My regular readers know that I am and always have been a historian. History was my first love, and it sometimes takes you to surprising places.

In the fall of 803 CE, a Frankish army besieged Barcelona, at the time a stronghold of the Ummayad Caliphate. In late October or early November, after a number of days of intense fighting followed by relative quiet, then renewed conflict, the city fell. This is how most historians describe the end of the siege. One relatively obscure scholar, a professor at Columbia University some 70-75 years ago, had a different perspective.

He used classic primary sources from the era of Charlemagne and his heirs, along with several medieval Jewish sources to suggest that much of the army besieging Barcelona was Jewish, was from the semi- autonomous Jewish region around Narbonne, was led by a Jewish ‘Prince’, and during the siege that army halted its activity to celebrate the high holidays. He brings descriptions of these halts, and of the men at arms building huts roofed with rushes and branches. He also noted that the fighting slowed on Shabbat and on festive days. According to this theory, An alliance with the Carolingian kings came when Jewish and Christian residents of Narbonne overwhelmed and overthrew the Ummayad occupiers of the city several years earlier. When the Franks invaded Iberia, the Jews came with them.

I imagine few of you have ever heard of this theory. Perhaps another time I can share some additional information from my own genealogical and primary source research in Jewish texts that seem to support him. But for now, I wanted to highlight one thing.

These Jewish combatants were well versed in their traditions. They built sukkot on the battlefield! They celebrated Shabbat when they could! The incredibly important message I derive from this is that even in the midst of a war; even while we battle our own adversaries on this side of the world; even when the world seems to be a harsher place than we imagined, we can and we must find ways to celebrate our identity. These Jews more than 1200 years ago found a way, even when they were besieging a city.

One of my cousins became a grandfather a few months ago, and this week welcomed his second grandchild, a grandson. We must cherish new life and a new member of Am Yisrael, even as we struggle. For all of us, celebrating Jewish life is what keeps us whole and what makes us happy. Seize every opportunity for joy.

Shabbat Shalom