A Hebrew Bible more than 1,000 years old and described as “one of the most important and singular texts in human history” by Richard Austin, global head of books and manuscripts at Sotheby’s auction house, will be on exhibition tour in Israel and the U.S. before it will be auctioned by Sotheby’s in May.

The Hebrew Bible is the foundation of the three Abrahamic faiths: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Scholars have long been aware of the codex named after renowned Judaica collector David Sassoon (1880-1942), but it has remained largely out of public view, Sotheby’s said. It is believed to be the first and most complete codex, or manuscript in book form, of the Hebrew Bible. It was written out by a single scribe on nearly 400 parchment sheets. In the centuries prior to its writing, Jews relied on oral tradition passed down through generations to understand and preserve the message of the Bible. Only portions of biblical texts in scroll form existed prior to the codex; these came to be known as the Dead Sea Scrolls.

After changing hands a few times, the Bible ended up in a synagogue in northeast Syria, which was destroyed in the 13th or 14th century. Then it disappeared for nearly 600 years. In 1929, it appeared for sale in Frankfurt, and was bought by Sassoon for 350 British pounds. The current owner purchased it in 1989. When auctioned, it is expected to be sold for an estimated $30 to $50 million.

A mikvah dating to the 17th or 18th century was discovered in the Polish city of Oświęcim, ironically the site of Auschwitz, the infamous Nazi concentration camp. According to Heritage Daily, Jews first settled in the city in the 1500’s, and numbered about 8,000 at the start of WW. Today, no Jews live there.

Excavation began for the construction of an underground parking garage. Grzegorz Madrzycki, an archaeologist on the project, said that the crew had found a few stairs leading down to a wooden floor, which first appeared to be a fragment of a wooden hut, but after removing successive layers of earth, the structure was identified as a wooden mikvah.

The mikvah was found in excellent condition, due in large part to the natural spring that fed it, preventing fungi from forming

Theatergoers waiting to see the sold-out first preview of a classic Broadway musical were interrupted by neo-Nazis chanting, holding banners and passing out false information about the show’s subject. The group was identified by the musical’s producers as the National Socialist Movement, the largest membership-based neo-Nazi group in the United States, known for “violent antisemitic rhetoric and racist views,” according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

The musical, “Parade,” first appeared on Broadway in 1998 and is being revived at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theater in midtown Manhattan. It tells the true story of Leo Frank, a Jewish factory manager who was falsely accused of murdering a 13-year-old girl named Mary Phagan in Georgia in 1913. After Frank’s sentence was commuted, he was murdered by a lynch mob. The trial, which historians believe included false testimony, and the antisemitic media coverage at the time led to the creation of the Anti-Defamation League, which still exists today.

“‘Parade’ tells an important story of what happens when antisemitism and other kinds of hatred are allowed to grow unchecked,” said Actors Equity Association, the national labor union that represents professional actors and stage managers. “…The presence of antisemitic protestor at their place of work only underlines how important that work is…We condemn the demonstration in the strongest terms.”

The Genesis Prize Selection Committee is departing from its usual custom of awarding the prize to a single Jewish individual. Instead, the committee has announced a collective award to Jewish activists and non-government organizations that were inspired by the citizens of Ukraine and their president, Volodymyr Zelensky, and “chose to act on their Jewish values by standing up for freedom, human dignity and justice,” the committee said.

The Genesis Prize is a $1 million annual prize awarded to Jewish people who have achieved significant professional success, in recognition of their accomplishments, contributions to humanity, and commitment to Jewish values.

In announcing its selection, the committee said, “The past 11 months have been unlike any previous period in the 10-year history of the Genesis Prize. We have witnessed war, destruction, and human suffering on a scale unseen since WWII. Tens of thousands of people have lost their lives; millions have abandoned their homes, jobs, schools and families. As countries neighboring Ukraine became inundated with refugees and faced disruptions to their energy supply, the economic fallout from the war has been felt throughout the world.

“But we have also witnessed human kindness, compassion, and activism on an unprecedented scale. Across the world, thousands of individuals and organizations were moved to action — making a moral choice to volunteer, donate money, shelter refugees, and engage in political advocacy.”

In making its 2023 selection, the committee calls Jews and non-Jews “to get involved in the effort to aid Ukraine’s struggle for independence and help overcome the humanitarian crisis that has resulted from the war.”

U.S. convenience store 7-Eleven opened its first location in Israel, at Dizengoff Center in Tel Aviv, on Jan. 11, with dozens lined up for their first taste of the chain’s iconic Slurpees. An additional eight stores are expected to open in Tel Aviv by the end of 2023, with 30 more slated to operate across the country by 2024.

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 Doug Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris and the first Jewish spouse of a president or vice president, led a White House roundtable of government officials, rabbis, and leaders of advocacy groups on Dec. 7 to discuss the rise of antisemitism here and abroad. He was joined at the event by Susan Rice, President Biden’s domestic policy adviser; Deborah Lipstadt, a special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism; Shelley Greenspan, the White House Jewish liaison; Keisha Lance Bottoms, the director of public engagement; Josh Geltzer, the deputy homeland security adviser; and members of the Anti-Defamation League. “As long as I have this microphone, I’m going to speak out against hate, bigotry, lies,” Mr. Emhoff said. “I’m going to speak out against those who praise fascist murderers and idolize extremists.”