This Thursday is the Fast of the Tenth of Tevet. It commemorates the onset of the siege outside the walls of Jerusalem that led to the destruction of the Holy Temple on the Ninth of Av, 3 years and seven months later.
In our times, it has also become the date to say Kaddish for those martyrs of the Holocaust (and all the others through the centuries) whose date of death is unknown.
The first three articles and the story touch on this latter theme.
The 3rd article is from our translation of a book that reveals Kabbalah secrets aboout the Holy Land.
Articles 4 — 6 are for this week's Torah Reading, the last in the Book of Bereishit (Genesis): Chazak, chazak, v'nit'chazeik!