You are all familiar with the biblical story of Joseph, but did you know that Joseph has a parallel life in the Islamic tradition?

The Koran, Chapter 12, Surat Yusuf, begins with Joseph as a young shepherd, hated by his brothers and goes all the way to his rise to power in Egypt and his reunion with his father, Jacob. Now the stories in the Koran and the Torah are very similar but there are some interesting differences- particularly around the character of Potiphar’s wife.

Now you remember that scene between Joseph and Potiphar’s wife where she tried to seduce him and he ran away and his garment got ripped? In the Koran, Potiphar’s wife, called Al-Aziz’s wife (the Lord’s wife) gets more scenes- three whole scenes. In the Torah, at the end of the garment ripping scene, Joseph ends up in jail. But not in the Koran. In fact, the next day, we go to another scene. In that scene, the women of the town start gossiping about Al-Aziz’s wife as she has fallen in love with a Canaanite slave. Al Aziz’s wife decides to teach them a lesson and invites them to a tea party where she hands out citrus fruits and paring knives. She calls Joseph to serve refreshments and when he walks in, he is so gorgeous that the women nearly faint and cut their hands with the knives instead of the fruit. This teaches them a little humility and gives us a window in to Al Aziz’s wife.

Joseph decides it is not safe for him in the house and he puts himself in jail as a safe haven. Later on, after all the dreams, Pharaoh calls for Joseph from jail and he comes. In the Koran, he refuses to come- why? Because he wants everyone to clean up his reputation.

Pharaoh calls to the women of the town and asks, what did you do to Joseph? The women say, not us, it was Al Aziz’s wife! Al Aziz’s wife comes and she gives a full blown confession- I was guilty, I tried to seduce him. He was pure and saintly and a true prophet of God who did not succumb to temptation at all. I am so sorry.

What’s going on?

In the Torah, Potiphar’s wife serves a very specific purpose- to move Joseph from the house of Potiphar to jail. In the Koran, with the Koran being far more interested in moral themes than telling historical literary tales, Potiphar’s wife becomes the symbols of the person who repents, the evil doer who becomes a good person and so she gets a whole new role.

This story is so rich and interesting that it influences later Jewish stories about Joseph in the Jewish tradition. It also becomes the raw material for Persian mystical poets who turn this story into a romantic epic that is in fact a metaphor for the mystics search and love for the divine. Al Aziz’s wife now gets a name- Zuleika, and Joseph represents God.

In this tale, Zuleika becomes the hero and at the end of her life, after her transformation, she meets Joseph on the road. He is so impressed by her transformation that he offers to grant her a wish. Her wish is to be born again as a young bride so they can finally be together. And in fact, they get married. But, because in this tale, Joseph represents the divine, the union is momentary and then Joseph dissipates into the other realm.

Activities

Materials needed:

1. Microphone.

Story Transmission Activity

This activity is based on the idea that stories can change as they are transmitted orally.

Break into small groups of 5 or 6 and sit in a circle.

Each group starts with the same beginning sentence of a story. One person adds a sentence to the story. Each person, in turn, adds another sentence to the story. Together they build a full story.

Suggested story starters:

• Once, there were twin brothers. One brother was favored by his mother, and the other by his father.
• One day, God looked at the world that He had created and realized that the people that He had created were acting in immoral ways.
• In a town, there was a man who was very kind and charitable but nothing ever went his way. Terrible things kept happening to him.

Reconvene into a large group and have one person from each group share the gist of the story that they have created.

Compare how the stories are similar and how they differ. Did they end up with the same moral to the story or different ones? Why do you think that the storied ended differently? Did each group have a different message that they wanted to express?

Conclusion

The Bible is a foundational text for much of the western world and finds its way, in various forms, into popular culture. Familiarity with Biblical stories helps to understand the new texts.

