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When Israeli sports teams travel to Europe, they are often met with protest. Palestinian solidarity and human rights organizations, such as Red Card Israeli Apartheid, have argued that such spectacles “normalize” the military occupation suffered by Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. They also argue that it is fantasy to pretend that these games do not carry a strong political as well as symbolic weight. Now the specter of a pro-Palestinian protest at an Israeli sporting event is coming to the United States. This will happen next month when the most celebrated basketball team in Israel’s history, Maccabi Tel-Aviv, will return to the United States and play two NBA preseason games against the Brooklyn Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers. As Euroleague Champions, this will be the fifth time in nine years that Maccabi has played in the United States. But coming on the heels of the summer bombardment of Gaza, there are many activists in New York City arguing that it can no longer be hoops as usual. I spoke to Tsvia Thier, an Israeli citizen now living in New York, who plans to be a part of whatever protest assembles outside the Barclays Center on October 7th. She said to me, “Israel dropped thousands of pounds of weapons on Gaza. More than 2,000 people died. More than 500 children were killed. There has been no justice for this. We cannot allow for these games to go forward without bearing witness…as if these criminal acts did not just take place. Our memories cannot be that short.” Thier was on her way to a meeting of the group Jewish Voice for Peace to raise plans to protest when I spoke with her. It is not just Thier and others who are unable to separate these games from Israel’s summer war on Gaza. It is the NBA. Before the Brooklyn game, the league signed off on a “VIP celebration” at the Barclay’s Center for Maccabi Tel Aviv hosted by an organization called Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF). According to the press release, “FIDF has arranged for 12 IDF soldiers wounded during the Operation in Gaza to take part in the event.” (For people who want a full accounting of the death and destruction that the Gaza War wrought, see the United Nations report here. ) The FIDF event in Brooklyn will also honor the only Jewish American player named as one of the NBA’s Top 50 All-Time players Dolph Schayes, and his son, one of my boyhood heroes, eighteen-year NBA veteran Danny Schayes. (Yes, I’m aware that I may be the first person to use “boyhood hero” and “Danny Schayes” in the same sentence.) My love for Schayes aside, this is, without pretense, an NBA/FIDF production.

There are quite a few words that I could choose for this week’s word: holiday springs to mind (actually I meant to blog that one last week but I was too busy writing other blog posts of things we were getting up to on holiday whenever I was sitting at my laptop), and also chocolate (having given it up for Lent, it’s been on my mind quite a bit this week as the day that I can eat it again has drawn near). But I’ve gone for…. Although with 2 young boys to run around after I do often find myself getting cross, that’s not the sense of the word that I’ve been thinking about in the lead up to Easter Sunday. I’ve been thinking about a certain Roman cross, the tool of torture and execution upon which Jesus died. Not a particularly pleasant thing to think about, but I believe (along with other Christians) that it was His death that took the place of all the wrong things that I do. These wrong things (for example, getting cross at my kids, or being jealous of what others have) are what separate me from being close to God. But God loves everyone — yes, even me, even social outcasts, even criminals, even those who believe in other gods — and wants us to know Him, which we can do by believing in Jesus and what He did for us, if we choose (there’s no obligation). The particularly amazing thing about what we celebrate at Easter is that death isn’t the end of the story. I believe that three days after He was crucified, Jesus rose from the dead. He beat death, he has the ultimate victory over all wrongs. And the key point in this for me is that anyone who believes that Jesus is alive again, can have a personal relationship with Him, with God, and that includes an everlasting life with Him in heaven after our short life on Earth. That’s what I’m celebrating this and every Easter, because I think it’s the greatest day in history in terms of how I live my life. A few weeks ago in church, we heard about WaterAid jars of change for Lent. The idea is that you give something up for Lent, and every time you would have/do whatever it is you’ve given up, you put some change in the jar roughly equal to what you would have spent on it. You can decorate the jar for fun too. At the end of Lent, the money you’ve raised goes to WaterAid, who will use the money to help provide safe drinking water in countries that desperately need it. We thought that this sounded like a good idea. I’d been thinking about what to give up for Lent anyway, and it was a