Yom Kippur and Sukkot

As we had calculated previously, Yom Kippur begins this evening, and Sukkot begins next Sunday night.  Monday, therefore, is a sabbat.  At our home this coming Sabbath we will be reading Parashat Hazinu (we previously read Netzavim and Vayalekh as separate sabbaths).
Whatever schedule you are on, Simchat Torah will be the second full week of [...]

Rosh Chodesh Tishri: Yom Teruah

Karaite Korner Newsletter #416
New Moon Report
September 2009
Seventh Biblical Month
On Sunday September 20, 2009 the new moon was sighted by observers across Israel. The moon was sighted:
*from Kefar Tavor by Chad and Barbara Peterson and by Dan and Yvonne Olivier at 18:42.
*from Beersheva by Yaron Laluz at 18:51.
*from Ramle by Avi Yefet and Mordechai Chayina at [...]

Rosh Chodesh Elul and the Season of Repentance

Two emails have been received concerning the sighting of the New Moon in Jerusalem for Rosh Chodesh Elul:
Karaite Korner Newsletter #408
New Moon Report
Sixth Biblical Month
Part 1
On Friday August 21, 2009 observers looked for the moon from Jerusalem but did not sight it. Visibility was uncertain this evening. Further sighting reports will be posted as they [...]

Rosh Chodesh Av

Rosh Chodesh Av, the eclipse of July 22nd, and the Fast of Tish B’Av
There was an eclipse of the sun yesterday evening (July 22nd) in the Eastern Hemisphere, not visible in Israel, but visible in Pakistan, parts of India, parts of China and other nearby areas.  Prophetically, these places are known to be enemies of [...]

Rosh Chodesh Tammuz

Karaite Korner Newsletter #392
New Moon Report
June 2009
Fourth Biblical Month
On Tuesday June 23, 2009 the new moon was sighted from Israel. The moon was
first sighted from Jerusalem at 20:14 by Nehemia Gordon and then immediately
thereafter by Joelle Crawshaw, Adam Kinghorn, and Eliyahu Netanel. The moon was
also sighted from Ashdod by Magdi Shamuel at 20:13.
Rosh Chodesh Sameach!
Happy [...]

See, the moon sightings ARE important!

As I have mentioned in the commentaries, it is important to observe Elohim’s Festivals on the correct day that He commands us to observe them.  They are not just commemorations of things past.  They are, as Shaul agree, signposts for the prophetic future on Elohim’s calendar.  It makes it more difficult for us to identify [...]

Rosh Chodesh Sivan

Karaite Korner Newsletter #383
New Moon Report
May 2009
Third Biblical Month
On Monday May 25, 2009 the new moon was sighted from Israel. The moon was first sighted from Jerusalem by David Cachicas at 19:46 and shortly thereafter by Nehemia Gordon, Devorah Gordon, Yehoshua Newman, Joelle Crawshaw, Eli Crawshaw, Rick Busenbark, Aviva Azkerman, Sam Crawshaw and Adam Kinghorn.
The [...]

Rosh Chodesh Iyar

Karaite Korner Newsletter #380
New Moon Report
April 2009
Second Biblical Month
On Sunday April 26, 2009 the new moon was sighted from Israel. The new moon was first sighted:
*at 19:03 from Poriya Ilit by Valerie Knowles;
*at 19:10 from Jerusalem by David Cachicas and shortly thereafter by Nehemia Gordon, Devorah Gordon, and Adam Kinghorn;
*at 19:15 from Ashdod by Magdi [...]

7th Day of Unleavened Bread

Karaite Korner Newsletter #379
Seventh of Assembly
Tonight (Thursday April 16) and tomorrow (Friday April 17) is Shevi’i Atzeret, the Seventh of Assembly, which is the last day of Chag HaMatzot (Feast of Unleavened Bread). The Torah designates this a holy day on which no work may be done. It is also a day of “assembly,” as [...]

