Dear readers,

We choose CROWNS as the topic of the tenth edition of JHOM. The month of Tishrei is the time when Jews proclaim the kingdom of God (a central theme in the Rosh Hashanah liturgy) and — as Martin Buber wrote and taught — advocate the establishment of a kingdom of God, however we understand that to be, in the here and now.

As I think about the word CROWN, I recall my sixth-grade teacher who repeated incessantly: "If you walk like a queen and talk like a queen, you'll be a queen." Our behavior and our speech are what help us walk in God's image and share in His majesty. My teacher was not familiar with Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers), but clearly understood its message:

R. Simeon said: "There are three crowns: the crown of Torah, the crown of priesthood and the crown of kingship. But the crown of a good name excels them all." (Pirkei Avot 4:17)

In this tenth issue of the Jewish Heritage Online Magazine, we read the story of baby Moses reaching for Pharaoh's crown and we learn how the kings of ancient Israel were coronated. We enjoy two exquisite midrashim about crown weaving in the celestial household, and excerpts from an epic medieval poem by Solomon Ibn Gabirol, "The Kingly Crown." Anti-Jewish propaganda in the Middle Ages is also somehow related to crowns, as is the Kabbalists' exploration of God's hidden nature.

We look at "tagin," the crowns affixed to the letters of the Torah and at the crown motif in Jewish art, and enjoy, as always, an analysis of the Hebrew rootwords related to crowns.

JHOM takes this opportunity to wish its readers and their families a year of peace, good health and prosperity.


The Editor.