good excuse to have some fun decorating a jar with Andrew – we used an empty marmalade jar. Andrew had been given a ‘paint your own mug’ gift for his birthday, so first of all we did that, and then used the paint to start our decoration on the jar. I found some stencils in our craft box, and (surprise, surprise) Andrew chose the rocket stencil! Of course he insisted that we use red paint (the colour of Thunderbird 3), and I suggested we add some yellow detail at the bottom for the fire from when it blasts off. He also likes the colour pink, so we painted a pink band around the top. That was enough painting for one span of Andrew’s attention, so another day we finished off the jar by sticking on some small squares of paper with PVA glue in a kind of mosaic style – lots of fun and messy! Again, just about enough for his attention span, and finished off my me. Some red tape around the rim of the lid and ta da – it was finished. Then we had to actually decide what to give up. When I say ‘we’, I mean Tom and I – I don’t think trying to explain to Andrew about giving something up would go down too well, and besides, he’s a bit young yet. But he can start to understand by watching us, as with so many things in a toddler’s life. My abstinence had to be chocolate, as that is something I will really miss and eat quite a lot of as treats to keep me sane on our busy days (which is most days with my boys). Tom decided on bananas, as he eats at least one a day and loves them. I know, bananas are much more healthy than chocolate anyway, but he’s not so fussed about that – if you can believe it. Tom may be unusual in giving up bananas, but both of us are not unusual in the act of giving something up for Lent. This tradition has been going on for centuries. The 40 days before Easter, which starts on Ash Wednesday, the day after Shrove Tuesday or Pancake day, is a time of reflection for Christians. It’s a time to think about what Jesus did for us by dying on the cross and rising again – to make up for all the bad things we do that keep us distant from God – in the lead up to Easter when we celebrate this. Traditionally Christians used to fast, so give up all kinds of food, in this period, because this was a way to focus their minds on contemplating Jesus. Some do still fast, and others give up just one or two things, whether a food like we’re doing or something else, and spend the time that would otherwise be spent on this activity praying or reading the Bible – in other words, spending time with God. So that’s what I intend to do this Lent. Whenever I think about eating some chocolate, whether as a bar or in something, instead I will pop some money in our jar of change, and spend some time in quiet reflection of what Jesus means to me. It’s handy that most of the time that I eat chocolate is when the boys are in bed or quietly amusing themselves, so I should have no excuse to not spend that time quietly. It may mean spending less time doing the things I like, like sewing, blogging, social media-ing (don’t think that’s really a word but it sounded good to me), but I know that I will benefit from it, I always do when I spend time with God. Are you giving up something for Lent? What are your reasons behind it? Maybe you too could think about doing a jar of change? I’d love to hear if you do 🙂 No this post is nothing to do with the song by Queen! The title refers to the lullaby that Andrew and his friends sang in the nativity play at church on Sunday. This is the second year that the 18 months to 3 years group in Children’s Church has taken part in the annual spectacular that is the HT nativity play (HT = Holy Trinity, Cambridge). They were stable animals, who came on stage just after baby Jesus was born, and sang him a gentle song, the traditional lullaby of Little Jesus Sweetly sleep… Little Jesus, sweetly sleep, do not stir We will lend a coat of fur We will rock you, rock you, rock you We will rock you, rock you, rock you See the fur to keep you warm Snugly round your tiny form. They’d been practising it in their Sunday morning sessions, and also at the Wednesday afternoon group that we go to at church. Most of them were a little stage struck, but it was very cute to see them all dressed as animals gathered around the manger whilst the music was playing. Andrew did do the rocking action with his arms, and uttered the odd word. I have a video, but as I don’t know whether all parents want their children online, I won’t post it here, nor photos with more than just my boys in. As parents, we’d simply been told that they would be stable animals, so it was up to us to choose their costume. It was funny how most ended up being a sheep – all those white/cream knitted wooly jumpers and fleece jackets came out, with various items of headgear to represent the sheepish ears and facial features! My attempt at a sheep head was to take a white knitted wooly bobble hat that we already had, and hand stitch some black ears on. These were made out of an old pair of tights – I cut the two feet off and stuffed them with the rest of the length of the leg on each side. So a bargain and simple to make sheep costume. After the play, there was a short talk given by one of the pastors, Diana, explaining more about the meaning of Christmas. She gave an illustration that I thought was very clever, so I thought I’d share it here. Jesus was born into the world as a gift to us from God, and there are three ways that we as humans tend to respond to this gift, which Diana illustrated by offering a beautifully wrapped-up gift to one of the other pastors, Matt… 1. We ignore Jesus (the gift) and get on with life without Him – this is like when Diana offered Matt the gift but he just stood there, silent and with arms crossed, and didn’t reply to any of her “here you go, here’s a present for you” offers. 