Dear JHOM readers,

We welcome Spring 2000 with BIRDS as our topic of the month. A favorite symbol in many cultures, the bird in Jewish tradition represents freedom, the soul (which escapes to paradise after death), peace, and God's protection for His people. We take several different angles in this edition of JHOM.com, studying the bird as it appears in: biblical myth and law, prophetic writings, art, legend and folklore, modern prose and poetry, and even in Zionist tales.

We'd like to bring to the attention of our readers our new column, Day-by-Day, which offers a daily teaching from Joseph Telushkin's new book The Book of Jewish Values: A Day-by-day Guide to Ethical Living (published by Bell Tower, member of the Crown Publishing Group). The book combs the Bible, the Talmud, and the whole spectrum of Judaism's sacred writings, giving us a manual on how to lead a decent, kind and honest life in a morally complicated world. JHOM.com will be posting Telushkin's teachings over the course of 365 days. The teachings — pithy, wise and easily accessible — will change daily (except Shabbat), so be sure to visit often.

In our new Personalities section, we feature the mystic Nahman of Bratslav (1772-1810) who lived during the height of the Hasidic movement in Eastern Europe, and who is widely known for his tales. Deceptively simple parables and stories containing many elements of European folklore and fairytale, the tales are read both as literary masterpieces and as profound meditations on the relationship between God and man. The Personalities section was launched two months ago with a feature on Dona Gracia Mendes.

You are welcome, as always, to send free electronic Jewish Heritage greeting cards to family and friends.