Tuesday, April 19, 2022

May You Invite for Shabbos Someone Who May Desecrate Shabbos to Attend?

May You Invite for Shabbos Someone Who May Desecrate Shabbos to Attend?

A shiur given Chol HaMoed Pesach 5782 (2022) at the Pesach Time Tours Pesach program based on my article on the topic in the Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society.

The article can be found at:

A follow-up exchange on the article is at:

Wednesday, April 06, 2022

Pre-Pesach Halacha Shiur

 Pre-Pesach Halacha Shiur

at Cong. Anshei Palisades in Pomona


Based on פסקים of הג"ר שלמה זלמן אויערבך זצ"ל
and questions from people present at the shiur.


audio file at:

BECHHOFEN, BETHAUS AND BIG APPLE: THE REBIRTH OF A FRANKISH SYNAGOGUE


I'm not sure I ever saw this before (although, since it is from 2007, maybe I did and forgot). The "stars" of the clip are my Uncle Jerry z"l and my father's cousins.

Of course, this video belongs to its creators, I am only sharing it.


During the pogrom night of 1938, the Nazis set fire to the world-famous Bechhofen barn synagogue. A unique testimony of Franconian rural Jewry was destroyed forever. The last Jews had already been expelled from Bechhofen in October 1938. Some were able to emigrate to New York City: among them Jerry, Senta and Gunther Bechhofer. Based on their memories and a reconstruction of the synagogue, it is possible to recreate the Jewish place of worship after the destruction - at least virtually. BECHHOFEN, BETHAUS UND BIG APPLE: DIE WIEDERGEBURT EINER FRÄNKISCHEN SYNAGOGE In der Pogromnacht von 1938 steckten die Nationalsozialisten die weltbekannte Bechhofer Scheunensynagoge in Brand. Ein einzigartiges Zeugnis des fränkischen Landjudentums wurde für immer vernichtet. Bereits im Oktober 1938 waren die letzten Juden aus Bechhofen vertrieben worden. Einige konnten sich z. B. nach New York City in die Emigration retten: darunter Jerry, Senta und Gunther Bechhofer. Anhand ihrer Erinnerungen und einer Rekonstruktion der Synagoge ist es möglich, das jüdische Gotteshaus nach der Zerstörung wieder entstehen zu lassen – zumindest virtuell. JAHR 2007 AUTOR/IN Jim G. Tobias KAMERA Winfried Schuhmann SCHNITT Kurt Keerl TAGS
Bechhofen Brand Landjuden Nationalsozialismus Pogromnacht Synagoge Wiedergeburt