesterday, let’s follow it up with another related thought: what does it mean to be Spirit-filled? Growing up in a Pentecostal church, I thought that being Spirit-filled was all about speaking in tongues and being Pentecostal. For others it means being Charismatic and for some it […]
Have you ever been around somebody who was having a conversation in a language you didn’t understand? As they talked, laughed and enjoyed one another’s company, did it make you feel uncomfortable? Did you wish you could understand what they were saying, especially to know whether or not they were talking about you? Most of […]
It was on this day in 586 B.C. that the king of Judah was overtaken and captured by the Babylonians on the plain in Jericho (Jeremiah 36:4-5). Looking at this from the perspective of the Jewish people, the impossible had happened. Their once great nation and their beautiful capital was reduced to ruins. Their nobles […]
