September
1

September is an auspicious month in terms of Jewish
History.  Like most things in the world of Jews, it is a
mixed bag– a combination of the bitter and the sweet. 

Today we mark the anniversary of the start…

August 30

70: According to
Josephus, the day on which the Second Temple was set aflame

500: Having conquered
Italy, Ostrogoth King Theodoric gave the Jews freedom to worship.

526 Death of Theodoric
the Great, king of the Ostrogoths (the eastern Goth…

August 28

388: Magnus
Maximus, an Hispanic usurper to the throne of the western Roman Empire passed
away. During his disputed reign Maximus issued an edict of which censured
Christians at Rome for burning down a Jewish synagogue which was condemned by…

August 23

634:
Umar began his reign as the second Caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate. Umar
overturned the ban on Jews worshipping in Jerusalem. Not only did he clean the
Temple Mount of Filth, he encouraged the formation of Sanhedrin when he invited
“70…

August 22

70: According to
Josephus, Titus began the battering operations against the wall of the Temple
Court 6:4)

634: Abu Bakr, the father-in-law of Mohammed
and first Caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate who was a leader in the “campaign
against the …