Karaite Korner Newsletter #549

New Moon of Aviv Sighted

On Friday March 23, 2012 the new moon was sighted from Israel. The moon was first sighted:
*from Jerusalem at 6:14pm by Nehemia Gordon and shortly thereafter by Keith Johnson and Jocelyn Carabello;
*from Aviel at 6:16pm by Chad and Barbara Peterson and Ephraim Frank;
*from Poriya at 6:20pm by Willie Ondricek and about ten others;
*from Givat Hamoreh by Dina Marcus at 6:22pm and shortly thereafter by Avi Marcus.

Earlier in the day two fields of Aviv barley were located in the Jordan Valley, one north of Marj e-Naja and the other at Tal Malkoach. Yesterday two other fields of Aviv barley were located in the northern Negev. This makes the current new moon Chodesh Ha-Aviv, the new moon of the Aviv, which marks the beginning of the new Hebrew year, in accordance with Deuteronomy 16:1 "Observe the new moon (chodesh) of the Aviv." Chag HaMatzot (the Feast of Unleavened Bread) will begin at sunset on April 6, 2012.

Photos of the Aviv barley found in the Jordan Valley and the new moon sighted from the Mount of Olives are posted at:
https://www.facebook.com/NehemiaGordon

Nehemia Gordon
Jerusalem, Israel