Middle Ages
Lesson plan by Zion Ozeri and Josh Feinberg

Cairo Geniza Collection, Cambridge University, London, UK, 2019 © Zion Ozeri

Look closely at this image:

• Describe what you see. If this item looks old to you, describe what you see that makes it look old.
• What do you notice about the writing? What assumptions or conclusions might you draw about this object?
• Where do you think you might find an object like this?
• Why might someone want to preserve or to hold on to an old object like this? Why not throw it away? What types of old objects would you (or do you) like to hold on to?

This manuscript piece is one of about 400,000 written fragments that were found in the Cairo Geniza. A Geniza is a storeroom for sacred Hebrew books that are no longer usable. Rather than toss or destroy old books and manuscripts containing Gods name, Jews traditionally put them in a Geniza or bury them in the ground out of respect.

Cairo was a center of Jewish life and learning for centuries during the Middle Ages. When the contents of the Cairo Geniza were first examined in the late 19thcentury, it was found to hold more than a millenniums worth of documents from the Cairo Jewish community and across the Jewish world. Among the most significant papers found in the Geniza were writings by the great medieval Rabbi Moses ben Maimon (known as Maimonides or the Rambam), who lived in Cairo during the late 12th century.

Learn more about the Cairo Geniza and the Jews of Cairo here:
Cairo Genizah - University of Cambridge

The Cairo Geniza also included letters and other documents sent from Jews around the world during the Middle Ages  including Jews living in the Land of Israel  reporting on events, seeking advice, and asking questions about Jewish law and practice.

Take a look at this document from about 1100 CE that was found in the Geniza:
Cairo Genizah : Letter - Cambridge

It was sent by the leaders of the Jewish community of Ashkelon, in the Land of Israel, who were in Egypt at the time seeking help for their community. Christian European Crusaders had invaded the land and conquered Jerusalem. The Jewish residents of Ashkelon faced an influx of refugees and were forced to pay heavy ransoms to gain the release of Jewish captives and holy texts.

Click on the Translation tab on the website to read the first two paragraphs of the letter.

• How do the writers describe the challenges faced by their community?
• The second paragraph describes the help provided by the honourable sheikh Abu l-Fadl Sahl son of Yusha son of Shaya, an agent of the Sultan. How did he help? What does his assistance suggest about relationships among different groups at the time?
• What happened to those who remained in the hands of the Franks (Christian Crusaders from what is now France)?
• Why do you think the writers of this letter were seeking help from the Jewish community of Egypt?
• Have you ever been asked to help Jews in other parts of the world? Do you feel a special need or pull to help other Jews? Why or why not?

Learn more about the Crusades here:

The Crusades - Jewish Virtual Library
How the Crusades Affected Medieval Jews in Europe and Palestine | My Jewish Learning

Follow-up activities:

• Research communities or populations in Israel that need assistance today. Identify one group or organization that youd like to help. What kind of help do they need? How can you best assist them? Start a drive to raise funds or other supplies for their aid.
• Think about what we can learn about life in the Middle Ages from the many texts uncovered in the Cairo Geniza. What types of texts or objects today would tell future historians about your life and experience as Jews? Create a time capsule for people in the future to discover so they can understand what life was like for you. Each student can only include one item  what will you choose?
• The text above describes different kinds of interactions between communities and religious groups in the Middle Ages  some friendly, others antagonistic or even violent. Think about the different communities in your own home town. Take a series of photographs that reflect the coming together of different communities or cultures. Do your photos reflect positive relationships, negative dynamics, potential for growth and change? Do your photographs present your own community in new or unexpected ways?