The Berkowitz Brothers Expedition
Tracing the Spiritual Blueprint of Ashkenaz Through the Rhine Valley
17 May 2026 · Rhine Valley Expedition
The Expedition
Geography
The Flow of Time
The Bishop of Speyer invites Jews to settle, granting them a 'wall' to protect them and extensive rights.
The communities of ShUM were devastated by crusader mobs, leading to acts of martyrdom (Kiddush Hashem).
The Jewish community of Speyer faces the first attack of the Crusader mobs.
The Jews of Worms are massacred. Many choose Kiddush Hashem rather than forced conversion.
The community of Mainz — the greatest of the ShUM cities — is devastated. Hundreds sanctify God's name.
The three communities convene to establish unified legal ordinances (Takkanot ShUM) governing Jewish life across Ashkenaz.
Rabbi Judah the Pious completes his monumental ethical work, shaping the spiritual character of Ashkenazi Jewry for generations.
Jewish communities across the Rhine Valley were accused of poisoning wells and faced widespread persecution and expulsion.
The Great Minds
Geography