tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56810628423203055352024-03-13T14:18:03.729+02:00Life in the Holy LandIsraelguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316444693186886139noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681062842320305535.post-81171895717722919342016-12-05T10:20:00.003+02:002016-12-07T04:28:36.398+02:00Zeidie Jack ob”m<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]-->Tonight, the 6<sup>th</sup> of Kislev, is the 38<sup>th</sup>
Yahrtzeit of my grandfather ob”m, Jack Weiss (Yaakov Yoel). Finally, after all
these many years, I am taking the time to write about my Zeidie.<br />
<br />
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First and foremost, all my memories of Zeidie are very much
intertwined with my memories of Bobby, Shirley (Chana Sarah), his beloved wife
of 47 years who passed away almost 20 years after he did. The reason for that
is that for most of the 19 years that Zeidie knew me, they were always at each other’s
side. If I had to encapsulate in one single word the impression that I had
growing up of the relationship between my Bobby and Zeidie, that word would be
dedication.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dedication to each other
with no end. And selfless dedication to the family.</div>
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<br /></div>
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My Zeidie immigrated to the United States from Hungary with
his family as a teenager in 1920. His father had already arrived alone before
WWI and was living on the Lower East Side in New York.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He became a painter (not the Artist type) or
like he would say, a “shmearer”, just like his father.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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My Zeidie would marry his first cousin, American born
Shirley Weiss, when he was already 28 years old. My Zeidie might possibly be
the first “American Baal Tshuva” I ever met, long, long before the term became
familiar. You see, Isadore (Yitzchak Isaac), his father, was not observant. But
Isadore’s brother, Yaakov Yoel (Shirley’s father) very much was. Very, very
much.<br />
<br />
Yaakov Yoel was serving in the Hungarian army as an interpreter when he
overheard how all the Jewish soldiers were going to be sent to the Front.
Taking that as his cue, and with the blessings of the Munkatcher Rav, he
emigrated alone to the United States in 1904, sending funds later on to bring
over his wife as well.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Back in the early 20<sup>th</sup> Century, when the United
States was referred to as the “Goldeneh Medina” with its streets paved with
gold, many Jews threw off the yoke of observance. “America is different” was
often stated by these many Jewish immigrants arriving on American shores from
the Old Country, Europe.</div>
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But not Yaakov Yoel. He was from the few that even decided,
even in America, to keep his beard, something that was not especially in vogue
back then (although I hear that it’s making a comeback in Brooklyn today! A man
ahead of his times).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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And it was to his Uncle Yaakov Yoel that my Zeidie was drawn
to. Although Isadore and Yaakov Yoel maintained good relations, contact between
the cousins was restricted. But still, my Zeidie was willing to make a lifelong
commitment to Jewish Orthodox observance in order to gain the hand of his
beloved Shirley.</div>
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And committed he was. Whatever it took, he would make sure
that his children received a proper Jewish education even if it meant painting
the school building to pay off the tuition. At a time when sending your child
to Yeshiva was not in vogue.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Committed. Dedicated. To his family. To his Faith. And most
of all, to the love of his life, his beloved wife Shirley. A simple Jew.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Zeidie painted everything; buildings, bridges, you name it.
And it took a heavy toll on his health. The “famous” family story about him was
how he was once hospitalized enclosed within an oxygen tent suffering from the
paint fumes he inhaled regularly. The prognosis was not good. My father ob”m
was a teenager at the time. Seeing his father in that state, my Father assured
his father that if anything should happen he would step in to support the
family.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My Zeidie would have nothing of the sort. “This won’t kill
me” he told his son. “You leaving Yeshiva would.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The personal relationship with my Zeidie was for the most
part a long distance one. He lived in Far Rockaway, New York and I lived in
Miami Beach, Florida. I also enjoyed the status of being his oldest grandson.
His visits to Florida (via train! They avoided Air Travel) were special treats
as were our summer road trips from Florida to visit both sets of grandparents
living in New York.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fortunately, I enjoyed four especially close years with them
when I studied in Brooklyn, New York during my High School stint there. I would
sometimes enjoy a cozy Shabbat in their modest Far Rockaway apartment, walking
ever so slowly together with him, sometimes in the freezing winter, to daven in
one of the local Shuls. He wouldn’t complain about the pain he suffered as he
walked, again due to all his years working as a painter. In fact I never, ever
heard him complain about anything.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And most of all, as he sat in his recliner after dinner, I
enjoyed his retelling of stories of my father during his youth.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And even the times when I didn’t make it out to Far Rockaway
for a Shabbat, he would make the long drive (of course together with Bobby!) to
Brooklyn in order to visit me and to deliver to me my favorite, tomato and
mayonnaise sandwiches!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And then (like all Zeidies and Bobbys) they moved down to
Miami Beach. He even once loaned me his beloved automobile to take a road trip
to New York with some friends. I never had the heart to tell him that we broke
down one god forsaken night in North Carolina and replaced the water radiator.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As a teenager, having an elderly grandfather around made me
nervous. What would I do if something happened to him while I was around? Would
I know what to do?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That was the impetus to learn CPR. And sure enough, one year
after receiving it, I had the opportunity to use it on an elderly gentleman who
suffered a heart attack in front of my father’s bakery on Washington Avenue. I
saved a life. But that’s another story.</div>
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So Zeidie moved down to Florida, and I moved to New York.
Three months after I moved to New York my Zeidie died. I came back to Florida
until the end of my father’s shiva and returned back to New York to continue my
studies, eventually receiving Rabbinical ordination, just like my own father.</div>
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Eight years later, almost to the day, my 4<sup>th</sup> child
would be born and be named after my Zeidie, Yaakov Yoel. 29 years later he
would name his 4<sup>th</sup> child after my father Meshulom ob”m.</div>
Israelguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316444693186886139noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681062842320305535.post-74335514032423676912014-07-13T14:09:00.002+03:002014-07-13T14:09:36.761+03:00The Summer that Isn't<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Well, unless you have recently returned from some extra-terrestrial journey, you are probably well aware of the present goings on here in the Holy Land of Israel. Many of you have expressed your concerns which is deeply appreciated. I assure you that albeit a bit shaken, we are all alive and well and continuing on with our daily lives, as best as possible considering the situation. Because of your concern, I am writing to describe our own personal experience during this time.</span><br />
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First of all, I have no work this week, hence the time to sit down and write this message to you. Thank G-d I enjoy a good reputation in the world of tour guiding in Israel which keeps me busy most of the time. One aspect of our business here is to grab all work you can when it comes your way, because you never know when those opportunities will suddenly dry up.</div>
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It's actually a good sign of sorts that I received a few cancellations due to the present security situation. Fortunately it means that I am busy to begin with! Cancellations obviously don't have much of an impact on Tour guides who aren't working to begin with. So I have this full week to spend with the kids, change some light bulbs in the house and other stuff like that. I am scheduled to begin a 10 day Birthright group arriving from London next Sunday. And so far it remains a go. So a little breather beforehand is a good thing.</div>
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The Summer season got off to a really lousy start with the kidnappings and murder of three Israeli teens on their way home. Then was the rioting and now of course the sirens and rockets.</div>
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The kids are in summer camp, and all their camp trips have been cancelled. That's a bummer. And on Thursday, we saw a rocket fall just to the side of the road while on our way home. That was scary. One day we'll all be able to laugh about it. Not just yet. And the tourists I was guiding last week in Jerusalem did not in any way enjoy seeking shelter when sirens went off. But we still managed to enjoy a great time.</div>
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So here is the bottom line. This is already our 12th summer since making aliyah. When we arrived in 2003 suicide bombing was all the rampage here. Those were the days of Saddam Hussein, buses being blown up and gas masks. And who can forget Lebanon war number 2 in 2006.</div>
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And still, life goes on. Let me give you a for instance. At the end of the school year, a special end of the year program was organized by the school. It was an opportunity for the school to show off the accomplishments of the students, not the academic accomplishments but the result of the extra-curriculum stuff sponsored by the school, stuff like taekwondo and dance.</div>
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We had both a first and fifth grader performing, Menucha and Nechama. Honestly, Ellie was not looking forward to sitting through another stretched out school program (in Hebrew!) without my company (I was busy at work), but ...</div>
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What Ellie saw made such an impact on her. The kids were great. The dancing was spectacular. But two things made the greatest impression on her.</div>
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First, that the school should invest so heavily in programs that truly round out the educational experience for the children. Who can even begin to imagine what the cost for these type of programs would be back in the States. And here it is something offered as part of the school program. Very, very impressive.</div>
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But was even more impressive was that a child with Downs Syndrome, who back in the States would have been "Sinai'd, resource room'd, labeled, etc was totally accepted by her classmates (and the system!), participating in the dance just like any other of her classmates. Of course it meant extra effort on behalf of the school and on behalf of the teacher. But they made it happen. It was one of the most beautiful sights you could ever imagine seeing in your life.</div>
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And it happened here. Don't be fooled by all that stuff you are being fed on CNN or whoever. Despite the challenges we have here, and there are plenty, they still do not take away from the quality of life we and our children and grandchildren enjoy here.</div>
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And that is exactly the reason why me made Aliyah, and exactly the reason why we are here to stay.</div>
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All our love. Thank you for your blessings. Be safe.</div>
Israelguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316444693186886139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681062842320305535.post-55228696591582226492013-12-17T09:18:00.000+02:002013-12-17T09:20:32.651+02:00Parent Teachers MeetingsUgh! Last night I attended another Parent Teachers meeting. Don't get me wrong. All the reports I received were positive. Except from the Sports teacher! But we'll get back to that later.
The thing is, I have children already in their 30's! So yes, I also have a first and fifth grader, but shouldn't I get a pass on these meetings! I mean, almost 30 years of Parents Teachers meetings! It's inhuman !!!!
And it's not necessarily because of all the waiting involved. You arrive on time for your 6:00 appointment only to find out that 5:20 (if you're lucky!) just entered. And of course 5:50 grabs 20 minutes of meeting time instead of the allotted 10. And that's just one teacher you need to meet!!!
No. That's not what's so torturous. The underlying reason for the great discomfort we experience at these meetings is our unconscious awareness that it is not our children that the teachers are reporting on. Nooooooooooo. If that was the case, then fine. The bitter truth is that we are sitting there in judgement! The teacher is judging US! What kind of parent are you that your child sometimes doesn't complete their homework assignment!
As we squirm uncomfortably in those small seats and hear the teacher's report, all we can think to ourselves is "Where did I go wrong?". Maybe it's in my spouse's genes! Why can't my child be like goody two shoes Johnny from down the street, always on good behavior, studious and helpful around the house!
Fortunately, the reports I received last night were good (except for that minor thing with my first grader cheating on a math test). Except from the Sports teacher.
"Your child is lazy". The Sports teacher! Give me a break!
Israelguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316444693186886139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681062842320305535.post-45827699247961831532011-05-10T10:15:00.001+03:002011-05-10T10:28:10.728+03:00Book Review<div><object style="width:420px;height:293px" ><param name="movie" value="http://static.issuu.com/webembed/viewers/style1/v1/IssuuViewer.swf?mode=embed&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Flight%2Flayout.xml&showFlipBtn=true&pageNumber=38&documentId=110508165747-a87721f8056240b08fd2c9fbfa277c23&docName=201105&username=JewishVoice&loadingInfoText=Jewish%20Voice%20and%20Opinion%20May%202011&et=1305012335507&er=10" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"/><param name="menu" value="false"/><embed src="http://static.issuu.com/webembed/viewers/style1/v1/IssuuViewer.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" menu="false" style="width:420px;height:293px" flashvars="mode=embed&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Flight%2Flayout.xml&showFlipBtn=true&pageNumber=38&documentId=110508165747-a87721f8056240b08fd2c9fbfa277c23&docName=201105&username=JewishVoice&loadingInfoText=Jewish%20Voice%20and%20Opinion%20May%202011&et=1305012335507&er=10" /></object><div style="width:420px;text-align:left;"><a href="http://issuu.com/JewishVoice/docs/201105?mode=embed&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Flight%2Flayout.xml&showFlipBtn=true&pageNumber=38" target="_blank">Open publication</a> - Free <a href="http://issuu.com" target="_blank">publishing</a> - <a href="http://issuu.com/search?q=dershowitz" target="_blank">More dershowitz</a></div></div>Israelguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316444693186886139noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681062842320305535.post-36994749373225372302011-03-21T05:06:00.000+02:002011-03-21T05:06:21.560+02:00Trip to Israel - June 2010 Slideshow & Video<a href="http://tripwow.tripadvisor.com/tripwow/ta-0114-98ae-5c7f?at=1">Trip to Israel - June 2010 Slideshow & Video</a>: "TripAdvisor™ TripWow ★ Trip to Israel - June 2010 Slideshow ★ to Chicago, Safed and Tel Aviv. Stunning free travel slideshows on TripAdvisor"Israelguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316444693186886139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681062842320305535.post-548417119656217612010-03-18T12:43:00.004+02:002010-03-18T13:54:32.521+02:00Like a Hamster on his exercise wheelDid you ever have one of those days when you feel just like that hamster running so fast on his little exercise wheel without really getting anywhere? Well, that was the type of morning I had. I guess it shouldn't have come as any surprise. After all, I was visiting a government office.<br /><br />Last week I had the pleasure of waiting an hour at the tax office for something I really didn't need, only to find out that I was at the wrong place and that I needed to be at a different office in Jerusalem to get the thing I really didn't need.<br /><br />Today my meeting was at the Absorption Ministry, a place I hadn't visited in a quite awhile. Now I remember why. This is where new immigrants learn very, very quickly about Israeli bureaucracy.<br /><br />Two weeks ago, totally out of the blue, they phoned me to tell me that I was eligible for a 1,200 sheqel grant (about $325 - a days work)to subsidize the "taxi" driving course I took last year (which I took so that I could legally drive tourists around). I was pleasantly surprised by the call. I had been told previously that I had already received my quota of grants. But hey, who was I to argue!<br /><br />The only thing was that I needed to set up a meeting immediately in order to bring in all the necessary paperwork. Easy enough.<br /><br />And so I arrive 15 minutes early to my 9AM appointment today. I knock on the door. No response. I wait. Fifteen minutes later the door opens and (we'll use an alias) Ms. A asks me who I am, I tell her and she tells me that this will take an hour (an hour!)and to please come into her office and wait for her. After a few moments she returns and asks me for the reason for my visit and after I respond she says she has no recall of having ever called me (she phoned me twice, once to try to change the time of the appointment), but she does remember exactly what she told me to bring. So far so good.<br /><br />Then she starts going through my paperwork. Nothing is good. She doesn't like the school's letterhead where I took the course. It doesn't look professional enough. (As if the file where it will be kept for eternity really cares). She doesn't like the syllabus - not enough details. She doesn't like the copy of the school's license. In short, she doesn't like anything. When she tells me that she doesn't have all day for this, I kindly remind her that she has an hour. She needs to speak with her supervisor. I chuckle to myself and tell her that I will definitely be writing about this experience. She is not amused.<br /><br />She leaves the room for a few minutes and upon her return she says says that we will try our best. I suspect that her computer's internet connection is a dial-up modem. Each individual letter she types takes about 22 seconds for the computer to register. She spends a lot of time trying to figure out the code numbers for the responses I give to her inquiries. And when she finds out that I'm a tour guide, I suddenly become her best friend and she has about 45 minutes of questions regarding different locations around the country she would like to visit.<br /><br />By now a line of people has formed outside the door with people waiting to have their turn. Some poor lady comes in just to get a letter which states that she doesn't receive any assistance. My clerk explains to her that she is tied up with me.<br /><br />After an hour and a half I am informed that I will need to return with my wife in order to update our checking account information. Wipeedoo! Another visit to the office! I can hardly wait.<br /><br />I walk back to my car only to find out that my quick park meter has malfunctioned and so now I have a 100 sheqel parking ticket to contend with.<br /><br />And five minutes later they call me from the Absorption Ministry to apologize. It seems that after all, I am not eligible for the grant and only because the regular person was out sick did I mistakenly receive the call to come in.<br /><br />Well, at least now there is no need for me to return with my wife. At least for now.Israelguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316444693186886139noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681062842320305535.post-90339663789516542362010-02-17T08:25:00.004+02:002010-02-17T16:10:08.321+02:00Happy Birthday ShmulieTonight (the 4th of Adar) I celebrate my 51st birthday. And so in honor of this most auspicious event, I wish my youngest brother Shmulie a very happy birthday with whom I share this occasion with.<br /><br />Now I know what you're thinking. Big deal. So you share a birthday with a sibling. I mean after all, there are fifteen of you! Inevitably two of you are going to share the same birth date. So what's the big deal? OK. So it took 22 years for it to happen. Still, there are only so many days in a year to begin with.<br /><br />The truth is, the odds of the two of us sharing the exact same birth date is quite low. Here I quote Wikipedia: "Because of the roughly eleven-day difference between twelve lunar months and one solar year, the year lengths of the Hebrew calendar vary in a repeating 19-year Metonic cycle of 235 lunar months, with an intercalary lunar month added according to defined rules every two or three years, for a total of 7 times per 19 years."<br /><br />Simply put, the Hebrew calendar enjoys 7 leap years during every 19 year cycle, by adding an extra month at the end of the winter. (Why couldn't they have given us an extra month of summer instead? Go figure.)And so 7 times every 19 years we have an Adar I followed by an Adar II. And both my brother and I were both born in leap years, on the exact same date, 22 years apart, on the 4th of Adar I. If there are any mathematicians out there in cyberworld reading this, I would love to know what the odds are of that happening.<br /><br />But here's the clincher. I am blessed to be the oldest of 15 children. (Yes. One dad with one mom - till 120. No twins. The hard way. 4 daughters, 11 sons.) Shmulie is the youngest. We are the so-to-say the "book-ends" of our family. Pretty cool - huh? I think so.<br /><br />Now I'll be perfectly honest. I barely know my brother Shmulie. When he was born in Miami Beach I was already living in New York, one year away from my wedding. Shmulie will be 29 and my oldest daughter Tova will very soon be 28. I guess my relationship with Shmulie is more of an uncle - nephew one than a brother - brother one. I live in Israel, Shmulie with his family in California. It's been quite a while since we've seen each other. I'm not making excuses (or maybe I am) but that's just the reality. Facebook can do just so much.<br /><br />Nevertheless, I truly believe that in addition to our connection to each other as siblings, our shared birth dates reveal a deep connection between the two of us.<br /><br />I was named after my mother's grandfather who thank G-d emigrated from Hungary before WW II - before the Nazi (modern day Amalek) invasion. My Great-grandmother probably gets the credit for that decision to leave. Her husband actually preferred Hungary to the United States, but they had the foresight to see the writing on the wall and left good 'ol Hungary while you still could.<br /><br />But the forbear of my name would be Mordechai of Purim fame. The very joyous holiday of Purim is celebrated this month as well, on the 14th of Adar (15th in Jerusalem). Mordechai, although from the Tribe of Benjamin, is referred to as a "Yehudi" which typically meant coming from the tribe of Judah or the area of Judea. And so what we have here is a member of the Children of Israel being called a Jew in the Tanach (the Book of Esther) for the very first time. One one hand he is a Jew living in exile, in Persia, after the destruction of the First Temple by the Babylonians back in 586 BCE, but living just prior to the end of that 70 year exile when (thanks to his help - and Esther's) the Persian empire ultimately encourages the return of the "Jews" back to their land to rebuild the Second Temple. Cool. Most don't heed the call - not cool. As someone who only recently made aliyah, I relate.<br /><br />The final verse in the Megilah (Book of Esther) which we read (twice) on Purim says it best; "For Mordechai the Jew was viceroy to King Achashverush - he was a great man among the Jews, and found favor with the multitude of his brethren - he sought the good of his people and spoke for the welfare of all his seed".<br /><br />Whew! If only after 120 years I could live up to that! (Well, thanks to my parents I certainly have a multitude of brethren!)<br /><br />My brother Shmulie was named after Rabbi Shmuel of Lubavitch (b. 1834 - d. 1882) (the Rebbe Maharash) who was the 4th "Lubavitcher Rebbe" of the Chabad Lubavitch chasidic movement, the 7th son of the 3rd Lubavitcher Rebbe. A most famous aphorism of his is "The world says, 'If you can't crawl under, climb over.' But I say, Lechatchilah Ariber--'At the outset, one should climb over.'" Another is "You cannot fool G-d; ultimately, you cannot fool others either. The only one you can fool is yourself. And to fool a fool is no great achievement." (Not to be confused with another famous quote of that same era "You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time." attributed to Abraham Lincoln 16th president of US<br />(b. 1809 - d. 1865).<br /><br />The forbear of my brother's name is one of the greats of Jewish history; "Shmuel Ha'navi" - Samuel the Prophet. Shmuel Hanavi enjoys the distinction of having anointed both the very fist King of Israel - Saul and his "successor" King David over 3,000 years ago. (The tomb of Samuel the Prophet, located just outside of Jerusalem, is one of my very favorite spots to visit in Israel).<br /><br />In Jewish thought, a very important theme is the deep connection which exists between the very beginnings of something with its very end. Man/woman is the last of all creation, but only because all of creation preceding is for their sake. We have all been placed in this world with our own particular mission to fulfill during our limited years here on this earth. That is the ultimate purpose of "The Beginning" - creation.<br /><br />Shmuel Hanavi and Mordechai Ha'Yehudi share a number of common factors. Women (like our own mother) played an extremely important role in their lives. Shmuel Hanavi's mother, Chana, was extremely distressed over being childess (like our own mother). Prior to Shmuel's birth, Chana dedicated her first born child to a life long service of G-d. The first 10 verses of the book of Shmuel I ch. 2 records her song of praise to G-d for answering her petition. According to the Zohar "There were two women who uttered songs and praises to the Holy One, Blessed is He, such as no man in the world ever uttered. Who were they? Devorah and Chana."<br /><br />The all important woman in Mordechai's life was none other than Esther. And in the Talmud it states: "Who were the seven prophetesses? Sarah, Miriam, Devorah, Chana, A'veegayil, Huldah, and Esther."<br /><br />That's common denominator number one.<br /><br />Furthermore, both Mordechai and Shmuel lived in times just before the building of the Temple in Jerusalem; the first Temple "the House of David" would be built by King Solomon, David's son after the time of Shmuel and the Second Temple would be built soon after the story of Purim.