There is an old Jewish tradition that any document containing God’s name or quotes from religious texts, should be preserved until it is buried in the ground. The Genizah is a place to store these documents, to conceal and hide them away. Some people say that these works, like people, are living things. There is an element of the sacred about them and so, when they die or become worn out, they must be honored and protected.

Walking down the lane in Cairo that leads to the Ben Ezra Synagogue, it seems that very little has changed since it was built in the 9th Century. There is the same hustle and bustle, the noise and smells, the cramped houses and shops… and then you arrive at the iron gates with the Star of David on the top. There is a quiet courtyard and in the middle of this busy neighborhood, it’s as if it prepares you for prayer.

The Genizah of the Ben Ezra Synagogue stored the religious documents and social history of this community for a thousand years. It contained more than 30,000 documents which have been archived in Libraries around the world.

In the National Library of Israel, we have a document from the Cairo Genizah that tells the most astounding story.

It is a letter written in Judeo Arabic that was sent from the Jewish Karait community in Jerusalem to the Karait community in Cairo. It is a plea for help as they try to resolve a communal dispute.

Ibrahim and Suliman both wanted to marry Rivka. The community leaders considered the dilemma and made the decision that Rivka should marry Ibrahim. But she wanted to marry Suliman.

Ibrahim was furious. He said he would kill them both if the marriage went ahead.

The community put Rivka under house arrest and vowed that she would not marry either of them. She was to be concealed, hidden away.

Suliman must have been a desperate man. He found someone who could forge all the signatures that were required for the wedding agreement, the Ketuba, and presented it to the leaders of the community. They realized that the document was forged, banished the forger and wrote this letter for help to the wise leaders of Cairo.

What were they to do?

The Ben Ezra Synagogue was once on the shores of the Nile, not far from where Moses was found in the rushes by a Princess of Egypt.

He had been banished, concealed, hidden away.

Just like Rivka.

Just like the documents in the Genizah.

And what amazing treasure awaits us when we rediscover that which has been hidden.

It is often in the most hidden of places, that we find the richest and most interesting stories.

Materials needed:

• Pens.
• Paper.
• Envelope.

Our Hidden Objects – Relevant for a Small Group

Working in small groups, each participant looks in his/her handbag, pockets, or other places that they might have objects with them. Answer the following questions:

• What objects do you find?
• What do the objects reveal about you?
• What could an archaeologist learn about you from the items?

Ask members of the audience to place their hidden objects in an envelope. This envelope will be sent to the National Library of Israel and will serve as a time capsule- a hidden wealth of stories that will be preserved in the archives for future discovery.

Revealing Our Story- Relevant for a Large Group

What can we “hide” now that will reveal something about you later? Have each member of the group write a short story or anecdote about themselves or about an object that is important to them.

The gathered stories should be placed in an envelope. This envelope will be sent to the National Library of Israel and will serve as a time capsule- a hidden wealth of stories that will be preserved in the archives for future discovery.

Conclusion

Objects that may seem insignificant at the time, reveal much about their owners and the society in which they lived. When discovered much later, they offer fascinating information. The ephemera collection at the National Library of Israel, which contains items such as photographs, postcards, signs, and more, is a powerful tool for reconstructing Jewish culture in previous generations.

Appendix. Who are the Karaites?

Karaite Judaism, begun as early as the eighth century CE, recognizes the Bible (Tanakh) as the supreme authority on Jewish law (Halakhah), as opposed to Rabbinic Judaism which accepts the Oral Law (Talmud, etc). Karaites will consider the insights of the rabbis as expressed in the Oral Law but they don’t consider the rulings as binding. As a result, many differences in practice arise between Karaites and mainstream, Rabbinic Judaism. Some examples include eating meat and milk together as long as the meat is not the child of the animal that produced the milk, not celebrating Rabbinic holidays such as Hanukkah, removing their shoes in synagogue and prostrating themselves, and not requiring a minyan (quorum) for communal prayer. Karaite Judaism was based in Egypt, Turkey and Crimea but since the 1950’s when Jews were expelled from Egypt, the largest Karaite communities are located in Israel and the United States.

