Comments for Henry Abramson, PhD

Comment on About This Website by Henry Abramson

Henry Abramson — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 10:22:27 +0000

Hello! Thanks for the kind words. Please visit the home page, and scroll down a bit. It’s on the left side.

HMA

Comment on About This Website by Marshal Folstein

Marshal Folstein — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 20:56:53 +0000

Thank you for the lecture. How can I access the archive?
Marshal Folstein

Comment on Benjamin of Tudela: The Wandering Jew by Henry Abramson

Henry Abramson — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 13:43:25 +0000

Thanks for the kind words! I’m pretty sure these last two comments were both written by the same person, but it’s nice to see the videos are appreciated. HMA

Comment on Benjamin of Tudela: The Wandering Jew by allce2013

allce2013 — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 13:32:04 +0000

He is such a great public speaker! He makes history lectures a billion times more interesting even for people who are not too interested in history. He even has a great sense of humor He provides so much information and makes learning much easier since he communicates so well with his audience. Thank you!

Comment on Benjamin of Tudela: The Wandering Jew by Corinne

Corinne — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 13:23:16 +0000

He is such a great public speaker! Definitely worth watching and makes history a billion times more interesting even for people who don’t particularly enjoy history. He provided a lot of great information and even has a great sense of humor thank you for sharing these videos!

Comment on About This Website by Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 00:30:05 +0000

great website. Lots to be learned from here.

Comment on Anan ben David: The Challenge of Karaism by shawnjoelichaa

shawnjoelichaa — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 16:10:41 +0000

I’ve posted a new article to my blog about why Karaites NEED an Anan.

http://wp.me/p2MerI-fl

Comment on Anan ben David: The Challenge of Karaism by Eli'ezer ben Ephraim haKohen

Eli'ezer ben Ephraim haKohen — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 00:14:06 +0000

A more edifying view of this comes from Orthodox Rabbi Joseph Telushkin in his book “Jewish Literacy” wherein on page 167-168 it is stated: “In nineteenth century Russia, the Karaites were officially designated a new religion and where thus spared the czar’s antisemitic legislation (See also Dr. Phillip Miller, “Karaite Separatism in Nineteenth-Century Russia” of Hebrew Union College and Karaites and Dejudaization: A Historical Review of an Endogenous and Exogenous Paradigm (Stockholm Studies in Comparative Religion) by Roman Freund) This change of classification literally saved thousand of Karaite lives [and hundreds of Rabbinic Jews lives by posing as Karaite Jews - See page 125 - History of the Karaites - by Nathan Schur] a century later when Germany invaded the Soviet Union. In one of the most bizzare episodes of the Holocaust – the German authorities asked three Jewish Scholars ( Zelig Kalamovitch, Meir Balaban, an Yitzchak Schipper) whether the Karaites were biologically Jewish. To save the Karaites’ lives, THE THREE SCHOLARS LIED, saying that Karaites were not of Jewish origin.”

This is a complicated issue. Whether or not these Crimean Karaites had biologically Jewish roots (they had long since left Judaism) and formed their own religion adopting Jesus and Mohammud as prophets, they did not hold themselves out to be Jews, see: Don’t Call Us Jews: The Karaites of the Crimea…insist they are not members of the Tribe.” The Jerusalem Report, June 18, 1992.

However, in contrast of the Karaite Jews of Islam. Professor Daniel J. Lasker has written: “An innovative article by W. Brinner has examined the difference in approach to Karaite origins as expressed by Karaites living in Islamic countries (“Karaites of Islam”) and by those living under Christendom (“Karaites of Christendom”). The former stressed their Jewish identity, since it was advantageous to be considered Jewish by Muslims who were tolerant only of “Peoples of the Book” p. 283 The Dead Sea Scrolls in the Historiography and Self-Image of Contemporary Karaites”.

Comment on Anan ben David: The Challenge of Karaism by ELIE LICHAA

ELIE LICHAA — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 07:39:24 +0000

A Jew is a Jew whether born jewish or converted to Judaism. So is a Karaite Jew. Dr. Hillel says the Nazis decided, after inquiry, that “the Karaites are definitely not Jews”. This leads to misunderstanding and confusion of terms such as : religion, race, people ; and also amalgam between the Karaite Jews and some groups (or communities) calling themselves Karaites. The difference is that the faith of the latters is not in conformity with the Karaites’ Principles of Faith ORIGINALLY formulated by Yehuda ben Eliyahu Hadassi in his book Eshkol Hakofer in 1148.

Comment on Anan ben David: The Challenge of Karaism by Zvi

Zvi — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 16:47:23 +0000

My comment was not submitted out of a petty or offensive intent but from an altruistic motive. Most readers do not know what to disregard and that is the real problem, which is not mine.