Category Archives: The Karaite Press

September 18, 2023 · 12:34 am

Moadim Lesimcha: 5 New Books at The Karaite Press

Get these 5 books for $74 at TheKaraitePress.com

Hello! It has been too long. I actually completely lost my blogging voice. I am not sure whether it is going to come back and if so, in what fashion it will take. But I have not lost my love to preserve and bring to light Karaite literature. Today, I am going to provide a quick overview of five new books available at TheKaraitePress.com. You can buy all five new books for $74.00 at TheKaraitePress.com (just click on any of these titles and add the bundle to your cart).

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Restoring the Crown of the Torah: H’ Aaron ben Elijah’s Keter Torah in the Works

My Copy of Keter Torah

Over the last few weeks, I have been corresponding with some of the leading professors in Karaitica to get a particular Arabic Karaite commentary translated into English. One of these professors explained to me how daunting the task is, and respectfully suggested that I work on H’ Aaron ben Elijah’s Keter Torah (meaning Crown of the Torah), which he described as “the authoritative [Karaite] commentary on the Torah.”

Indeed, the significance of this work cannot be understated: it helped inspire the name of the Keter Torah Karaite synagogue in Ashdod.

The Karaite Press, a project of the Karaite Jews of America, is currently working on an edition of Keter Torah. Today I show you what the project entails and – just in time to start the Torah’s reading of Parashat Devarim – you can get a draft of the commentary on that parasha.

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Filed under Aharon ben Eliyahu, Dr. Gabriel Wasserman, Keter Torah, Nehemia Gordon, The Karaite Press

April 17, 2018 · 6:00 am

The Open Karaite Initiative: Why the KJA Did It

Today, The Karaite Press (a project of the Karaite Jews of America) launches its Open Karaite Initiative. In short, this project will advance access to historical Karaite Jewish literature like never before. The KJA is planning to bring all of its Karaite literature online and make it available for free (with very few use restrictions). And as a show of good faith, The Karaite Press is releasing the fully typeset .pdf of The Palanquin on its site. Did we already mention “for free”?

More details below.

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Filed under James Walker, Open Karaite Initiative, The Karaite Press, The Palanquin, The Sayings of Moshe

September 26, 2017 · 10:25 am

Learning 3: A Karaite Perspective on the High Holidays

How many of these rituals are what the Torah intended?

May you reach the end of the holidays and rejoice for completing them. In case you were not able to join us for the live webinar, my latest learning has been posted to YouTube. And is also embedded below.

In this talk you’ll learn: 1) Whether we are commanded by the Torah’s text to blow a shofar; 2) What the Jewish sages said about the connection between Yom Teruah and Yom Kippur; 3) What are we supposed to do with those “four species”, and 4) what Biblical holiday has Simhath Torah overshadowed.

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Filed under Daniel al-Kumisi, Holidays, Jacob ben Reuben, James Walker, Lithuania, My Talks, Shofar, Solomon ben Aaron, The Karaite Press, The Palanquin, videos, Yefet ben 'Ali, Yom Kippur, Yom Teruah

March 6, 2017 · 6:00 am

Ritual Slaughter, Karaite Meat for Passover, and My Interview with Shohet Travis Wheeler

Almost a year ago, I lost my beloved uncle, Benjamin Pessah, the last Egyptian Karaite Jew actively practicing shehita in the United States. At that time, I made a personal resolution to continue to promote Karaite shehita whenever possible. Last week, the Karaite Jews of America released a new work on Karaite shehita. The work is Ritual Slaughter: A Guide to Modern Karaite Jewish Practice.

Today, I interview Travis Wheeler, the only shohet in the United States to be trained by the Karaite community of Israel. In fact, he was trained by H’ Moshe Firrouz, the Chief Hakham of the Council of Sages. Travis owns Six Star Meat and Poultry and recently released his Passover pricing list.

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Filed under Moshe Firrouz, Passover, Shechita, The Karaite Press, Yaqub al-Qirqisani

January 30, 2017 · 6:00 am

Women on the Fringes: Which Karaite Sages got it Right? (Reader Poll)

Get the 8-Pack of Karaite Fact Cards for Free. Discount Code: FactCards

I was recently having a discussion with a fellow Karaite regarding the various stages of Karaite thought. In brief, he summarized that there were (in his estimation, as well as others) three main periods of Karaite halakhic literature: (i) early; (ii) late; and (iii) very late. Today, I am going to use the example of women and techellet and demonstrate how each of these periods approached this issue.

In my opinion, we can trace the decline of the Karaite movement by looking at the methods these sages employed in explaining our religious conclusions, regardless of whether we agree with the ultimate conclusion itself. At the end, you get to vote who got it right.

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Filed under Aderet Eliyahu, Aharon ben Eliyahu, Elijah Baschyatchi, Eshkol Hakofer, Judah Hadassi, Karaite Fact Cards, Karaite Press, Levi ben Yefet, Royal Attire, The Karaite Press, Women in Karaism, Yaqub al-Qirqisani

January 4, 2017 · 6:00 am

My Interview with Dr. Gabriel Wasserman – Translator of “Royal Attire”

As you now know, I have spent much of my last year in Karaite terms getting The Karaite Press off the ground. Dr. Gabriel Wasserman (PhD, Yeshiva University) has been incredibly instrumental in that process. Not only has he given me guidance on various projects, but he himself has translated the incredibly successful publication Royal Attire: On Karaite and Rabbanite Beliefs.

Today I interview Gabriel about his experience translating Karaite works, and in honor of this interview, The Karaite Press is selling Royal Attire for 20% off for the entire month of January.

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Filed under Aaron ben Joseph, Dr. Gabriel Wasserman, Karaite Press, Karaite Rabbanite Relations, Royal Attire, The Karaite Press