They are known as Beta Israel - one of the lost tribes who, for centuries had a dream to return to the promised land. The conditions in Ethiopia were becoming more and more difficult. Famine, political unrest and religious intolerance was making their life almost impossible. The dream began to be realized in the 1970’s and then dramatically accelerated in the 80’s and 90’s.

One of these dramatic events was a seven-week clandestine operation by the Israeli Government to bring them ‘home’. First, they had to make their way to the Sudanese border…many traveling by foot and risking injury, starvation and violence along the way. Then they were kept in refugee camps with harsh conditions where many became ill or died. And finally, they were airlifted, many children without their families, confused and unsure, brought from the desert to the modern land of Israel.

I imagine a little girl. I call her Liya.

She awoke in the dead of night. Her mother was gently shaking her, get up my love get up. We need to go now. She was tired and confused but she was a good girl and she did what she was told. The bags were ready, she put on some clothes, her mother made her wear more layers than usual. And they left.

I wonder what were in those bags?

What do you take when you are forced to leave your home?

When the chance of perishing along the way is no worse than the reality of staying where you are.

When the fear that there will be nothing at the other end of the journey, or that you won’t survive it, is no worse than the fear of waking up in your home and not knowing if you’ll live through the day.

I remember my own experience of having to leave my home. The day of the big fire. At first I thought it was a neighbor, burning some leaves. But the smell was so strong it became hard to breathe, even with the windows closed. When I opened the front door, there was a wall of heat. I ran to the car and escaped through the burning neighborhood. What did I take with me?

Later, I thought about it, nothing mattered to me in that moment - just my loved ones. And getting out before the house burnt down.

I see Liya’s father, the head of the Beta Israel community. The leader of prayer and the keeper of the sacred text, the Oriyt. This text, written in the Ge’ez language, was used by the Ethiopian Communities throughout the region. It contained the five books of Moses and well as the books of Joshua, Judges and Ruth. When he packed those bags, he did not forget this beautiful, centuries old artifact. He wrapped it in a brightly covered fabric and carried it the entire way.

They walked for days and nights. It was too hot and too cold….They had joined others for this journey and they lost many along the way. One day, it was particularly hot and at one stage on the road, her mother said to Liya: close your eyes, don’t look beautiful girl, don’t look. She did what she was told. And walked on, head high, not seeing the images that I imagine. She kept walking, eyes closed, holding her father’s hand, his other hand holding the precious book.

Operation Moses rescued 8,000 Ethiopian Jews and brought them to Israel. There were more than 30 flights that brought 200 people at a time. With them came the most beautiful text of their heritage: the Oriyt. In early 1985 news of this covert Operation was leaked to the media and as a result it because too dangerous to continue. The rest of the Ethiopian Jewish community would have to wait almost a decade before they would make it ‘home’. The Oriyt, made it to the National Library of Israel some years later. There was a festive ceremony to celebrate the presentation of the Oriyt, during which one of the community leaders read from it - maybe just like Liya’s father read from it during the arduous journey from Ethiopia through Sudan and finally to Israel.

What would you take if you had to leave your home?

If war and famine, intolerance and hatred drove you away.

What would you hold so precious that you would carry it forever?

Perhaps it is that which preserves identity, heritage or faith that’s worth carrying - so that it serves as a witness, to tell of the lives of these people, to tell their story.

Materials needed:

1. Microphone
2. Stop watch

Personal Journeys Activity- Good for Large or Small Group

Have the group stand up and begin walking about the room on a “journey.” Have them walk for 10—15 seconds and then have them stop and speak with a fellow “traveler,” whoever is standing closest to them and ask a question for them to discuss together.