<br /><br />More connections can be made between the two. Both were beloved by their people; "All of Israel, from Dan to Beer-sheva, knew that Shmuel was faithful as a prophet to Hashem". And the most obvious connection has to do with the Holiday of Purim itself. King Saul of the tribe of Benjamin will lose his Kingship for failing to destroy Amalek as G-d had commanded him to do so. It will be the prophet Shmuel who (albeit not in time) finishes the job meant for King Saul; beheading King Agag of Amalek. Hundreds of years later, when Amalek again rears its ugly head in the guise of Haman (progeny of Agag's final night's stand) who seeks to utterly annihilate the Jewish people, it will be our hero Mordechai (and Esther) - "Jews" from the tribe of Benjamin - who get it right this time and bring about the demise of Haman - Amalek and his family.<br /><br />I guess I could continue on and discuss the significance of the nummber 22 - the amount of years which separate the birthdays of Shmulie and myself (We always recite psalm 22 just before beginning the first psalm for the 4th of the month - our birthdate) but I'll leave that for others to ponder.<br /><br />And so happy birthday Shmulie. I love you. Our namesakes have given us a lot to live up to, but thank G-d we are part of a family that has provided us with the tools necessary to be successful in all of our endeavors.<br /><br />On behalf of Shmulie and myself, thank you Mommy and Daddy. This is our birthdays gift to you.<br /><br />We love you.<br /><br />Mordechai "Ha'Yehudi" Ha'Yisra'eliIsraelguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316444693186886139noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681062842320305535.post-8036297615454466752009-12-10T10:08:00.003+02:002009-12-10T10:14:03.412+02:00L'Chaim!THE JEWISH VOICE<br />AND OPINION<br />Promoting Classical Judaism<br />December 2009 Vol. 23 • No. 3 Kislev 5770<br /><br />Israel Planning Its Own National Wine Route for Tourists<br /><br />Rabbi Mordechai Weiss, the former head of Friends of Lubavitch of Bergen County who now resides with his wife, Ellie, and their family in Mitzpe Yericho, is convinced he has the best job in the world. As a licensed Israeli tour guide, he is always meeting new people and “enjoying a great time with them.”<br />“At the same time, I have the opportunity to see Israel as if for the very first time, through another person’s eyes,” he said.<br />This past summer, prompted by the three-day annual wine festival at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, Rabbi Weiss said his thoughts turned to visits to Israel’s wonderful wineries.<br /><br />Major Industry<br />The festival featured wines from 33 different Israeli wine¬makers. <br />In all, Israel boasts more than 250 wineries. Together, they manufacture 33 million bottles annually. Of these, 150 are so-called boutique wineries that produce fewer than 100,000 bottles a year. Ninety percent of these smaller wineries were built in the last 15-20 years.<br />The Israeli wine industry is a $224 million business, employing thousands of workers in the vineyards, cellars, and offices.<br /><br />Throughout the Country<br />“Our wineries are dispersed throughout the country, making it easy to put them on the itinerary,” said Rabbi Weiss, pointing out that there are wineries in the immediate area around Jerusalem as well as to the south, north, and west of the city. <br />“Up north, in the Galilee and the Golan, the list of wineries to visit is practically endless,” he said. “But you can also tour wineries in the Judean Mountains and the Negev. Each place has its own particular wineries and all of them should prove interesting to tourists looking for something different.”<br />Two recent additions to the wine route are the Psagot Winery just north of Jerusalem and the Adir Winery located in Dalton near Safed. Both Wineries boast great wine and beautiful new visitors centers to enjoy the wine tastings on your visit there. At the Adir Winery, an additional bonus is the opportunity to taste the goat cheese and yoghurt ice cream which they also produce on the premises of their dairy.<br />The maturation of Israel’s wine industry in recent years has led the Tourism Ministry to consider developing an Israeli wine route, similar to the ones found in the Napa Valley in California or the Stellenbosch district in South Africa.<br /><br />Good for Tourism<br />Rabbi Weiss is convinced that promotion of such a route would be a draw for international tourists in addition to helping develop local businesses.<br />Last month, Israeli Tour¬ism Minister Stas Misezhnikov visited the Carmel Winery in Zichron Ya’acov, and came to the same conclusion reached by Rabbi Weiss. Mr. Misezhnikov said that after visiting the town and the surrounding area to learn more about the wine industry and its tourism potential, he was sufficiently impressed to call for a plan to implement the idea of a national wine route.<br />Zichron Ya’acov is located 22 miles south of Haifa and just 15 minutes north of Caesarea. Nestled at the southern end of the Carmel mountain range, overlooking the Mediterranean, it was one of the first Jewish settlements in Palestine. It was founded in 1882 by Baron Edmond James de Rothschild and named in honor of his father.<br />Rabbi Weiss said Zichron Ya’acov, with its wineries dating back to the 19th century as well as high-tech 21st-century models, is the perfect place to open a wine route.<br />“There are big commercial wineries like Carmel next to boutique family-owned micro-wineries,” he said.<br /><br />Becoming Popular<br />According to Rabbi Weiss, wine tours are becoming popu¬lar in Israel and he is one of the country’s tour operators who offers such tours of Israel’s wine regions to interested individuals and groups.<br />“The differences between the various wineries and the personalities of the vintners make the tours informative and interesting. In each area, you really get a local feel, and the winemakers reflect that,” he said.<br />In addition to offering wine tastings, many wineries offer tourists the opportunity to en¬joy superb dining.<br />“There are all sort of wineries, ranging from rustic to high-tech modern facilities. When you combine the wine with quality food, you are in for a really great time,” said Rabbi Weiss.<br /><br />Off the Beaten Track<br />Wine tours often take visitors well off the beaten track, away from the established ho¬tel regions on the coast and in Jerusalem. That can mean finding local bed-and-breakfast options, which is when a tour guide can come in handy.<br />“It’s also good to have a driver if the tourist intends to spend the day sipping wine,” says Rabbi Weiss.<br />According to the Tourism Ministry, the new wine route will provide maps for bike and walking tours as well.<br /><br />Not Just for Kiddush<br />Israel’s wineries seem quite ready to accommodate a new influx of tourists bound for a national wine route.<br />Adam Montifiore, development director for Carmel Wineries, said his company’s transformation symbolizes the change in the Israeli wine<br />industry as a whole. Once a producer of a limited range of staple wines, used mostly for Jewish rituals and holidays, Carmel now operates five kosher wineries across the country, each with distinct features and characteristics.<br />Aside from its two 120-year-old wineries in Rishon Lezion and Zichron Ya’acov, Carmel also owns a state-of-the-art boutique winery near Arad, a five-year-old winery in the Upper Galilee, and an experimental micro-winery, also in Zichron Ya’akov.<br />“Israel is no longer a producer of mostly sweet kosher wines just for kiddush. It is gaining a reputation for mature wines enjoyed by sophisticated drinkers. Fortunately, many of them are still kosher,” said Rabbi Weiss.<br />In Zichron Ya’acov, Carmel recently opened a new wine culture center, an upscale ver¬sion of a winery visitor center, where guests are treated to a 90-minute wine workshop and extensive tasting, led by an Italian-trained sommelier.<br /><br />5,000-Year-Old Story<br />According to Rabbi Weiss, a wine tour can be either the main purpose of a week-long visit or a fun day-trip for a family looking to spend time outdoors.<br />“Whichever you decide, a trip to a kosher winery is always a fun experience,” he said.<br />For more information, Rabbi Weiss can be reached in Israel at 201-353-7946, or by email, rabbiguide@gmail.com.<br />“Learning about the history of Israeli kosher wine manufacturing means delving into a 5,000-year-old story. It’s an¬other way of experiencing this very special place in the world. And, besides wherever there is a developed wine culture, good food can’t be far away,” he says.<br />S.L.R.<br /><br />http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com/pdf/200912.pdfIsraelguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316444693186886139noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681062842320305535.post-90357467567684034332009-11-19T11:14:00.000+02:002009-11-19T11:15:34.713+02:00The Best Job in the WorldReprinted from The AACI Jerusalem Voice<br /><br />My very good friend Yehuda likes to tell me every so often that in order to "make it" in Israel, one needs to be extremely flexible when it comes to employment. Meaning, you can expect a couple of curves thrown at you after you make aliyah, and if you want to succeed, you better be ready to do something for a living that might not have been in your original plans.<br /><br />I am fifty years old. Throughout my life I have been blessed with many great teachers, starting with my own father. In my teenage years I took it for granted that one day I too would be a teacher, just like my father. And so it was, but not as a school teacher.<br /><br />My first gig as a teacher was volunteering one hour per week to teach basic Judaism to a group of elementary age children who attended public school. It was the only religious instruction they received. It was then that I learned that a good teacher gains more from his students than the students from him. Another fringe benefit of the job was that my boss introduced me to his sister-in-law, my wife to be.<br /><br />Before our first year of marriage was up, we had settled down in Teaneck, New Jersey with our first child, where we would spend the next 21 years. I was hired by Chabad to serve as their Director of Educational Activities. With no building to call our own, I started giving Adult Education classes out our small two bedroom apartment along with the other community programs I organized. Eventually my boss would make aliyah and I would replace him as the Executive Director, building Teaneck's first Chabad House and opening up many more Chabad Centers around Bergen County, New Jersey. All during this time, my wife was busy at my side, raising our children, serving as the Rebbetzin and as a pre-school assistant at the local Jewish Day School. It was a great, great run.<br /><br />Our oldest child made aliyah with her newlywed husband in the summer of 2000. In July of 2003 we all followed suit. The initial plan was for me to sort of continue what I was already doing and what I was pretty good at; fundraising. After two years, the dynamics at work changed and it was time for me to move on. But what to do?<br /><br />It was then that I saw an advertisement in the newspaper for a Tour guide course which was to be given in English. When I had taken my brother around the country he had said that I would make a great guide. And so with my father-in-law's encouragement, and financial help, I took the plunge. The up-side was that the two years of the course was one of the best times in my life; New friends, outstanding teachers. The down-side was pretty much being unemployed for two years. Ouch!<br /><br />But I did it. I also took the course for the special drivers license you need to transport tourists. And so now I have the best job in the world. I am teaching again, and the Land of Israel is my textbook. I'm teaching, but I'm constantly learning. I spend my time with some of the nicest people you could ever meet. People from back home in the States, from foreign countries, College students, young kids, seniors, Jews, Gentiles, all different types of professionals. You name it.<br /><br />Each morning when I leave my house, the classroom will be different. Every day is another trip. And I am thoroughly enjoying the journey.Israelguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316444693186886139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681062842320305535.post-72382700444005402112009-07-22T15:05:00.001+03:002009-07-23T09:40:58.398+03:00To Laugh and to Cry<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pmsnXL2LXs0/SmgF7uohEdI/AAAAAAAAACE/uxmWC_B55Pc/s1600-h/Weiss+at+Shalom+al+Yisrael.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pmsnXL2LXs0/SmgF7uohEdI/AAAAAAAAACE/uxmWC_B55Pc/s320/Weiss+at+Shalom+al+Yisrael.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361541880072966610" /></a><br />Today is the first day of the Hebrew month of Av – Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av – which catapults us into the saddest period of time on the Jewish calendar. It was on the 9th day of Av in the year 70 when the exile of the Jewish nation began with the destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem by the Romans. All the many years of suffering, the inquisitions, the pogroms, the Holocaust, are traced back to that one single event, that one single day. It is a day marked by fasting and mourning.<br /><br />If in the month of Adar, when the holiday of Purim is celebrated, we increase our joy, then in the month of Av we are to minimize our joy. In an interesting play on words we are taught that the way to minimize the effects of Av is by being joyous.<br /><br />Today I experienced both. Joy and mourning.<br /><br />Today I visited Jericho. Believe me, that's no small feat for an Israeli citizen. After the Six Day War in 1967 to visit Jericho was no big deal. For many it was simply the quiet Arab village one passed through when travelling north via the Jordan Valley. It was also a particularly popular location for archaeologists who have unearthed the remains of over 20 successive settlements dating back thousands and thousands of years.