Today, the third day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei, is the Fast of Gedaliah - a day of fasting and reflection for Jews around the world. Gedaliah ben [the son of] Achikam was appointed some 2,500 years ago by the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar to serve as Jewish governor in Israel. This occurred following the exile of most of the Jewish population and the destruction of the First Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Gedaliah was soon assassinated, however, by a fellow Jew, thus ending Jewish independence in the Holy Land for the next 70 years.