We all have our battles to fight. This one has always been mine and it was reinforced by an event which occurred this month, that being the AJS conference. And once more there was a female speaker expressing her concerns regarding the vicious and vitrolic attacks that are being delivered by Karaites against poor rabbinic Judaism. Funny how a small, barely audible voice, confined to the deepest, darkest corner of the Judaic tapestry can suddenly be seen as a threat that has to be addressed and silenced. Perhaps those like myself are making an impact far greater than we are aware.

During the 1840s, three men played major roles in reshaping the history of the Jewish communites in Russia. Not all were successful but their story deserves to be told. Ross identifies 1839 as the year when the rift between Karaite and Rabbanites became irreparable. He blames it all on one man, Abraham Firkovitch.

The stupour which silenced our voice for 800 years has been lifted and this modern world with its electronic communication permits us to shout from one corner of the globe and within the blink of an eye be heard across the world. These articles concerning my debating the points raised by Dan Ross in his book Acts of Faith are now being read world-wide. What could not be achieved by my ancestors can now be performed with the mere pressing of a button.