<br /><br />It is also to the Jews that the city of Jericho is so important. It is mentioned over 70 times in the Torah. It is the key to the Land of Israel, the very first city in the land conquered by Joshua after having spent 40 years wandering in the desert with the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob after their enslavement in Egypt. Who isn't familiar with the story of the crumbling walls of Jericho? Both Prophets Elijah and Elisha are here, as well as King Zedekiah at the tail end of the First Temple period who is captured in the area. Hundreds of years later the Hasmoneans as well as King Herod will be here too.<br /><br />Sometime between the 5th to 8th centuries the "Shalom al Yisrael" (Peace upon Israel) synagogue was constructed in Jericho. The synagogue contained a mosaic on the floor with drawings of the Ark and Menorah of the Holy Temple as well as a Shofar, Lulav and the inscription "Shalom al Yisrael". After 1967, the ancient synagogue was used regularly for prayers. Later on, a Yeshiva was developed in the place.<br /><br />On May 13, 1994 Israel withdrew from Jericho. According to the Oslo Accords, Israel and the Palestinian Authority agreed to keep free access to the synagogue and to defend it properly. In September of 2000, the building was desecrated and set fire to.<br /><br />That's where I went this morning to pray. Under very heavy guard by the IDF, permission is being granted for monthly prayer visits to the "Shalom al Yisrael" synagogue in honor of Rosh Chodesh – the first day of the new month. Rosh Chodesh is a festive day. It's about renewal. Having the opportunity to pray in this ancient synagogue in this ancient city gave me great joy. It was in fact the very, very first time in my entire life that I had ever visited Jericho, let alone pray there!<br /><br />But the circumstances can make one cry.<br /><br />We are told that the saddest day of the year will one day be transformed into a day of celebration, that in the destruction there is already the seed of redemption. I would like to think that the place I call home today epitomizes that idea of being located somewhere between the depths of Jericho, the lowest city on earth, and the spiritual heights of Jerusalem.<br /><br />Rabbi Mordechai Weiss lives with his family in the Judean Desert community of Mitzpe Yericho, Israel which overlooks the city of Jericho. He served as a community Rabbi in Bergen County, New Jersey for more than two decades. He is a licensed tour guide. rabbiguide@gmail.comIsraelguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316444693186886139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681062842320305535.post-4074322648745239992009-04-19T09:58:00.002+03:002009-04-19T10:05:43.148+03:00Israeli Bus DriversAs a tour guide, and as an Israeli who utilizes the bus system pretty regularly (we haven't owned a car since September), I quite often have the "opportunity" to interact with what we lovingly refer to here in Israel as the "nahag", or more simply, "the driver", or more specifically the (Israeli) bus driver. Taxi drivers are a category all unto themselves ("accidentally" taking the longer route to "avoid the traffic" (an impossibility) or overcharging you), but an Israeli bus driver …<br /><br />I decided to write about this because of an incident which happened last week during the Pesach holiday as my 16 year old daughter Bat-sheva was making her way down south towards the Dead Sea by bus.<br /><br />It seems that the bus driver had accidentally passed by one of his stops and it was only kilometers later that a passenger who needed to get off at the missed stop brought it to the driver's attention. <br /><br />Now with Israeli bus drivers, as with people in general, but even more so, you never know what kind of reaction you're going to get from the driver. Listen. Bus drivers are taxed to the limit, and then some. Number one. Their passengers are Israeli. Need I say more? Number two. They are constantly being asked all kinds of questions regarding every single bus route in the country, they are busy giving change and selling tickets, they are fighting the traffic and dealing with an overcrowded bus with passengers arguing among themselves. Oh, and don't forget that all through this they are supposed to keep an eye out for suicide bombers. A dream job!<br /><br />So sometimes your bus driver will simply refuse to drop you off at your designated stop, or sometimes he'll be especially kind and make a stop for you at an "unofficial" stop. You never know.<br /><br />Anyway, getting back to my daughter's story. After the passenger told the driver that he had missed her stop, the driver pulled the bus over to the side of the road, got out of the bus, and for twenty minutes stood out on the highway with his finger stuck out trying to find a "hitch" for the passenger! Finally a police car stopped and they took the passenger back to their correct stop.<br /><br />What a country!<br /><br />A few of our major appliances are on the blink. Our freezer is out of commission and even worse (much worse) the washing machine broke down two weeks ago. The repair man has been out to visit us twice so far, but with the holidays … Anyway, with a house filled with kids and guests, you can almost imagine the "ba-la-gan" (mess) that not having the machine has created. The repair people now say Tuesday … We can only hope.<br /><br />But in true Israeli hospitality, all of our neighbors have graciously opened their homes to us to use their own machines. One neighbor even insists on washing, drying, folding and delivering our laundry back to us! (Remember, we have no car.) But that's how it is where we live; neighbors knocking on your door for some milk and eggs, and you yelling out your kitchen window for some zucchini for the chicken soup.<br /><br />Life on the Yishuv.<br />And so last week I finally had my knee arthroscopy. I was given an epidural, so I was able to watch the procedure on the computer screen as the surgeon did his work. Wow! I had the procedure done at Hadassah (Mount Scopus). The surgeon was great and I am, baruch Hashem, feeling great.<br /><br />We enjoyed a wonderful Pesach, our 5th since making aliyah. (Just 7 days. Still feels weird). Again we participated in the catered communal meal on the Shabbat before Pesach. A life saver! Our married daughter Chaya with Joel spent the entire Pesach with us, as did Yaakov, Mazal and our grandson Uriel Tzion (They stayed on for a few extra days). The kids did some hikes, nearby and further away, and also found some time to go bowling. Ellie even found a few hours one day just to sit and relax in the sun. The weather has been pretty nice, except for the huge sandstorm that hit us full blast Wednesday night. Whew!!!<br /><br />In another two weeks I begin a pretty full schedule of guiding. I'm pretty much booked up into July (including a 13 day Birthright trip), baruch Hashem, although I have not heard yet from the Pope and Obama who will be visiting here soon. So in the meantime I'm catching up on my writing (Isratimes), waiting for the publication of my book (September?), laying off the blackberry but spending time on Facebook with my Birthright alumni, and preparing a talk on time management for the Refuah Institute in Jerusalem.<br /><br />The kids are back in school and Ellie is back to work, but before you know it will be more vacation days (Yom Ha'atzmaut, Lag Baomer), Shavuot (Ellie will be joining me in Jerusalem with a Birthright group), school graduations (Mendel into High School, Shimon into Junior High, Nechama into first grade) and birthdays! (Menucha Rachel 2, Shimon 12). Still another year until Menucha begins pre-school. Getting her to wear her eyeglasses continues to be a struggle.<br /><br />We are still looking for tenants to rent out the apartment we renovated a few months ago. Hopefully soon. We got to see a lot of the family just before Pesach at a family wedding. A son of my brother Yosef got married. The kids had a ball. And it's real nice seeing all the construction going on in my neighborhood. Bunch of new homes going up. Wonderful.<br /><br />And so I took this family from Chicago down to the Dead Sea before Pesach. On the way, traffic was stopped for about a half hour for a suspicious object to be removed from the road. And at Masada we got held up while we watched a daring rescue operation as a rope was lowered down from the cable car to recue a tourist who had slid down the snake path up to Masada.<br /><br />Now this was stuff my tour guide course did not prepare me for.<br /><br />Stay in touch. All our love.<br /><br />MordechaiIsraelguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316444693186886139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681062842320305535.post-1625267947820360792009-02-12T14:39:00.001+02:002009-02-12T14:39:47.991+02:00#50So as I was surfing my BlackBerry this morning and reading all the nice birthday greetings which were sent to me via Facebook (including the operating system of Facebook itself!) I imagined what it must have been like 50 years ago today when I was born. Was my father surfing his blackberry too checking out all those mazal tov greetings to him? Oh yeah! Back then a blackberry was a wild fruit and a smile came across your face when you read a good book. Thank G-d for progress. The world is such a better place. And by the way, how come Lincoln got a new penny for his birthday and I didn't even get an agurah? My beard is just as long as his!<br /> <br />All is well. Tuesday was a national holiday here in Israel. Election Day. No wonder they have elections so often here. You get a paid vacation day every time there's another election! No wonder so many people are hoping coalition talks fail and then there will be another day off... I mean election. This is a really great country. I was given 33 choices at the voting booth. 33! So Jewish. Sort of like living in a community with 300 families ... and 12 synagouges. (My place.)<br /> <br />I've been busy guiding. Had a great time with the students from Swathmore here on Birthright. Enjoyed a most meaningful time with a group visiting Sderot and its environs. In another week I'll be guiding a Federation mission from Houston, and then after Purim another Birthright group.<br /> <br />My latest learning curve here has been trying to navigate the Israeli tax system. And each time I think that I'm getting close to getting a handle on it ... WHAM!!!! I find out about another agency ... form .... regulation .... don't ask! Baruch Hashem.Israelguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316444693186886139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681062842320305535.post-70290615548935179942009-01-02T09:38:00.005+02:002009-01-02T09:53:42.760+02:00Chanukah Travel<ul><br /><li><a href=http://issuu.com/shiurtimes/docs/issue24-dec2008/35?mode=embed&documentId=081216121200-676f6f06d3644392ac28638e3774cd7c>Shiur Times</a></li><br /></ul><br /><br />(Maccabees I, Chapter 6, verses 32-46)<br /><br />When writing about different locations associated with Chanukah, some obvious places would be Modiin, where the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid Greeks all began, and Jerusalem. Alternatively, one could write about the different battle sites such as Wadi Haramia, near modern day Ma'ale Levona, Beth Horon, Emmaus or Beth Zur north of Hebron, Adasa or Elasa near Ramallah. For your enjoyment, I have decided to write about a battle site which did not have a happy ending for the Jewish rebels— the Battle of Beth-Zechariah located just outside Alon Shvut in Gush Etzion.<br />In 164 BCE, Yehuda HaMaccabee (Judah the Maccabee) defeated the Syrian Greeks at the Battle of Beth Zur, and restored the Beit Hamikdash in Jerusalem. However, Seleucid forces still controlled the Acra, a strong fortress within the city that faced Har HaBayit (the Temple Mount) which served as a symbol to remind the Jews that their land was still occupied [by the Greeks]. Two years later, in 162 BCE, Yehuda HaMaccabee laid siege to the fortress. The Syrian Greeks then took the field against the Maccabean army.<br />With an army of about 50,000 infantry and thirty war elephants, along with cavalry and chariots, the Greeks approached Jerusalem from the south and besieged Beth-Zur eighteen miles from the city. Yehuda HaMaccabee lifted his own siege on The Acra, and led his army south. The Jewish force of about 20,000 positioned itself on the high ground across the road to Jerusalem — directly in the path of the Syrian-Seleucid army.<br />After the Syrian Greeks captured Beth-Zur, they then marched on to Beth-Zechariah. Yehuda HaMaccabee used traditional field tactics and fought the Syrians in their own fashion. The result was a defeat for the Jews.<br />The war elephants unnerved Yehuda’s troops. As the Jews began to break for the rear, the Maccabee's younger brother, Elazar, attempted to show his fellow men that the elephants were vulnerable. Charging into the mouth of the Syrian assault, he spotted a large elephant bearing the royal seal. Elazar cast himself under the animal and thrust his sword into its soft belly. The elephant died immediately and fell onto Elazar, killing him.<br />Today you can visit the settlement of Elazar located in Gush Etzion just across from Efrat. The site of the Maccabean battle where elazar the Maccabbee was crushed by an elephant is located nearby in Hirbet El Zachariah. A wonderful place to visit there is the Path of the Patriarchs which runs between Rosh Tzurim and Neve Daniel. <br />In all probability, the Romans built on this existing path that has been around for many generations earlier. This is the most logical path to take according to the landscape of the region. The book of Braishit is filled with stories about the forefathers walking between Beer Sheva and Nablus. This would be the path they travelled on. Abraham and Sarah walk from Nablus passing Bet El and then southwards on this path.