Is it a Jewish value to yield or to resist?
Chanukah began Tuesday night, December 4th and lasts for eight days. Visit Aish.com's Chanukah site to browse our collection of short films, inspiring essays, family activities, recipes and more.
The El Al security official at the L.A. airport eyed my mother-in-law suspiciously. She couldn't imagine what the problem was. The security official looked hard at my mother-in-law, studied her passport, looked up again at her face, gazed down again at her passport, and finally called over his colleague.
"Look at this woman," he commanded. "Her passport says she is almost 90 years old. Can that be true?"
Like the El Al security official, I have always been perplexed by my mother-in-law, Evelyn. Visiting Jerusalem at the age of 88, she made daily pilgrimages to the Western Wall, trekking up 135 steps. Even while celebrating her 90th birthday this week, she still walks with a bounce in her stride.
Even more mystifying is her universal popularity. Everyone she meets -- no matter how distant from her in age, geography, or background -- adores Evelyn. This includes: her young Persian neighbors; my religious friends; the Hispanic plumber and his wife; the single, ... more »
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Wednesday, December 5
Chanukah Question
by
Jodie A.
on Wed 05 Dec 2007 11:15 PM EST
The Chanukah Candle that Inspired George Washington
by
Jodie A.
on Wed 05 Dec 2007 11:09 PM EST
Given to Reb Given to Rebbetzen Sternberg to type five years ago
by Rabbi Yehuda Mandelcorn zt"l . May this be a blessing and inspirtation for you, in his Memory Chanukah (1775) 5537. A difficult winter. Terrible cold. We are sitting in Valley Forge and waiting. Why? I don’t know. Perhaps for better days than these. I am the only Jew here. Perhaps there are other Jews among us, but I haven’t seen any. We hunger for bread. We have no warm clothing or shoes to protect our feet. Most of the soldiers curse George Washington for going to war against Britain. There are those who hope for his downfall, but I believe that his cause is just. We must expel Britain from America. She wants to put her hands in everything her eyes see. Although we are suffering here terribly, I am loyal with all my heart to George Washington. More than once I see him at night, passing through the camp, between the rows of sleeping soldiers. He gazes with compassion upon the soldiers who are suffering from the cold. And sometimes he approaches one of the sleeping soldiers and covers him, as a father would cover his ... more »
Jewish Festival of Lights Begins
by
Jodie A.
on Wed 05 Dec 2007 11:05 PM EST
By LAURIE COPANS
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israelis lit the first candle of Hanukkah on Tuesday evening to begin the eight-day Jewish festival of lights, one of the country's most popular holidays. Hanukkah, which features presents, jelly-filled doughnuts and potato pancakes, commemorates the rededication of the Jewish Second Temple in Jerusalem in 164 B.C. after its desecration by the Syrian Greeks. According to the story told to Jewish children, when the victorious force of Judah Maccabee tried to rekindle the Temple candelabra, or menorah, they found only one day's worth of olive oil. But tradition says the oil burned for eight days. For many Jewish people, the holiday symbolizes their triumphs against great odds. Observant Jews light the menorah each night to mark the holiday. More than 80 percent of Israeli Jews light candles every night, according to a survey conducted recently by the Motagim polling center. Along with doughnuts, Israeli Jews eat large quantities of potato pancakes as part of the festivities. According to tradition, the pancakes are fried in olive oil, after the oil that lit the temple's candelabra. Ahead of the holiday, Israeli newspapers carried suggestions on how to lose weight gained from all the fried food. Jewish ... more »
Israel Plans New Homes in East Jerusalem
by
Jodie A.
on Wed 05 Dec 2007 11:03 PM EST
By MARK LAVIE
United States Stamp Honoring the Muslim religion
by
Jodie A.
on Wed 05 Dec 2007 10:59 PM EST
by SOPnewswire
Posted December 01, 2007 President George Bush Jr. has signed a bill for the creation of a United States Stamp Honoring the Muslim religion and it will be released nationwide on December 25th, 2007. The U.S. Postal Service issued its Eid stamp commemorating the Muslim holidays Eid al-Fitr (marking the end of Ramadan) and Eid al-Adha (marking the end of the pilgrimage to Mecca) on September 1, 2001 as part of its multicultural Holiday Celebrations series The 911 terrorists were all Muslims and it's such a disgrace our president glorifies a religion that believes all Jews and non-Muslim believers be killed. There is a Muslim sword through the 41-cents mark on the stamp, because the Muslims do not recognize the unholy money of America and the only way they would allow a stamp honoring their religion is to put a Muslim sword through the US monitory symbol the 41-cents marking. Tragedies to remember: REMEMBER the MUSLIM ASSASSIN SIRHAN SIRHAN in 1968 who still lives after depriving us of BOBBIE KENNEDY REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993, REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the Marine Barracks ... more »
Kabbalist Blesses Jones: Now´s the Time to Find Holy Lost Ark
by
Jodie A.
on Wed 05 Dec 2007 10:55 PM EST
The famed archaeologist, the inspiration for the “Indiana Jones” movie series, has spent most of his life searching for the Ark of the Covenant. The ark was the resting place of the Ten Commandments, given to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai, and was hidden just before the destruction of the First Temple.
