Page 22 - Jewish News_February-2021

22A February 2021 JEWISH INTEREST

K’zohar Ha-Ivrit Jewish-themed Crossword Puzzle

The megilah – The scroll Your monthly crossword puzzle

By Dr. Rachel Zohar Dulin
his month we will celebrate the region of Israel; galgal, a ‘wheel;’ and megilah) are: Ruth, Shir Ha-shirim theatrical drama. The story is com- is generously brought to you by
joyful holiday of Purim. This the post-Biblical Hebrew noun gilgul, (Song of Songs), Kohelet (Ecclesias- pelling, recording the first incident of
Tholiday was not mentioned in meaning ‘metamorphosis’ and ‘trans- tes), Aicha (Lamentations) and Esther. antisemitism and the successful action
the Torah, but it is based on a story re- migration.’ All five appear at the last part of the to combat it. The heroes Mordechai,
corded in Megilat Esther, namely ‘the We should also mention that in Bible in the section called Writings. Esther and even the king A-chash-ve-
Scroll of Esther,’ which was incorpo- Post-Biblical Hebrew and in Modern Four are read as part of holiday rec- rosh are embraced by the listeners, but
rated into the last part of the Bible. Hebrew there are a few manuscripts itations. Ruth is read on Shavu-ot, Shir the villain Haman is booed throughout
Most scholars date the background that are categorized as megilot. For ex- Ha-shirim on Pesach, Kohelet on Suc- the reading, much to the delight of the
of the Purim events to the days of ample, Ha-Megilot Ha-gnu-zot are the cot and Esther on Purim. The fifth, Ei- audience.
King Xerxes I of ‘hidden scrolls,’ more familiar as The cha, is read on Tish-ah be-Av, the ninth So, as we are about to celebrate
the Persian Em- Dead Sea Scrolls, found in the caves of the month of Av, in remembrance of Purim, let us fulfill the mitzvah of read-
pire (circa 485- of the Judaean desert. A more modern the fall of the Temple in Ye-ru-sha-la- ing the megilah, recalling its uplifting
465 BCE). Some megilah is the one known in Israel as yim. message of awareness and of action
scholars question Megilat Ha-atz-ma-ut, which is the It is interesting to note that tradi- against antisemitism.
the historicity of name of Israel’s Proclamation of Inde- tionally, Megilat Esther is the only me- Dr. Rachel Zohar Dulin is a professor
the text, yet they pendence. gilah out of the five which is still read of biblical literature at Spertus Col-
agree that there When we think of the noun me- in the synagogue from an actual rolled lege in Chicago, and a retired adjunct
are many authen- gilah in terms of the biblical text, we megilah and not from a book. It is usu- professor of Hebrew and Bible at New
tic themes to it. become aware that the biblical books ally encased in a beautifully, ornately College in Sarasota.
Dr. Rachel Dulin As such, the sto- and the stories therein were original- decorated case and is read like a short
ry is a historical novella. This novel- ly written on long parchments, which
la, like most of the biblical texts, was were rolled along during the process of
written traditionally on a parchment, a writing. Eventually, each manuscript FED
scroll called a megilah in Hebrew. ended as a scroll, a megilah. In the Bi-
The word megilah is derived ble, most manuscripts are called sefer, we are
from the verb galal, meaning ‘to roll.’ meaning ‘book,’ even though they were
Other familiar words derived from the written on scrolls. However, five of the JFEDSRQ.ORG
same verb are, gal, namely ‘waive;’ manuscripts retain the name megilah,
Galil, the name of the hilly northern or ‘scroll.’ The five megilot, (Pl. of Educating Jewish Minds Engaging Jewish Lives Enriching Jewish Hearts

FEBRUARY THEME: FICTION

Monday, February 8 at 10:30am

Susan Jane Gilman
PEOPLE OF THE BOOK

Donna Has Left the Building
Donna Koczynski, a wife, mother, former punk rocker and recovering “2020: Not All Bad” by Yoni Glatt, koshercrosswords@gmail.com
alcoholic, sets off on an epic road trip to reclaim everything she believes
she has sacrificed: great friendship, passionate love and her art. It’s an Across
unforgettable tale about spiritual awakening and what it really means to 1. 2020 (Jewish) World Series winner Pederson
Author Lecture Series love in today’s big, broken, beautiful world. 4. Some MIT degs.
7. Israel normalized relations with this country
in 2020, with 19-Across
Featuring 25 Tuesday, February 9 at 2:00pm 13. Son-gun connector
14. Partner of Paul, once
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through June 2021 A Bend in the Stars crosswords
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This World War I-era novel is a heart-pounding journey of a brilliant 19. See 7-Across
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offers an account of one of modern science’s greatest races, along with 24. Israel normalized relations with this
Events are $10 each per an epic love story. country in 2020
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household or $18 for all Wednesday, February 10 at 7:00pm country in 2020
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four February events. 33. Be a nudnik
Meg Waite Clayton 35. “Brave New World” intoxicant
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The Last Train to London 38. “___ Synagoge” (Essen cultural center)
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40. Israeli-made weapons
Based on true events, The Last Train to London tells the story of a
For a complete schedule Dutchwoman who, working with British and Austrian Jews, faces down 41. Kudrow and Bonet
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Vienna.
discoveries in 2020
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and book synopses, visit Thursday, February 11 at 2:00pm 48. Old curtain material: Abbr.
50. Where Saints have been mostly dominant
jfedsrq.org/books. Lynda Cohen Loigman in 2020: Abbr.
51. Simple, but good advice for 2020
57. Doom who was a foe of Conan
The Wartime Sisters 58. Israel Museum to The Western Wall dir.
59. Kosher animal rarely on a menu
Authors appearing in the Two estranged sisters are reunited at the Springfield Armory in the early 61. Islamic bigwig
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the Book are members of the Armory campus as an officer’s wife, the other arrives as a war widow. 63. Kosher animal often on a menu (but with a
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Jewish Book Council Network. Resentment festers between the two, and secrets are shattered when a 64. Israel normalized relations with this
mysterious figure from the past reemerges in their lives.
country in 2020