<br /><br />And then there is the story of the binding of Isaac, where Abraham takes his son and they travel three days from Beer Sheva to ‘that place’, the Temple Mount. On the beginning of the third day, they are able to see ‘that place’ from a distance. On the hills at the top of modern day Neve Daniel, it is approximately 60 km. from Beer Sheva, which is two days’ travel and it is also a place where you can see on the horizon the Mount Moriah.<br /><br />And so here you have the path, travelled by our forefathers as well as the Maccabees. On June 7,1967, during the Six Day War, Israeli forces advanced on the Path of the Patriarchs towards the Etzion Bloc and entered the abandoned Jordanian army camp on the site of Kfar Etzion. By Rosh Hashana, some of the Gush Etzion survivors from 1948 were granted permission and returned back to Kfar Etzion.<br /><br />To visit the Kfar Etzion Memorial museum call 02 993-8308.Israelguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316444693186886139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681062842320305535.post-55753063691504278982008-11-07T06:57:00.003+02:002008-11-07T09:51:34.063+02:00Abraham and Lot<ul><br /><li><a href=http://issuu.com/shiurtimes/docs/issue23-nov2008/35?mode=embed&documentId=081105104018-e475285759124f37ac7fd9b9c4612b66>Shiur Times</a></li><br /></ul><br /><br />Parshah Lech-Lecha<br />Chapter 13<br />1. And Abram came up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that was his, and Lot with him, to the south. 3. And he went on his journeys, from the south and until Beth el, until the place where his tent had been previously, between Beth el and between Ai. <br />7. And there was a quarrel between the herdsmen of Abram's cattle and between the herdsmen of Lot's cattle, and the Canaanites and the Perizzites were then dwelling in the land. 8. And Abram said to Lot, "Please let there be no quarrel between me and between you and between my herdsmen and between your herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. 9. Is not all the land before you? Please part from me; if [you go] left, I will go right, and if [you go] right, I will go left." 10. And Lot raised his eyes, and he saw the entire plain of the Jordan, that it was entirely watered; before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as you come to Zoar.<br /><br />Throughout Jewish history in the Holy Land, geography has played a crucial role. And so it is with the separation between Abraham our forefather, the very first Jew, and his nephew Lot. To appreciate the significance of this event, knowledge of the geography of the area where this event took place is necessary.<br /><br />Here we have Abraham and Lot standing together as Abraham says to Lot "Please let there be no quarrel between me and between you…". Where exactly was this conversation taking place? The Torah tells us; "between Beth el and between Ai". The Torah is not an AAA triptik. If the Torah deems it important for us to know the specific location of an event, it is in order to teach us a lesson.<br /><br />Abraham travelled together with his family from Egypt, from the south, up into the central mountain range of the then land of Cannan. Both Abraham and Lot have herds of cattle. Abraham is especially careful to keep his herds off the property of others. Abraham needs to make some type of arrangement with Lot to keep their herds separate from each other.<br /><br />And here we come to the central question. Was it the intention of Abraham to completely separate from Lot? Let's not forget, eventually it will be a descendant of Lot, Ruth the Moabite, who will convert to Judaism and from her lineage King David and ultimately Moshiach will be born from.<br /><br />In fact, by understanding the geography of the area, we can see how it was actually not Abraham's intention to have Lot completely separate from him.<br /><br />Abraham uses an interesting phrase while addressing Lot; " if [you go] left, I will go right, and if [you go] right, I will go left".<br /><br />To where is left? To where exactly is right? Abraham and Lot are standing on a mountain hilltop near Beth el. And what does the Torah tell us? "And Lot raised his eyes, and he saw the entire plain of the Jordan".<br /><br />In ancient times, maps were drawn with the direction east being the primary direction, the direction from whence the sun rose. In Hebrew, the word "kedem", sometimes used for the word east, can be translated as moving forward. (Hence the connection between the phrase "to orient oneself" and the "Orient", located in the east.)<br /><br />Abraham and Lot are standing on the mountain range facing eastward, in the direction of the Jordan Valley. Abraham is not looking to completely disassociate himself from Lot. Abraham himself states; "We are kinsmen".<br /><br />What Abraham is suggesting is for Lot to stay in the mountains with him, either going north or south. But the key is that Abraham wants Lot to stay in the mountains. Why? Because the Jordan Valley below is "like the land of Egypt".<br /><br />Abraham and Lot had come from Mesopotamia, a land flowing with the waters of the Euphrates. In Egypt, watered flowed freely through the Nile. It was only here in this land, up in the mountains of the land of Cannan, where a person had to depend and pray for rain.<br /><br />The nation which would come forth from Abraham would be very different from the peoples Abraham had lived with before. Because here in the Holy Land, In the land of Israel, a Jew knows that one is completely dependant upon G-d. Our daily prayers for rain are a crucial element of our prayers to G-d, an expression of our faith. That is what makes the Jewish nation different.<br /><br />Lot chose differently; "And Lot raised his eyes, and he saw the entire plain of the Jordan, that it was entirely watered; before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah,…". Lot was attracted to the Jordan Valley before him, a place which reminded him of home, a place "entirely watered". And in fact, instead of heading north or south as Uncle Abraham had suggested, Lot heads east, to the area of Sodom and Gomorrah. And we know what happens there ultimately.<br /><br />Abraham on the other hand is blessed by G-d and heads south, to the area of Hebron, in the mountains.<br /><br />Today you can head north on route 60 from Jerusalem to modern day Beth el and enjoy the beautiful views from the lookout situated within their community. Or take road 457 just after the turnoff for Psagot to road 458 north and enjoy the spectacular lookout facing the Jordan Valley located in Kochav Hashachar.Israelguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316444693186886139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681062842320305535.post-32740341377329086722008-10-24T10:44:00.003+02:002008-11-07T10:08:15.307+02:00Travelling SouthWell, first the bad news. It doesn't look like we'll be visiting the ancient site of Sukkot this year. Archaeologists suspect that the location known as Deir Alla, east of the Jordan River, is in fact the location of Biblical Sukkot. This is where Yaakov Avinu on his return from Padan-aram after his meeting with Esav, built a house for himself and made sukkot (booths) for his cattle A series of excavations made its most dramatic discovery there in 1967 when an ink wall inscription relating a hitherto-unknown prophecy of Balaam was discovered.<br />And so I figured instead of visiting Sukkot, I'd visit the area of Kadesh Barnea down in the Negev. It was from Kadesh that the 12 spies were sent to survey the Land of Canaan. Forty years later, the tribes of Israel were a second time gathered together at Kadesh. At that time, Miriam died and was buried. Following Miriam's death, the Israelites complained to Moshe Rabeinu about the lack of water.<br />Moshe subsequently sent envoys to the King of Edom from Kadesh, asking for permission to let the Israelites pass through his terrain. The Edomite king denied this request.<br />The modern day settlement of Kadesh Barnea, also known as Nitzanei Sinai, was founded in 1980. It is located near Nitzana on the border with Egypt.<br />In Kadesh Barnea itself there's a wonderful family attraction; The House of Honey. You can learn all about the process of making honey and enjoy some tastings as well. Phone ahead: 08 655-8992, 052 899-1807, 052 392-7085.<br />In addition, be sure to visit the Kadesh Barnea Winery, a Negev Desert winery established in 1999. 052 267-2552.<br />Nearby is Tomato-picking in Kemehin. In the hothouse, you can hear an explanation about tomato-growing and pick some for home or for a picnic. 08 655-1524, 052 8450201.<br />In Nitzana, be sure to visit the solar park. The giant exhibits at the solar park protrude from the desert like colorful amusement-park rides. Here you'll find a classroom covered with wing-like panels that convert the solar energy into electricity; nets that collect the night dew; an enormous installation that focuses the intensity of the sun's rays; and other structures that demonstrate to children and adults the ecological and economical use of the main resource with which this area is blessed in abundance: sunlight. The visit also includes a guided tour of a garbage-collection center for recycling, and a small archaeological museum. Nitzana Youth Village, 08-656 1468/35, www.nitzana.org.il<br />For a more detailed listing of events in the Negev, visit www.negev-tour.co.ilIsraelguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316444693186886139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681062842320305535.post-70037316314665272352008-09-20T20:30:00.006+03:002008-11-07T09:50:20.861+02:00Mount Bental<ul><br /><li><a href=http://issuu.com/shiurtimes/docs/sept2008/35?mode=embed&documentId=080903093814-74793bc413184cc19297c0c7d940593f&layout=grey>Shiur Times</a></li><br /></ul><br /><br />HAR BENTAL AND THE VALLEY OF THE TEARS<br /><br />Mount Bental, an inactive volcano, is located in the Golan Heights on route 98, nearby to Kibbutz Merom Hagolan. A short but steep drive brings one to the parking lot and a brief stroll leads to the summit. On the summit there are remnants of the Six Day War - with bunkers and trenches, and a free recorded vocal explanation relating to the ’67 war.<br /><br />The expansive panoramic view at the summit provides an excellent observation point overlooking valleys and parts of the Golan and Hermon, spreading from Israel into Syria. A clear view is offered of both the new and old towns of Kuneitra – located on the Syrian side of the border. Clearly visible is the disengagement strip that exists along the Syrian-Israeli border – which is controlled and patrolled by UNDOF – the United Nations Disengagement Observation Force. As the name suggests, it is a purely observational force.<br /><br />The border between Israel and Syria reflects the sensitivity of their political relations. In spite of periods of heightened tension, this border still represents Israel’s quietest border with its neighbors – in terms of border related incidents since the Yom Kippur War, 1973.<br /><br />Mt Bental, provides a very good site to recall the events of the Six Day War, especially the last two days that precipitated in the capture of the Golan and Mt Hermon, The conflict between Israel and Syria had its antecedents following the War of Independence, 1948, and primarily relating to the establishment of DMZ’s –demilitarized zones along their mutual borders, and issues related to development of agricultural areas, and water-related resources. Numerous international incidents had taken place on both sides, generally followed by Syrian artillery barrages on Israeli civilian settlements or Israeli air responses or Israeli naval activity on the Kinneret. <br /><br />An audacious breakthrough by Israeli infantry into Syria’s most fortified position on the Golan Heights, at Tel Fajar, sent shockwaves through the Syrian Army and almost overnight resulted in the routing of the Syrian presence along the Golan.<br />Kuneitra was the largest Syrian town in the Golan Heights until 1967, and had represented a strategic position for the Syrian Army command, serving as the Syrian administrative capital of the Golan.<br /><br />During the Yom Kippur War, Kuneitra was recaptured by the Syrian troops, and later retaken by the Israeli counterattack. Following the 1974-5 cease fire agreement, Kuneitra was returned to Syria conditional on a prisoner exchange. Initially the Syrians maintained they would rebuild the old Kuneitra, and repopulate it. Instead, they developed a new town nearby, Kuneitra Jdeide, and maintained the old Kuneitra as a ghost town for propaganda purposes to demonstrate how Israel had wreaked havoc and destruction upon the town.<br /><br />To reach the site, drive along Route 98, until Kibbutz El Rom, turn east at the sign and continue another 3km, following the signs and following the left curving road. Park your vehicle near the cluster of trees and enter the memorial.<br /><br />Today, the site hosts the memorial for fallen members of the armored corps from the 77th Brigade. The memorial is called Oz 77 – from the Hebrew word for “strength”. On the eastern corner of the grove of trees, looking out towards the battle-ground, is a free vocal recording of the events of the battle.Israelguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316444693186886139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681062842320305535.post-78670240090599419812008-09-18T07:46:00.007+03:002009-01-25T13:26:27.410+02:00To Become A Taxi DriverI am a licensed tour guide. For two years I studied the history of the Land of Israel. I studied Archaeology. I studied the Bible. Religions. Zionism. Geomorphology. I traveled the length and breadth of the country. And I was tested. Written exams. Oral exams. And finally in the end, the ministry of tourism gave me the coveted license to be a tour guide in Israel.<br /><br />Now you might think that after all that I could just go out and start guiding. Well, yes and no. From the perspective of the law, whenever a guide picks up a tourist and transports them to a sight, the money exchanged is looked at as taxi fare. That's correct. As far as the law is concerned, the tour guide in that instance is simply a glorified taxi driver.