2. We learn about who Jesus is and what he did when he was alive, but don’t go any further than this superficial understanding – this is like when Diana offered Matt the gift, and he acknowledged it, but was happy just to look at the wrapping paper, say how lovely and shiny it was, how pretty all the different colours were, and thank her for this nice wrapping paper. 3. We get to know Jesus as a personal Saviour, and believe that through His death and rising again we can draw near to God – this is like when Diana offered Matt the gift, he acknowledged it, and ripped open the wrapping paper, thanked her so much for the amazing gift, tried it on straight away (an adult-sized reindeer onesie!!), and showed much joy and appreciation of this kind present. This Christmas, as we’re opening presents, I will remember this illustration, which reminds us why we give presents at this time of year – to celebrate the biggest gift that we have ever been given. How will you respond – 1, 2 or 3? On Sunday, the boys looked inside the first stocking on their Advent calendar line of ‘socks’ (as Andrew refers to it); they got a chocolate treat, and we decided that they can take it in turns to consume the contents of the day’s sock – odds for Andrew and evens for Joel. This is our way of counting down the days until Christmas, which will soon be here. I’ve always enjoyed Christmas, and since having children it has become exciting seeing it from a child’s perspective again. The boys love spending time with their grandparents, uncles and aunts, and they get to do a lot of this over Christmas. Of course presents feature quite a lot over the days that we spend with family, and it is lovely to see the genuine joy expressed as a toddler rips the paper off and excitedly looks to see what’s inside. Although all the celebrations are exciting in themselves, I also hope that my boys will come to understand the reason why we celebrate Christmas. Advent (from the Latin ‘adventus’ meaning ‘coming’) is a time when we as Christians often reflect on how Jesus, God’s son, came into this world as a baby. It was a very low-key event in earthly terms – his teenage mum from Nazereth (a small unassuming village back then) travelled heavily pregnant to Bethlehem to comply with the ruling Roman orders, and gave birth there in a shed of animals; only a few shepherds (who were fairly low in social status back then) heard about the birth immediately and visited soon after. Yet the reason why Jesus came meant that his birth was extraordinary, and certainly something that deserves a huge celebration over 2000 years later. So why did Jesus come to Earth? The short answer is: because God loves us. Every week at our church, the kids all gather at the front before they go to their groups and we sing an action song together. This Sunday, the first in Advent, the song was a fantastic reminder of God’s love for everyone He’s made – here are the lyrics, and, if you can stand the slight cheesiness, a video of the tune and actions… Some of us are big and tall Some of us are very small Some of us like pink and some like blue Some of us like reading books Some of us like feeding ducks That’s because we’re different, me and you But God loves everyone he’s made God loves each of us, in a special way… That’s you and you and you and you And you and you and you and you God loves you! God loves you! That’s you and you and you and you And you and you and you and you We’re part of the big family of God! Some of us have curly hair Some of us have specs to wear All of us have different families Some of us are very loud Some of us don’t make a sound That’s because we’re different, you and me But God loves everyone he’s made God loves each of us, in a special way… …One of the points of this song is a very important one for children to pick up – to know they are loved no matter what they look like or what they enjoy doing, because in a world of bullying and peer pressure to conform to what is socially desirable, it’s easy to feel different and left out. And the point in this song that GOD loves everyone no matter who they are is the link back to the reason why Jesus came that first Christmas. All the bad things, big or little, that we do, think and say in our lives separate us from God who is perfect. But God is not at all happy with that situation, because He loves us so much, and wants us to know Him as our loving Father. So God sent His only son Jesus into this world as a baby, who