Maoz Tzur

Maoz Tzur is a Hebrew liturgical poem from the 13th century. It was written after violence from multiple waves of Crusades and blood libels had greatly impacted the old center of Jewish Ashkenazi life in the Rhineland Valley. The poem is written in five stanzas, each describing a different example of the Jewish community being saved from their enemies. The examples include:

• The exodus from Egypt
• The end of Babylonian captivity
• The miracle of Purim
• The Hasmonean victory of Hanukkah

The first letters of the first five stanzas form an acrostic of the composer's name, Mordechai.

Psalms (“Tehillim”), the first book of the section in the Hebrew Bible called Writings, is an anthology of 150 poems attributed to King David and to others.

Isaiah (“Yeshayahu”) is the fifth book of the Prophets and is known for its visions of universal peace and renewal.

Jeremiah (“Yirmiyahu”) is the sixth book of the Prophets, with prophecies from the period leading up to the First Temple’s destruction as the Babylonian empire was on the rise.

Exodus (“Shemot”) is the second book of the Torah, Judaism’s foundational text. It describes the Israelites’ enslavement in Egypt and their miraculous redemption, the beginning of their travels in the wilderness and the experience of Revelation at Mount Sinai.

Judges (“Shoftim”) is the second book of the Prophets, describing the period after Joshua’s leadership and before the advent of monarchy, when Israel lacked long-term centralized leadership. The book details cycles of sin, foreign oppression, repentance, and redemption through leaders appointed by God, like Deborah, Gideon, and Samson.

The Book of Esther is one of the five megillot (scrolls), part of the section of the Hebrew Bible called Writings. It tells the story of Esther, a Jew who becomes queen of Persia and together with her cousin, Mordechai, foils a plot of the evil Haman to destroy the Jews (the Purim story).

Deuteronomy (“Devarim”) is the fifth and last book of the Torah, Judaism’s foundational text, and it consists primarily of Moses’ final speeches ahead of his death.

Song of Songs (“Shir Hashirim”) is one of the five megillot (scrolls), part of the section of the Hebrew Bible called Writings. Attributed in its opening verse to King Solomon, the book records poetic conversations between two lovers, though it is traditionally understood as a metaphor for the loving relationship between God and the people of Israel.

Ecclesiastes (“Kohelet”) is one of the five megillot (scrolls), part of the section of the Hebrew Bible called Writings, and is often read publicly on the holiday of Sukkot. It was composed in Judea/Israel c.900 – c.100 BCE.

Ezekiel (“Yechezkel”) is the seventh book of the Prophets and was composed during the Babylonian exile after the First Temple’s destruction (c.550 – c.450 BCE).

I Chronicles (“Divrei Hayamim Aleph”) is the first half of the last book of the Hebrew Bible. It retells biblical history, beginning with Adam through the beginning of the reign of Solomon, emphasizing the centrality of Jerusalem and the stability of the Davidic dynasty.

Numbers (“Bamidbar”) is the fourth book of the Torah, Judaism’s foundational text. It describes events from 40 years of the Israelites’ wanderings in the desert.

Micah (“Micha”) is one of 12 books of Minor Prophets. Speaking during the First Temple period, the prophet calls for reform in the form of simple and sincere worship.