<br /><br />And so in Israel, if you want to guide <span style="font-weight:bold;">and</span> transport your visitor as well, you need to also have in your possession a taxi drivers license. For us tour guides, it's called an "eshkol" (cluster - hence the cluster of grapes the ministry of tourism uses as their emblem.) And so begins my odyssey of acquiring such a license so that I can join the honored ranks of taxi drivers here in the Holy Land.<br /><br />OK. So of course there's the typical bureaucratic runaround you would expect at the Drivers License bureau. Fine. But after all that your informed that you will have to first undergo an intensive physical and psychological exam prior to being allowed to enter the taxi driver course. A few months go by and you receive a letter in the mail informing you to show up at some examination center in Tel Aviv in one week where you will be tested.<br /><br />In addition to the physical exam you are also asked to take a 400 question psychological exam, as well as a half hour interview with a psychologist. A few weeks after the exam you are informed of the results. Then the fun begins.<br /><br />As you would expect, there is going to be a driving test. But before that happens, you have a few weeks of classes and exams to get through. Time, money, and three weeks of not being able to work. Oh! Did I mention that this is all in Hebrew, not exactly my mother tongue. One advantage I had from the get go was that I was not taking the course with the typical riff-raff. Instead a course was organized (that's a whole story unto itself!) just for licensed tour guides. Which meant practically that we were exempt from studying "familiarity with the land" which is a huge chunk of the course, and we were exempt from studying the English language.<br /><br />So what does a taxi driver need to know in Israel before he/she can be licensed by the ministry of transportation? Well first, we were tested in our proficiency of the Hebrew language. Interestingly enough, we were told that the reason that all the exams are in Hebrew is since we are becoming "public servants" of sort, we need to be proficient in the language of the country. OK. That makes sense. But then why are there exams available in Arabic and Russian?<br /><br />So we all passed our entry exam. First came the class on knowing all the laws applicable to driving a public vehicle in Israel (taxis, buses). You need an %87 to pass. I passed. Our teacher, from Tel Aviv, spontaneously decided to share with us during class that although he was not observant, since his parents died last year he does not miss minyan and even attends a class in Talmud. Then we studied defensive driving. Passed that too. Fire Emergencies. Passed. That was our Friday afternoon class. Just what we want to be doing on a Friday afternoon.<br /><br />Then came the big one. For an entire week we took a crash (not a pun) course in understanding the workings of a motorized vehicle. In Hebrew, we learned how a diesel engine works. A gasoline engine. Brake systems, steering systems, electric systems, gear systems, cooling systems, etc. etc. etc. Did I mention that this was all in Hebrew? I can hardly tell you the names of all of a vehicles parts in English! Oy vey! And just because I need to transport a tourist from the hotel to visit Masada? I'm not going to fix the car if there's a problem with it. I'm taking it to the mechanic. No matter. The law requires that I be familiar with the entire workings of a vehicle. Fortunately the teacher of this class has been teaching for 40 years and did a great job teaching us lay persons. Our teacher's 22 year old son was killed in Gaza in 2003 during an attempt to arrest terrorists there.<br /><br />Another part of the course required us to become knowledgeable with Israel's labor laws and how the entire labor and government system works, including all its courts. As tour guides, we are legally looked at as freelancers, and so most of the labor laws do not even apply to us. But I'm so happy now to know that my bus or taxi driver Ahmed knows that the President of Israel is elected by the Knesset every 7 years and that he knows the process of how the Budget is passed by the Knesset each year. Now I'll have something to converse with him about!<br /><br />And almost last but not least, first aid. Technically, I should have been exempt from this part of the course since I am already in possession of a valid Israeli First Aid certificate which I received during my tour guide course. Notice I used the word "should". When we presented our certificates, they were deemed unacceptable because only the month and year of the course were written on the certificate, not the exact day of the month. And so after much trouble (and money)we were able to acquire written documentation (faxes not acceptable) to the exact date we took the course. The cherry on the pie was finally finally receiving a response from the ministry of transportation after we had already completed the first aid course (again). Our request for an exemption was declined. Lovely. We all did perfectly well on the first aid exams.<br /><br />In a few weeks I will be taking my driving exam (again). I was bold and took the exam with a mini bus using a stick shift. Mistake. Especially when I didn't stop at the yield sign when the examiner told me to do so. It was a language thing. All in all, at least I got the opportunity to become friends with a bunch of other guides. And my level of respect for bus and taxi drivers? Well, I'll let you respond to that one.<br /><br />PS Yes. Finally, finally, after 3 driving tests I finally passed. They even asked me to parallel park. In all my lessons, nobody ever bothered to see if I could even put the van into reverse! My knee is killing me from using the gear pedal. And would you believe it? My new license still restricts me to an automatic vehicle only. Go figure! Is it worth another trip down to the drivers license bureau? Time will tell.Israelguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316444693186886139noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681062842320305535.post-70641216741150967522008-08-07T14:14:00.003+03:002008-11-07T10:10:09.563+02:00Golan Heights<ul><br /><li><a href=http://issuu.com/shiurtimes/docs/august2008/39?mode=embed&documentId=080804101842-dc7e0ee9d240425a808ab7b084f8e515&layout=grey>Shiur Times</a></li><br /></ul><br /><br />Nestled among the Kibbutzim and Moshavim of the Golan Heights is the town of Katzrin. With a total population size of some 7,000 people, almost half of the Jewish population of the Golan Heights resides here. Katzrin is the administrative center of the Golan. <br /><br />When the Six-Day War ended archaeologists performed surveys of various archaeological sites on the Golan. While touring the Bedouin village of Katzrin, the archaeologist Shemaryahu Gutman came upon an ornate doorway made of basalt stone. He discovered that this was the entrance to the synagogue which had functioned 1500 years ago. The name of this town from that time is unknown.<br /><br />In order to give us an idea of what a house looked like and what the layout of the town was like during Talmudic times, archaeologists performed an elaborate restoration of the ruins of the town. Similar plans are on the drawing board for Um El Kanatir. Here we can see how the town was planned. We see streets, a synagogue, a square in front of the synagogue, and an olive press.<br /><br />Given that the town is located on the western side of the Golan, grazing and farmland is present. The main industry in this region seems to have been the manufacturing of olive oil. One olive press per town indicates that enough olive oil is produced just for local use. Three to five presses indicates that the townspeople are producing for export.<br /><br />Olive oil had many uses in antiquity: it was used for nutrition, lighting fuel, medicinal purposes and for lubricating the body. The sages recount the following: Olive oil is beneficial for the health. Thus it is told of Rabbi Chanina aged eighty, who could stand on one leg, remove his shoe and put it back on. Rabbi Chanina said: hot water with oil anointed upon me by my mother at childhood has upheld me during my years of old age. (Talmud Bavli chullin 24b.) <br /><br />Olive oil is produced in two phases. At first the olive are crushed inside a basin by a large crushing stone resembling a wheel. The wheel was usually pulled by an animal or by people. The first round, the crushing takes about 30 minutes. The crushed olives are transferred to the olive press, immediately nearby. The olives are first put in straw baskets, (kefifot.) There is an Aramaic term, “ladur bikfifah echat” which means “dwelling in a crowded fashion in one area (one basket).”<br /> <br />You put these straw baskets one on top of the next until you have like a sandwich of these akals (Arabic), or baskets. Then you start to take the press and turn it by going around. You would get all the liquids going into the canals and draining into a hole. You pick the oil off of the top and the water goes out the bottom. The liquid of the olive contains both oil and water. <br /><br />On display as well is an accurate representation of the homes from the Mishnaic time period. All the tools are modeled on actual tools found at the site. One of the most fascinating features of these homes is the roofs. The roof is built with branches placed on top of Oak, cypress and cedar beams. Soil is placed on the branches, mixed with water, and then used to seal the holes in the roof. This keeps out rain and snow. In the summertime, when the mud dries and cracks, it needs to be repaired.<br /><br />A maagela is a roof roller and was used to fix leaky roofs. Choni the Meagel, the name of the very popular Talmudic figure, is usually translated as Choni the Circle Maker. If you pronounce the word maagal as meagel, you don’t have Choni the circle maker but Choni the roof roller. In the tractate taanit, there are quite a few aggadot about how Choni would pray for rain for his community when there was a drought. More rain, more roof rolling required! This house also has a small kitchen and store room, with no room for animals. <br /><br />What did they use for food storage? It wasn’t cool here. They placed food up high where kids and mice couldn’t reach it and was covered with a sheet. The floor was made of stone and then covered with a kind of plaster. That’s why you couldn’t sweep the floors because you’d make holes in the grout. Later on it was replaced with tiles. <br /><br />Outside the house is a ladder. A story about Rabbi Joshua (ben Hannaniah), who hosted a man, gave him food and drink, and then gave him a bed located in the loft. He removed the ladder leading up to the loft. What did this man do?<br />He awoke in the middle of the night and stole tools and jewelry. When<br />he tried to descend down the ladder, he fell from the roof and broke his <br />collarbone. In the morning Rabbi Joshua awoke and found him lying there.<br /><br />The purpose of bringing this story here at Katzrin is to teach us about the way homes were constructed and how space was used. Apparently, space was maximized by allowing family members to sleep down below and up above. .<br /><br />The synagogue is clearly a communal building. It occupies the center of the town and its two rows of pillars, with decorative capitals, give it both height and a sense of grandeur. It faces Jerusalem and inside there are menorot carved on the stones. <br /><br />We have said that when we find a synagogue it means we have found a town, not a village and towns have between 1000-5000 people. On the Golan and beyond the border of the Golan into Syria of today we have ruins of about forty ancient Jewish synagogues. Multiply that by only 1000 and we have 40,000 Jews, at a minimum who were living in this area in Mishnaic times. It seems that the synagogue ceased functioning in 749 CE after a massive earthquake. <br /><br />They found an inscription in the Golan, “this is the bet midrash of Rabbi Eliezer Akkapar.” They found this in Daburiya above the Jalabun, 3 kilometer from Katzrin. One assumes that a beit midrash existed in Katzrin, but it has not been discovered. It is possible that the synagogue structure simultaneously served both purposes of prayer and study, obviating the need to build a separate structure. <br /><br />There is the big Tabor oak tree by the synagogue. The tree is estimated to be some 600 years old. Some years ago, I attended my cousin's wedding here. The chupah was set up in the ruins of the ancient synagogue. It was a beautiful and moving experience.<br /><br />The park is open daily, from 9-4. There is an admission fee. For more information call 04 696-1412 or email park@golan.org.ilIsraelguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316444693186886139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681062842320305535.post-38383973099460213022008-08-07T14:09:00.007+03:002008-11-07T09:56:38.952+02:00Tel Aviv<ul><br /><li><a href=http://issuu.com/shiurtimes/docs/july2008/39?mode=embed&documentId=080708123939-68840315d914440f96a59ff17ca3f52b&layout=grey>Shiur Times</a></li><br /></ul><br /><br />Tel Aviv is the first all-Jewish city in modern times. Originally named Ahuzat Bayit, it was founded by 60 families in 1909 as a Jewish neighborhood near Jaffa. In 1910, the name was changed to Tel Aviv, meaning "hill of spring." The name was taken from Ezekiel 3:15, "...and I came to the exiles at Tel Aviv," and from a reference in Herzl's novel Altneuland, in which he foresaw the future Jewish state<br />as a socialist utopia.<br /><br />In 1909 the founders of Tel Aviv are living in Ahuzat Bayit and they want to found the most modern city in the world. Keep in mind that there were only 60 families to carry out this enterprise. The idea actually started in 1906, but in 1909 they had a lottery and they really started to build. They decided to flatten the land in an empty dry river bed to be able to build on it. They filled the area with sand from the beach, using wheelbarrows. They didn’t want to use Arab labor. The main street of the city was Herzl St., which was the widest street.