grew up and showed the people living in the Middle East at the time some signs of what God and Heaven are like, and then was crucified in order to take the punishment for all those bad things WE do on HIMself. But because God is greater than death, Jesus came back to life and beat death. It is through His death and rising again that anyone and everyone who believes in Jesus can know God in a close relationship and ultimately have everlasting life with Him in Heaven. It is through God’s love for us, the fact that He doesn’t want to be separated from us by bad things, that Jesus came. I have to admit that I’d like to spend more time this Advent reflecting on what Christmas means to me, because with two active boys to look after (one of whom doesn’t sleep beyond 4.30am most days or nap for long at a time), going out and doing all sorts of other stuff, and being somewhere on a continuum of tired to exhausted most of the time recently, I have found it hard to take any opportunity I have each day to sit quietly and pray (and not fall asleep!) So the fact that I have an Advent calendar right in front of me when I sit on the sofa will hopefully serve as a reminder to share my thoughts with Jesus daily, because it really is amazing when I do 🙂 This week, as well as Joel’s first birthday, has included the 31st October. Now to lots of people that means Halloween, but we’re not into celebrating something that originated in dark things, even though these days it’s just a vastly over commercialised festival that most people take part in without any intention of deliberately celebrating evil. Instead we like to join in with the annual ‘Light Party’ that’s put on at our Church, celebrating all things light, including Jesus who we believe is the ‘Light of the World’. We still have lots of fun dressing up, eating treats and spending time with friends, we just do it in a way that doesn’t remember anything like witches, ghost and the devil. This year’s theme was ‘superheroes’, and children who went were encouraged to dress up as a superhero if they wanted to. I knew that Andrew would want to join in, and thought it would be cute if Joel did too. I also knew that I didn’t have much time to make costumes (a couple of hours last Saturday morning), but I did a quick search on Pinterest and got a few ideas for quick and easy superhero costumes. I decided that the superhero kit would include: a cape with letter design, a belt, wrist cuffs with lightening bolt design, and a mask. They then wore ordinary clothes with these accessories – for Joel that was a nappy, leg warmers and a plain top; for Andrew that was trousers and a top that I painted a star on last Christmas for the Nativity Play, with pants on the outside. Andrew’s colour theme was yellow (mainly influenced by the star), and Joel’s was green (mainly influenced by his green star leg warmers). The capes were made from an old black t-shirt of Daddy’s. I hemmed the edges quickly, and folded over the top, sewed it down and passed a length of elastic through to make a simple cape. I also appliquéd a letter in the centre for each of them: A for Andrew and J for Joel. The belts and wrist cuffs were made from duck tape stuck onto paper, and then coloured card stuck on with double sided tape to make the ‘buckles’ and lightening bolt details. I was inspired by Martha Stewart’s blog to use duck tape for these. I then used snaps (which I use for nappy making) to secure them around the waist/wrist. For the masks I simply cut out a mask shape, cut eye holes in, and fastened some elastic to go around the head using tape. I was amazed that Joel actually kept his on his forehead for the whole party, and Andrew wore his on his eyes for a while before it broke after some rather enthusiastic bouncing on the bouncy castle. It was really hard to get good photos of them in the costumes at the party, most of mine are really blurry because they wouldn’t stay still! But I think you get the idea from the photo I took of the costumes before the superheroes got into them 😉 We had a lot of fun at the party; the boys (and I, and Grandma and Pop who came too) were all exhausted afterwards because they were constantly on the go exploring all the different games and activities that there were on offer, just like little superheroes who can never really rest with all the important work they have to do! For a few years now we’ve been joining in with Operation Christmas Child – the world’s largest children’s Christmas project, run by the Christian charity Samaritan’s Purse. The mission of the project is to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to needy children around the world, and together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Since having children of our own, we have really appreciated how blessed we are to have enough money to feed and clothe them, as well as buy them other nice things, and to have family and friends who give us so many gifts for them that they are never in want of anything. For many children around the world, this is not what life is like. The idea behind OCC is for people in the UK to send shoeboxes packed with gifts that children in