Good morning everyone–

Here’s the latest piece from the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Thanks to my daughter for editing the first draft, and the amazing Laura Adkins for making it ready for world-class JTA readers!

Shabbat Shalom,

HMA

Can’t see the link? Try this: https://www.jta.org/2019/03/29/opinion/how-an-italian-earthquake-in-1570-created-the-first-modern-orthodox-jew

The remarkable, amazing story of the glorious Sarajevo Haggadah.

Brief overview of the life and work of Shmuel David Luzzatto (ShaDaL), an important 19th-century Italian-Jewish thinker.

Brief description of the world’s oldest illuminated Hebrew manuscript–and a 700-hundred year mystery, solved recently by a 10-year old boy.

He survived the Ferrara earthquake of 1570, and went on to become the world’s first Modern Orthodox Jew.

Brief overview of the life and work of Rabbi Ovadiah of Bertinoro (Bartenura), best known for his commentary on the Mishnah but also an important communal leader in late 15th-early 16th century Jerusalem. Part VII of the Jews of Italy series.

Hello everyone–here’s a brief historical article for this time of year that appeared in today’s JTA. Thanks to my daughter Raphaela and Laura Adkins at JTA for some amazing editing help. Enjoy in good health!

Friends of Jewish History! I just finished putting together the lecture on Rabbi Ovadia of Bertinoro, known to centuries of Mishnah students as “The Rav” for his crystalline commentary. After doing the research, I have to say I had no idea how courageous he was! I feel very privileged to have the opportunity to speak about his life on Monday night at 7pm, and I hope you will be able to join me in person or online.

Meanwhile, it seems a shame that we haven’t received a sponsor for this lecture! Please consider making a donation to our Jewish History Scholarship Fund, which we use to support our students at Touro College. Send me an email before, say, 5pm on Monday, I’ll be able to add your name to the dedication page, and your generosity will be associated with the life of this incredible thinker and leader as long as there is an Internet. Please don’t forget to let me know if your dedication is in memory of someone or in honor of someone.

A full sponsorship is $500. Partial sponsorships are also welcome! All tax-deductible. Here’s the link:

bit.ly/tourojewishhistory

Thank you!

Good morning friends and students of Jewish history!

Coming from Iroquois Falls, Ontario, I have a hard time understanding why New Yorkers get so energized about a little spring snowfall. I mean, we are well below the average snowfall of 13 inches recorded in my home town in March–and it’s so much warmer than the record cold of -72 degrees Farenheit that Brooklyn might as well be Miami. Nevertheless, the good news is that despite the late opening of Touro College this morning, we are on schedule for the 7pm lecture on Nathan of Rome.

Also, this piece on the Piaseczno Rebbe came out in the Lehrhaus today, great editing by Yehuda Fogel and Mindy Schwartz. I thought it turned out well.

For those of you brave (or Canadian) enough to make it to the lecture–I look forward to seeing you tonight!

HMA

Brief reading of ibn Daud’s description of four Rabbis who left Italy by sea, only to fall prey to pirates. Their survival and eventual redemption, according to the medieval historian, is the reason for the development of Torah learning throughout the Mediterranean basin.