Feast of Firstfruits – Omer 1

Karaite Korner Newsletter #378
Counting the Omer
This Sunday April 12, 2009 begins the fifty day counting of the Omer which culminates with Shavuot on May 31. The counting of the Omer can be followed using the convenient chart at:
http://www.karaite-korner.org/omer.shtml
More information on the Feast of Shavuot is available at:
http://www.karaite-korner.org/shavuot.shtml
Nehemia Gordon
Jerusalem, Israel

Rosh Chodesh debate, continued

UPDATE BELOW: Avi ben Mordechai’s thoughts!
Karaite Korner Newsletter #376
New Moon Report
March 2009
First Biblical Month
Part 2
We received reports from observers who sighted the new moon on Friday night, March 27, 2009 (many of them do not use phones on Shabbat, hence the delay). The new moon was sighted:
*from Ashdod by Eli Shamuel and Magdi Shamuel [...]

Rosh Chodesh Nisan and the Spring Festivals

Here is the email received from from Nehemia in Jerusalem:
Karaite Korner Newsletter #375
New Moon Report – March 2009 – First Biblical Month
On Friday March 27, 2009 we did not sight the moon from Jerusalem. The horizon was covered with clouds. The moon would have been visible if there had not been clouds and therefore based [...]

Aviv Found

Karaite Korner Newsletter #373
Aviv Found!
On Thursday March 26, 2009 we found Aviv Barley in two fields in the Jordan Valley, several kilometers south of Beth Shean. Samplings from these plots of barley were between 70% and 90% Aviv or beyond. Much of the barley we found had ripened past the stage of Aviv. Based on [...]

Drought and Aviv

Karaite Korner Newsleter #372
Aviv and Drought
One reader wrote in with the following question:
<<< Dear Nehemiah, Has there ever been record of a drought year in which
there was no barley at all? If so would that mean we should not observe the Passover
nor count the Omer? Shalom Thank you, Karen in California>>>
This is a particularly important [...]

Kindle book offering

Karaite Korner Newsletter #371
Hebrew Yeshua Book Released in Kindle Edition
The Hebrew Yeshua vs. the Greek Jesus is now available in a “Kindle” edition! Kindle is Amazon.com’s “wireless book reader” used for reading e-books which are digital versions of books. The Kindle edition of the book can be purchased from Amazon and then downloaded directly onto [...]

Chag Sameach!

Karaite Korner Newsletter #370
Purim Message
The biblical celebration of Purim begins tonight (March 11) at sunset and continues for forty-eight hours until March 13th at sunset. This corresponds to the 14th and 15th days of the Twelfth biblical month.
The Karaite Korner website has an audio study on the biblical meaning of Purim at:
http://www.karaite-korner.org/audio/
It’s not too late [...]

Leap Years

Karaite Korner Newsletter #368
Aviv Search and Leap Years
Recently I received the following question which I thought it
worthwhile to share:
<<<Has there ever been 2 13 month years in a row and is that a common
occurance?
Rick C—
In Spokane, WA>>>
Presumably Rick is asking this question because last year was a Hebrew
leap year with 13 months and he wants [...]

Aviv Search

Karaite Korner Newsletter #367
Upcoming Aviv Search
The annual Aviv Search will be carried out this year on March 26 and 27, the last two days of the Twelfth biblical month. I thought this year would be a no-brainer since the Twelfth biblical month ends so late in the solar cycle. However, Devorah Gordon and I carried [...]

Rosh Chodesh Adar

Sundown Thursday February 26th begins Rosh Chodesh Adar for those of us here in the US.  The fast of Esther (a daylight fast) is on Wednesday, February 11th, and Purim starts at Sundown that night.
Also, the Aviv search will begin shortly after Purim and we will know within 2 weeks if a leap month will [...]

New Moon Report

Karaite Korner Newsletter #363
New Moon Report
Eleventh Biblical Month
January 2009
On Tuesday January 27, 2009 the new moon was sighted from Israel. The
new moon was first sighted from Jerusalem by Ziw Arieli at 17:25 and a
few seconds later by Nehemia Gordon. Over the next few minutes the
moon was sighted from the same location by Miri Burgin, Johan [...]