<br /><br />Independence Hall Museum (old home of Dizengoff, built in 1909)<br /><br />It is a very plain building, but was the place of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Meir Dizengoff, the first mayor of Tel Aviv lived here with his wife, Zina. It was in this c house that the independence of Israel was declared on May 14, 1948. Exhibits here detail Israel's declaration of independence. The first Israeli Prime Minister, David Ben Gurion, made the proclamation at 4pm on May 14, 1948 in the main hall, eight hours before the British mandate over the region was due to end, in the presence of the members of the Vaad Leumi (Jewish National Council), as well as the leaders of the Jewish community. After David Ben-Gurion read the declaration of independence, Rabbi Fischman (Maimon), recited the Shehecheyanu blessing, and the Declaration of Independence was signed.<br /><br />You can see a picture of the 66 families that founded Tel Aviv, from Jaffa. A guide will tell you about how the original families chose lots, by using white and gray sea shells. Names were put on one set of sea shells, and the lot numbers were put on the other. Jews were not allowed to buy land from the Ottoman Empire, but after 3 years they managed to buy 40 acres of sand dunes just north of Jaffa. The first neighborhood was called Ahuzat Bayit. Dizengoff received lot number 43. There is a 14-minute film about the founding of Israel to the present time.<br /><br />After the film a guide will take you to the main hall and talk about the day that the Declaration was signed. In the main hall of the house, visitors can hear a recording of Ben-Gurion reading the Charter for the new State. The next morning Arab armies were invading and the Egyptian Air Force was bombing Tel Aviv. There are actually two museums in this building; the Dizengoff Museum and the Beit Ha Tanach –<br />The Bible Museum.<br />Opening Hours are Sunday-Friday 9 a.m.-2 p.m. <br />16 Rothschild Blvd., Tel Aviv (03) 510-6426, (03) 517-3942<br /><br />If you are planning a trip to Tel Aviv, be sure to visit the Nachalat Benyamin - Art & Craft Fair. Tel Aviv’s Nachalat Benjamin Street comes alive with an Art & Craft Fair that features the works of roughly 220 artists, twice a week. Called Nachalat Benyamin in Hebrew, it is adjacent to shuk Ha’Carmel. In Tel Aviv’s early days this was the longest street in the city. <br />The setting is one of Tel Aviv’s oldest neighborhoods. First established as the Nachalat Benyamin Association, it initially comprised 40 members. Unlike the residents of Achuzat Bait, most of whom were from the upper classes, most of the new association’s members were tradesmen, clerks and shopkeepers who wanted to create a neighborhood similar to Achuzat Bait.<br />They managed to purchase 5 acres which were divided into 35 plots (smaller than those of Achuzat Bait). The houses that were erected consisted of two rooms, a kitchen and a porch. Construction began in 1911 and by 1912 there were 23 houses. When construction was completed the new residents realized that they did not have the means to establish the necessary infrastructure for their new neighborhood. Therefore, a partial consolidation of Nachalat Benyamin and Tel Aviv took place in 1911; the full consolidation was completed in 1912.<br />Since 1987 the street (which has many textile shops) has been home to the Art & Craft Fair. Whether you’re looking to treat yourself to a gift, need one for your hosts in Israel, or friends back home, this is great place to shop. Prices are extremely reasonable and the variety is such that there is literally ‘something for everyone’.<br />Hours: The Art & Craft Fair at Nachalat Benyamin is held on Tuesday and Friday – from 10:00 AM – to 5:00 PM, year round. The Fair does not take place in cases of heavy rain or winds. 03/516-2037. <br />Another market you'll surely want to visit is Shuk HaCarmel located in the middle of the Yemenite Quarter of Tel Aviv.<br />If second-hand clothing and shoes are your thing, then the first stalls you see when you enter the market offer fashions reminiscent of the 1980s. Further along the market towards the bus station is the epicentre of HaCarmel - the food market. <br /><br />And as long as we are in Tel Aviv, we might as well make a stop in Jaffa. Jaffa is the oldest and perhaps most famous of the ports along the Israel’s coast. From Jaffa port, the prophet Yonah set sail for Tarshish, running away when G-d commanded him to preach in the wicked city of Nineveh.<br />King Hiram of Tyre sent wood for the First Temple on a raft to Jaffa. and when wood was needed for the Second Temple it, too, arrived by way of Jaffa. The old city of Jaffa is filled with much Jewish history.<br />And if you came to hunt for a bargain, you came to the right place; the Jaffa flea Market located east of the clock tower at the foot of Old Jaffa. <br />You can weave your way through a mixed array of treasures and junk. Merchandise varies, but copper, brass, old Persian tiles, and jewelry are always to be found, as well as Judaica items, old family photo albums, and tons of used jeans and mildewed clothing from India. Bargaining is the order of the day; feel free to indulge in lengthy haggling. Even if there is a little language problem, you can get a lot understood with your hands. It's great fun even if you don't buy anything.<br />The flea market is open Sunday to Thursday from 10am to 6pm and on Friday from 10am to 2pm.Israelguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316444693186886139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681062842320305535.post-52111060888159347092008-07-01T09:50:00.000+03:002008-07-01T09:51:23.559+03:00Five YearsFive years ago we made Aliyah and became Israeli citizens. Eleven of us. Five years ago. That's over three thousand loads of laundry. During that time we've made four weddings, (two in the USA and two in Israel), we've had two daughters born to us in Israel, and three grandsons. I've had four different jobs and my son Mendel helped bring home one bronze medal for the National Israel Little League Baseball team. And we missed one funeral; my mother-in-law's, ob"m.<br /><br />We made one Bar-Mitzvah, and I attended one "triple" funeral in the middle of the night. My son Yaakov spent two years in the army, and I spent two years studying to be a tour guide. Our car has traveled 160,000 kilometers and our children have spent hundreds of days in the hospital. We have spent over 300,000 sheqels on food, 135,000 for a car and have participated in two different Kupat Cholim. My Hebrew vocabulary has increased ten-fold but I will always be "an American" in the eyes of Israelis and an immigrant in the eyes of my younger children. We have made countless friends.<br /><br />Three of my children, two of them married, presently live in the USA. Two of my fourteen siblings live here in Israel, and one other is planning to make Aliyah soon. None of my children have graduated from High School in Israel. Over 1,000 people live in my community of Mitzpeh Yericho. Over 30 children are in my daughter's pre-school class. Barely ten are in my fifth grader's. The typical summer temperature here during the heat of the day is in the high 90's. But it's a dry heat.<br /><br />During our five years here, we've had our fair share of ups and downs. Our children have been enrolled in ten different educational institutions and different governmental agencies have been on strike at least a dozen times. A two week mail strike just ended. There have been a couple of earthquakes and I've gotten one speeding ticket. Terrorist attacks were more frequent when we first moved here and we've had one war since making Aliyah. I've guided hundreds of tourists to hundreds of locations all over the country; families, Birthright groups and Christian Pilgrims. We've reached out for help many, many times and have thankfully received it. During my five years here I climbed Masada's Snake path once.<br /><br />My love affair with Israel began when I was 30 on my first ever trip here. And now, 20 years later, I love it here more than ever. When we vacationed in Mitzpeh Yericho seven years ago during the summer of August 2001, I made reservations for a family dinner at the newly opened restaurant in the community. We were expecting over 30 people for dinner.<br /><br />I arrived at the restaurant promptly at 8PM as pre-arranged. The place was closed down shut, pitch black. I tracked down the owner who was living at the time in a trailer. His wife opened the door after I knocked on it. He came to the door where I excitedly explained to him the situation of 30 very hungry people with no place to eat and wondered as to what had happened to my reservations!<br /><br />He calmly explained that he had been to Jerusalem that day and had decided not to open up the restaurant that day. He was tired. Reservations or not. '' יהיה בסדר '' (rough translation: It'll all work out) was all he could say to me as he closed his door and bid me goodbye.<br /><br />What to do!? As I was walking back to my bungalow to inform the starving mob of the latest, I bumped into Oklahoma Joe who was out walking his dog. Oklahoma was living next door to our bungalow. I wished him a good evening and told him of my predicament.<br /><br />No problem, he said. In no time at all, Oklahoma had food grilling on his BBQ and we all enjoyed a great dinner. It was just as the restaurant owner had said. In the end it all worked out. He really knew it would. And now I was beginning to learn that as well.<br /><br />The rest is history. After that summer in Israel, we all decided to place our fate together with the Land of Israel. And we moved to none other than Mitzpeh Yericho in the Judean Desert.<br /><br />And the guy who owned the restaurant? They don't live in the trailer anymore. They live right next door to us and our families are the very best of friends. We've become one family.<br /><br />That's what it's like to make one's home here.<br /><br />יהיה בסדר.Israelguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316444693186886139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681062842320305535.post-9422939121835638102008-06-08T15:44:00.002+03:002008-11-07T09:58:31.577+02:00Jerusalem Trail<ul><br /><li><a href=http://shiurtimes.com/the-jersualem-trail/>Shiur Times</a></li><br /></ul><br /><br />The Israel National Trail ("Shvil Yisrael") was officially marked in 1991. One of its purposes is to give Israelis a way to experience the entire breadth of Israel firsthand. It is a hiking trail that crosses the entire country from Tel Dan in the north to Eilat in the south. The trail is close to 600 miles from beginning to end and would take over a month to finish if hiked continuously. It is marked with three stripes painted on rocks along the way (white, blue and orange). The route is divided into 12 sections. A Trans-Israel bike trail is also presently in the works.<br />That's the good news. Unfortunately, this wonderful trail bypasses the city of Jerusalem. And so, just last year, The New Jerusalem Trail was officially inaugurated. It connects the Trans-Israel Trail with Jerusalem and is marked with the special symbolic Lion that appears on Jerusalem’s city emblem.<br /><br />The first time I hiked this trail was during the annual late-night hike my Yishuv takes on Yom Yerushalayim. Since then I've had the good fortune of guiding many people along this trail, including my wife and children just this past Pesach. We had loads of fun.<br /><br />The trail begins (or ends!) at the entrance to the Emek Tzurim National Park (free admission) on the Mount of Olives, between Hebrew University and Beit Orot. The park was only opened in the year 2000. Enjoy the Mount Scopus lookout. It's about a 10 minute walk down into the Kidron Valley.<br /><br />During Pesach, we stopped off at the recovery center of Temple Mount remains. This is a wonderful project involving sifting through the dirt which was carted off the Temple Mount some years ago. You can spend an hour or two (or more if you want) assisting the archaeologists as they make their fantastic finds. We discovered an ancient coin while we were there. It's really a lot of fun. Contact the City of David at *6033 for more information.<br /><br />The trail continues into the Kidron Valley, up to the Orson Hyde Park and then down towards Derech Hashiloah where the Mount Olives information center is located. From there it's just a short walk to Absalom's Tomb and then onward to the Pool of Siloam in the City of David. From there I walked up to the kotel, but you can continue on into the Ben-Hinnom Valley, the ancient border between the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, up to the Cinamateque Bridge.<br /><br />Plans are underway for the trail to continue on up to Armon Hanatziv into Shvil Yisrael into the Judean Hills. For more information, contact National Parks at *3639.<br /><br />And for you techies, The City of David offers a self-guided tour of the Jerusalem trail with your own mp3, cell phone or PDA. Simply go to www.cityofdavid.org.il and choose the Jerusalem Trail tour. Download the complete tour files and transfer the files to your device. Each track is a station on the tour.<br /><br />Enjoy a safe and wonderful summer. Be sure to always bring along plenty of water on your hikes.Israelguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316444693186886139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681062842320305535.post-71941632661872422802008-05-26T11:38:00.001+03:002008-05-26T11:40:56.085+03:00Mayanot 16 ... Follow Me!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pmsnXL2LXs0/SDp3iL3A-xI/AAAAAAAAAAw/FGWz6BNbntk/s1600-h/Birthright.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pmsnXL2LXs0/SDp3iL3A-xI/AAAAAAAAAAw/FGWz6BNbntk/s320/Birthright.