What Do You Remember Today?
Today is the eleventh day of the Hebrew month of Cheshvan, and is the anniversary of a number of sad things.
The most widely known in the religious Jewish world is the yahrzeit (Yiddish for day of death) of Rachel Imeinu (our matriarch Rachel). Rachel died giving birth to Benjamin, and was buried by Jacob in Beit Lechem. More on the ancient and modern history of Rachel's Tomb is found here. Jews have been making pilgrimages to pray at Rachel's Tomb for centuries - except for the years between 1948-1967, when the Jordanians refused to let Jews go there (as they did with the Western Wall during this period). It is considered to be the third holiest site for the Jews, after the Kotel (Western Wall) and Ma'arat HaMachpela (the tomb of the other matriarchs and patriarchs in Hebron).
Today is also the anniversary of Kristalnacht - probably one of the most famous pogroms ever, which happened in November 1938 in Germany and Austria. Nazi thugs broke the windows of Jewish businesses, synagogues were burned, and 30,000 Jews were arrested and transported to concentration camps. This was one of the first major horrors of the Holocaust.
Yitchak Rabin, the then Prime Minister, was killed eleven years ago today. Unfortunately, due to the political overtones of this event, I still don't feel comfortable writing about it. One thing is for sure, though. His death caused untold pain, both for his family and for others.
One day, a lot of tears.
Today is the eleventh day of the Hebrew month of Cheshvan, and is the anniversary of a number of sad things.
The most widely known in the religious Jewish world is the yahrzeit (Yiddish for day of death) of Rachel Imeinu (our matriarch Rachel). Rachel died giving birth to Benjamin, and was buried by Jacob in Beit Lechem. More on the ancient and modern history of Rachel's Tomb is found here. Jews have been making pilgrimages to pray at Rachel's Tomb for centuries - except for the years between 1948-1967, when the Jordanians refused to let Jews go there (as they did with the Western Wall during this period). It is considered to be the third holiest site for the Jews, after the Kotel (Western Wall) and Ma'arat HaMachpela (the tomb of the other matriarchs and patriarchs in Hebron).
Today is also the anniversary of Kristalnacht - probably one of the most famous pogroms ever, which happened in November 1938 in Germany and Austria. Nazi thugs broke the windows of Jewish businesses, synagogues were burned, and 30,000 Jews were arrested and transported to concentration camps. This was one of the first major horrors of the Holocaust.
Yitchak Rabin, the then Prime Minister, was killed eleven years ago today. Unfortunately, due to the political overtones of this event, I still don't feel comfortable writing about it. One thing is for sure, though. His death caused untold pain, both for his family and for others.
One day, a lot of tears.
posted by westbankmama at 6:57 AM
2 Comments:
my thoughts and prayers on this day of tears.
Sometimes it seems as if there are not enough days in the year... too many tragedies, not enough days...
Thank you for reminding all of us on the importance of this day.
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