The Talmud says the Ark is hidden in a secret passage under the Temple Mount. Jones says that the tunnel actually continues 18 miles southward, and that the Ark was brought through the tunnel to its current resting place in the Judean Desert. Throughout the many years of his quest, Jones has been in close contact and under the tutelage of numerous Rabbis and Kabbalists. Extremely knowledgeable in Torah, Talmud and Kabbalah sources dealing with Holy Temple issues, Jones has now received permission from both known and secret Kabbalists to finally uncover the lost ark. Dr. Jones, who divides his time between Texas and Israel, has been here since March 9th ready to finally reveal the Ark. However, he has been waiting for both permission from the mysterious Kabbalist and for project funding to come through. As recently as last month, the rabbi, who only communicates via ... more »
PRESIDENT BUSH TO VISIT ISRAEL IN JANUARY.
by
Jodie A.
on Wed 05 Dec 2007 10:48 PM EST
Historic first -- plus new CIA estimate says Iran has stopped pursuing nuclear weapons. Are they right?
The Beast From UNCLOS: Lex Mercatoria And the "Law of the Sea" Treaty
by
Jodie A.
on Wed 05 Dec 2007 10:31 PM EST
by Gary Stearman
Something of great biblical significance is now being acted out on the world stage. A treaty is in the process of being ratified. It is called the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Once ratified, it will be able to rule on issues usually reserved for the local governments of each individual nation. It will affect national sovereignty, navigation rights, international taxation, the environment and energy production. In the hands of a powerful, unelected few, it could threaten the long tradition of freedom on the high seas — 70 percent of the Earth’s surface. This brings a familiar Bible theme to mind. It is one of the most familiar prophecies in the Bible, a powerful visual image seen and recorded by the Apostle John, as he wrote the book of Revelation. His vision expands upon the book of Daniel, and brings perspective and detail to Daniel’s "fourth beast," which represents the final, global world empire. In Daniel, the beast is placed in the context of the three beasts that precede it. In Revelation, it is given a recognizable form and a source of origin: "And I stood upon the sand of the sea, ... more »
Putin's Landslide Takes Russia Back to the Cold War
by
Publisher
on Wed 05 Dec 2007 09:18 AM AKST
by Robert Maginni
Regensburg, Germany. Vladimir Putin’s political party, United Russia, won a crushing victory in Sunday’s election harvesting 315 of the 450 seats in the state Duma, the Federal Assembly’s lower house. This outcome was widely predicted and now it’s a waiting game to see what it means for Russian democracy, Putin’s future and whether this is the start of a new Cold War. After Putin accepted the mantle of leadership for United Russia, the opposition melted away or was pushed aside by the Kremlin’s acid rhetoric and heavy-handed campaign management. United Russia cast the election as a referendum on Putin’s nearly eight years in office. Their goal was to deliver a big victory, thereby giving Putin the “moral right” to maintain influence after he steps down as president in May. “The vote affirmed the main idea: that Vladimir Putin is the national leader, that the people support his course, and this course will continue,” said Boris Gryzlov, the parliament’s speaker. Russians feel optimistic about their future. “Approximately half the population … believe that tomorrow will be better than today,” says Maria Marskevich of the Russian Academy of Sciences Institute of Sociology. That optimism is based on Putin’s success ... more »
Does the Bible Hold the Missing Key to the Current UFO Debate
by
Publisher
on Wed 05 Dec 2007 09:14 AM AKST
LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas, Dec. 5 /Christian Newswire/ -- Recent
high-profile discussions about UFOs and the call by former pilots and
officials for full government disclosure concerning what is known -- if
aything -- about these strange aerial sightings have people of all
walks of life speculating about the nature and intention of
extra-terrestrial entities.
Among others, Bible scholars have long been intrigued by the weight of historical evidence suggesting unearthly contact by interdimensional beings. Theological discussion on this topic has grown recently due to the increase in sightings of unexplained phenomena. Some believe this may be a sign that the earth is teetering toward an epic event. Shortly before his death in 2005, ABC news anchor, Peter Jennings, narrated an extensive documentary on UFOs. The History Channel, A&E, The National Geographic channel, Discovery and others followed with documentaries on UFO sightings, abductions, visitations, even ghostly apparitions that were recorded in UFO flap areas. Then a well-publicized UFO event occurred in 2006 when a metallic, disc-shaped craft was witnessed hovering over Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. The sighting was important because the witnesses included American Airlines ground personnel, passengers, pilots, and the airport's air traffic controllers. Prophecy expert Terry James believes this ... more »
Highjacking Chanukah
by
Jodie A.
on Wed 05 Dec 2007 12:01 AM EST
Chanukah is the last holiday into which we should be trying to shoehorn unrelated themes.
The holiday hijackers are at it again! First, Passover was transformed from an inspiring commemoration of the birth of the Jewish nation during the Exodus from Egypt into a catch-all festival that celebrates the rights of every afflicted minority and fashionable cause imaginable. Now, it's Chanukah's turn. This year, more groups are again seeking to use the old festival of lights to force feed whatever cultural or political theme appeals to them down the throats of the Jewish public. Some who have jumped on the ecology bandwagon, now so pervasive in American culture, want to reinvent Chanukah as a "green" holiday, in which energy conservation and activism against global warming are foremost in our minds. In fact, the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life and the Jewish Council for Public Affairs want us all to switch to more efficient "compact fluorescent light bulbs" -- though perhaps what they really want is for us to stop displaying those electric Chanukah menorahs in our windows altogether. Saving Oil -- Get it? The notion of using the idea of the Chanukah miracle of the one day's supply ... more » |
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