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204603748562828050" /></a><br />Some two years ago, just before the outbreak of the Lebanon War Part II, while still in the midst of my tour guide course, I was employed by Oranim College to put together itineraries for Birthright groups. It also involved spending time and doing some traveling with the incoming groups. It was my first hands-on introduction to Birthright.<br />Taglit (as it is referred to in Israel)-Birthright Israel provides a free 10-day educational trip to Israel, for Jewish young adults ages 18 to 26 who have not visited Israel before on an organized trip.<br />"Taglit-Birthright Israel's founders created the program to send young Jewish adults from all over the world to Israel as a gift in order to diminish the growing division between Israel and Jewish communities around the world; to strengthen the sense of solidarity among world Jewry; and to strengthen participants' personal Jewish identity and connection to the Jewish people." <br />"Founded in 2000 by Charles Bronfman and Michael Steinhardt in cooperation with the Israeli government, private philanthropists, the Jewish Agency for Israel, and Jewish communities around the world, the Birthright Israel program has, since its founding, received, and spent, over $200 million on its trips. As of Summer 2008, over 160,000 individuals from fifty-two different countries have participated since the trips began. 70% of trip participants come from the United States."<br />Yes, the trip is free and for the most part, that is the key to the success of Birthright's recruiting efforts. Still, over 160,000 participants is quite an impressive number. Many of those who take advantage of the gift, and actually make the trip, overcome personal safety concerns and quite often pressure from friends and family not to take the chance.<br />The war in Lebanon II actually broke out smack in the middle of a Hillel Birthright trip I was accompanying. The group was from California. Of course we were on the Northern border of Israel on the very same day the war began. As you might imagine, security is always a very serious concern on any Birthright trip, with many precautions taken, such as providing a 24 hours per day armed guard. Try to imagine what happens if a war should break out. Security is increased, as is the concerns of parents back in the States worrying about their child traveling around Israel often for their very first time.<br />We were enjoying a fun-filled water-hike in the Jordan River that first day of the war. Most of us were still unaware of what was transpiring only a few miles away from us. The sound of distant tank-fire is not necessarily uncommon background noise in this part of Israel. Nearby army bases are often involved in different training drills. Except that this time, unbeknownst to us, the continuous booming we heard was not a drill.<br />The next day, we changed our plans of traveling to Safed. Safed had alread been hit by kayatusha missiles. It was decided that, without question, it would be safe to stay over Shabbat in Tiberias. What ever happens in Tiberias?<br />Needless to say, Tiberias was hit during Shabbat by a kayatusha missile which fell in the general area of our hotel. After a real Israeli experience of spending a few hours in the hotel's bomb shelter, the group was evacuated to Tel Aviv. The trip then continued on as scheduled. The hotel management in Tiberias was non too happy with us.<br />Thankfully, my Birthright trip which just concluded this past week was not as dramatic. Thank G-d, we are celebrating Israel's 60th birthday and the tourists are coming.<br />This was my first opportunity to actually serve as the official tour guide of a Birthright group. The experience was indescribable, one which I will never forget.<br />Birthright involves many partners. In addition to all those who provide the financial means to make it all happen, there are the many different and diverse groups involved in recruiting, planning and implementing the trips.<br />"Trip Organizers are organizations, institutions and establishments who are approved by Taglit-Birthright Israel to operate trips. Trip Organizers are responsible for recruitment, determining eligibility, interviews, deposits, itinerary, staffing, security, insurance, lodging and meals on the trips." Hillel, NCSY and Mayanot are three of the many trip organizers. Each of these groups often has different representatives in the USA and Israel.<br />The Mayanot Institute of Jewish Studies, located in Jerusalem, attracts young Jews from around the world who wish to explore Jewish learning and experience Israel. Mayanot Israel has teamed up with many Campus Chabad Houses to do Birthright recruitment.<br />For the campus Chabad House Rabbi who accompanies a group to Israel, this is a wonderful opportunity to further their own outreach activities. The idea of Birthright is that the 10-day trip should also serve as the beginning of a long –lasting relationship with Israel and Judaism, specifically for those who might otherwise not have one. In this area, Mayanot has enjoyed great success. Besides, their trips are loads of fun. I should know. I just led one. <br />One final technical note. Each trip organizer needs to hook up with one of the many vendors here in Israel who actually put these trips together. For this past trip with Mayanot, and my next, I was employed by Israel Experience Educational Tourism Services Ltd., a subsidiary of the Jewish Agency for Israel. Like I said, a lot of partners are involved in putting this all together. The company specializes in providing organized trips to Israel for teens, university students and adults from all over the world.<br /><br />The group I led was made up mostly of students from the University of Colorado of Boulder, Colorado. I was paired up with Nadia, a recent immigrant from New Zealand who served as the hands on logistics person for the trip. She was great. So was our driver, Benney who could sing as well, and Tal, our armed guard. There were two busloads, accompanied by their Chabad House Rabbi, Rabbi Yisroel Wilhem, originally from England. He celebrated his 30th birthday during the trip. I led Bus # 16.<br /><br />After their morning arrival, we headed off to Caesarea to enjoy breakfast and our welcoming ceremony on the beach. From there it was off to do wine tasting in Zikhron Yaakov and then on to our hotel. <br /><br />The ten days flew by. Kayaking, hiking, mini-jeeping, Tel Aviv, Rabin Square, Friday night at the kotel (and a 2 hour walk back to our hotel!), Jerusalem, Yad Vashem, Camel riding, biking in the Negev, Masada, the Dead Sea, and much, much, much more. Most important though were the relationships forged. After 10 days, the students even became accustomed to all of our countdowns, my "Joisey" accent and my constant refrain as I guided of "Mayanot 16 … follow me!"<br /><br />Any Birthright trip involves required stops, such as a visit to the Kotel and to Yad Vashem. But the one thing that in my opinion has possibly the greatest impact upon all the participants is the "mifgashim".<br /><br />For five days, eight soldiers, not in uniform, the same age as these students, join and very much become part of the group. They room with the students and are spread out throughout the bus and the dining area whenever we eat. They become part and parcel of the group, including the late night programs. For the American students, it is their opportunity to have a real "in your face" experience with an Israeli. It's often much different than the impression they had from watching CNN.<br /><br />Any visit to Mount Herzl and to the military cemetery can be very moving. But it takes on a whole different perspective when the person your age who you just became good friends with suddenly stands at the gravesite of a friend of his or hers who died recently in battle. Like I said. A whole new perspective.<br /><br />The trip ended with very moving goodbyes from all. The impact of the past 10 days upon the students, myself included, was quite tangible. When I told them that for now on I would feel that I have more than just 12 children, I meant it. And with Facebook, we could all continue with what just started.<br /><br />I was away from home for 10 days. My wife Ella did a great job holding down the fort, but it's not easy. For Shabbat she was able to join me in the hotel with a few of our kids for the day. That was nice. It's a very, very, very exhausting 10 days. Not much sleep. There is more money to be made guiding individuals and families, but the opportunity to impact individuals who more often than not have absolutely no connection, not in the least, to Israel or Judaism, is an opportunity I treasure to experience. As I've often been heard to state, that "a good teacher gains more from his students than the students from him". And I mean it.<br /><br />I gotta' go pack. My next Mayanot Birthright group arrives in two days at 2AM. And then it's up to the Golan for some fun, kayaking on the Jordan and later in the trip it's on to Jerusalem for Yom Yerushalayim. I can hardly wait!<br /><br />To sign up on a Birthright trip to Israel, go online to mayanotisrael.com for more details.Israelguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316444693186886139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681062842320305535.post-21876595646267519772008-05-25T00:31:00.001+03:002008-05-25T00:34:09.585+03:00Jewish Standard<ul><br /><li><a href=http://www.jstandard.com/articles/4328/1/--A-new-home%2C-a-new-life>Jewish Standard</a></li><br /></ul>Israelguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316444693186886139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681062842320305535.post-24904708916039145282008-04-30T19:32:00.002+03:002008-04-30T19:36:07.835+03:00Dollars<ul><br /><li><a href=http://www.chabad.org/therebbe/mymoment/view_cdo/id/1978005>Rebbes Dollars</a></li><br /></ul>Israelguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316444693186886139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681062842320305535.post-57671347263976235472008-04-16T15:26:00.003+03:002008-11-07T10:02:42.044+02:00Herodion<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pmsnXL2LXs0/SB7hB1i8XNI/AAAAAAAAAAo/h-5KhfcZe8I/s1600-h/Herodion.BMP"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pmsnXL2LXs0/SB7hB1i8XNI/AAAAAAAAAAo/h-5KhfcZe8I/s320/Herodion.BMP" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196838441701891282" /></a><br /><ul><br /><li><a href=http://issuu.com/beccawitz/docs/febshiurtimes?mode=embed&documentId=080226111813-bd32883f0e8d46b5ac4dbb7a9ab4f37f&pageNumber=41&layout=white>Shiur Times</a></li><br /></ul><br /><br />During the summer of 2003, soon after we had made aliyah, my wife Ella and I were looking for a short day trip during the day while the kids were in day camp. Almost by accident we stumbled upon what many say is one of Israel's most interesting archeological sights, the burial place of Herod, King of the Jews, Herodium. From the southern outskirts of Yerushalayim you can clearly see the volcano-shaped mountain of Herodium.<br /><br />Herod the Great was born in 72 B.C.E., almost 100 years before the destruction of the Second Bais Hamikdash. He was raised in the court of the Chashmonaim and was appointed governor of the Galilee. He was appointed by the Roman Empire in 40 B.C.E. to become the king of Judaea and ruled for 36 years. His greatest accomplishment was the rebuilding of the Second Temple in Yerushalayim. The Kotel which we so venerate today is from the remains of that building project some 2,000 years ago.<br /><br />While still governor of the Galilee, in the middle of one night, Herod assembled his close family and his bodyguards to escape death from Antigonus of the Chashmonaim. Close to where Herodium would be constructed, Antigonus caught up to Herod. Herod was victorious. The chariot of Herod's mother overturned and Herod feared for her life. In the end, she survived. The combination of these two episodes made a great impression on Herod. Twenty years after these events, he built Herodium where he wished to be eventually buried, in that very same location.<br /><br />There are a number of things to see in Herodium. First are the remains of the magnificent Mountain Palace-Fortress constructed by Herod within the crater of the man-made volcano-like mountain. There are also the remains of Lower Herodium and its large swimming pool. Only in the past few months has the much sought after tomb of King Herod been discovered. Archaeologists are busy digging and studying the sight.<br /><br />Before the destruction of the Second Bais Hamikdash, Herodium was occupied by Jewish rebels who used Herodium as a base to attack the Roman army. The flames from the destruction of the Temple on Har Habayit could be observed by the Rebels standing on Herodium. In commemoration, Herodium today is utilized on Tisha B'Av for the community reading of Eicha.<br /><br />On Herodium, you can also visit one of the world's oldest synagogues, constructed during the time of the Second Bais Hamikdash by the Jewish rebels, as well as a mikvah.<br /><br />More than 60 years after the destruction of the Second Temple, Herodium was again used by Jewish rebels against the Romans, this time by the fighters of Bar Kochva. You can walk through the vast network of tunnels dug by these rebels deep into the mountain and water cisterns originally built by Herod. The kids will have a great time exploring around.<br /><br />You can combine a visit to Herodium with a visit to the many interesting sights in Gush Etzion and the Hills of Hebron. When I first visited Herodium in 2003, the drive from Jerusalem was over 30 minutes, driving past Efrat. Only recently was a new connection opened between Har Choma in Jerusalem and Herodium, drastically cutting down your drive time. Bring plenty of water, good walking shoes and a cap when visiting Herodium. Like all National parks, Herodium closes at 4PM in the winter, 5PM in the summer.Israelguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316444693186886139noreply@blogger.com0