Suggested questions to prompt conversation:

• What is the oldest object in your home? Does it have a significant story behind it?
• Do you have an object that went on a journey? Where did it originate?
• What recipe would you take with you if you had to move to another country? Why would you choose that recipe?
• If you were moving, what one object would you be sure to take with you? Why that object? What is its significance?
• Have you been on a journey? Has anyone in your family come from afar?

After 2 or 3 minutes, the moderator signals that it is time to continue on their journey and they again begin circling the room. Ask a new question each time the group rotates.

At the end of the activity, reconvene as one group and ask people to share what they learned on their journey with the group.

Conclusion

Jewish history is filled with travel from place to place. Bringing objects that are important on an individual or group level have helped to make us comfortable in our new lands and have allowed each ethnic group to retain its own traditions and customs. Gathering and sharing these objects, as the National Library of Israel does, helps us to gain an appreciation of other Jewish ethnic groups and pride in our own culture.

Now is a great opportunity to retell what can only be described as the greatest ghost and demon story in the history of Jewish literature.

It comes from the book called Kav HaYashar by Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Kaidanover of the Frankfurt in a chapter in which he explains the dangers of cavorting with demons.

The story goes as follows:

Once, in the town of Posen, a family moved into a large stone home and the basement was off limits. They avoided the basement at all costs until one day, a young man tried to descend to the basement and was found dead on the stairs. From that moment on, the demons from the basement invaded the house, up from the basement and into the kitchen. They would throw dirt in the food and scatter the household good all around the home and wreak havoc on the lives of the residents.

The family called in the exorcist, they called in the Baal Shem, the magical healer of the community and he was simply unable to remove the demons from the house. The demons insisted in fact that they belonged here- that this was their property and that they had a legal real estate claim to this land and that they were not going anywhere and in fact, they were going to sue for their ownership rights of the basement.

Off they went to court- Rabbi’s family, demons, exorcists, and there, the demons could not be seen of course, but they made their voices heard. They told the following story to base their claim that they belonged in the home.

The original owner of the home had been a silversmith. He maintained an ongoing, longtime affair with a beautiful tempting demoness. Children were born from this union, half human, half demon. Eventually, his human wife caught on and one Passover evening, she followed him out to the outhouse to discover that the outhouse had been magically transformed into this beautiful bedroom and she caught her husband in the embrace of his demonic lover. She called in the rabbi and the exorcist and put an end to the affair.

The children of this union came to the man on his deathbed and said you cannot abandon us. You are our father, what will we do once you are gone? They came to an agreement that he would arrange to give after his death ownership of the basement of the home to the demons. This was their claim.

The court deliberated and checked the books and came to the legal conclusion that in fact, there could be no legal claim by the demons to live in this home simply because the proper place for demons is in the garbage heaps and the hills outside the city.

Once the legal decision was passed down. The exorcists returned to the home and were successfully able to remove the demons from the home, bringing the tragic story to an end.

Rabbi Kaidanover tell this story with the explicit goal of warning us about the dangers of demons- female demons in particular. But I have a sneaking suspicion that he enjoyed telling this story a bit more than he let on.

Materials needed:

• Microphone.

Two sides to Every Tale

Assign small groups of 4-6 people a well-known fairy tale. The group should be divided in half and each half should be assigned to a specific character. The group should brainstorm for about 10 minutes on how they would best present the case of their character in defense of their actions.

For example, assign a group the story of Little Red Riding Hood. One side must defend the action of Red Riding Hood and the other must defend the actions of the wolf.

Have each side prepare a short debate and present it before the group. The group can then decide which side of the debate won their case.

Other story options include:

• Hansel and Gretel- the Children v. the Witch<.
• Goldilocks and the Three Bears – Goldilocks v. the Bears.
• If you have a local legend or famous story, feel free to add your own ideas!

Conclusion

There are two sides to every story. Before coming to a conclusion or making a decision, it is important to hear both sides of the story. The villain in a story may not be as bad as you once believed! When you give the other side a chance to share their perspective, you may be surprised to find that there is more to the story than you may have originally understood.