less well-off countries would like to receive. These gifts can include various items from toys and stationary to toiletries and woolies. The shoe boxes should be wrapped up in bright and cheerful wrapping paper, and a sticker stuck on indicating if the gifts inside are for a boy or a girl and which age range they are suitable for. In previous years we’ve always done one for a boy, just because I happen to have seen gifts that are more suitable for boys, and since having boys myself, I guess my eye is drawn towards these items in shops anyway. This year, however, when we popped into a few shops, I mainly saw things suitable for girls (or gender neutral) so we went for that. Andrew helped me choose what to buy, and I explained that we were getting these things as presents for a little girl who lives far away from us but who would love to have some nice presents this Christmas, just like he will. I’m not sure he gets the concept of someone living far away from us, but he seemed to understand that we were buying the gifts and putting them in the box for another child. OCC like the gifts in the box to include items from all four categories: toys, stationary and school supplies, toiletries and other (sweets/hat/gloves/jewellery etc.) Our gifts included a bumper pack of wax crayons, a ‘Hello Kitty’ notepad/pencil/rubber/sharpener set, a beany teddy, a slinky spring, toothbrushes, soap, flannel, necklace, hair clips. All together these cost us around £10. In order to help with shipping costs, OCC also suggest a £3 donation, which can be done online by credit card. We decorated our shoebox with red wrapping paper on the bottom, silver wrapping paper on the lid, and a ribbon stuck on the lid (you’re not supposed to wrap the whole box up or seal it by tying ribbon around the box, because sometimes they need to look in it for customs or other reasons), and finished off with a reindeer tag on the lid. We hope that the little girl who receives it will enjoy opening it and finding out what’s inside. If you’d like to find out more about Operation Christmas Child, and even get involved yourself by packing a shoebox (or two, or three), visit the OCC website. One of the groups we go to regularly is called Little Sheep, which takes place at our church, Holy Trinity Cambridge, on Wednesday afternoons. There is an activity for all the parents to do (recent ones that spring to mind were making fresh pasta, making a magnetic fishing game for toddlers, coming up with and sharing present ideas for children of various ages, a clothes swap), and the children have fun playing with toys and are looked after by volunteers from the church. Anyone with children under 4 is welcome to go. Every week there is a ‘thought for the day’, which has been described as ‘a bit like the ones on radio 4 but less intellectual’! A few of the leaders and other mums who go to the church take it in turns to give the thought each week, and we are usually given a broad topic to talk on however we’d like. This week it was my turn, and my topic was Father’s day. So this is what I said….. As it’s Fathers’ I’ve been asked to do a thought for the day on God being our Heavenly Father. A couple of weeks ago, the daily Bible reading and short study that I get sent by email was from the book of Romans (which is Paul’s letter to the early church in Rome), chapter 8. You can read the whole passage and notes here. Verse 15 in the passage says that ‘the Spirit [that’s the Holy Spirit] you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba Father.’ Now I’d read and heard this verse read many times before, it’s quite a well known one, often used to illustrate that God is not a distant Father but one who we can run to like a small child and he will be there for us – ‘Abba’ is the Aramaic (or Hebrew) word for ‘Daddy’ rather than the more formal ‘Father’. I love thinking of God like this, someone I can turn to for a hug if things aren’t going well, and someone who genuinely cares, just like a good father here on Earth cares for his children. I think this hits home to me even more now that I see Andrew running to his Daddy when he comes home from work, shouting excitedly “Daddy, Daddy!”, and his Daddy picks him up and gives him a big hug. That’s how God wants to be to us, and I imagine myself running to him shouting “Daddy” and him giving me a big hug. Going back to the verse from Romans, the first part of it talks about our adoption to sonship through the Holy Spirit. I understood this on quite a superficial level before, and it always reminds me of a rather cheesy 80s worship song that has the line “Now I am your child, I am adopted in your family, and I will never be alone, cos Father God you’re there beside me”. But my study notes email a couple of weeks ago gave some background on what this meant in the context of the Roman Empire at the time that the events of the book took place and therefore what it would have meant to the original readers. In first-century Rome, wealthy people would often adopt a young boy (who was often one of their slaves) to become their son. This adoption was a public act, and the boy received a new status and security, a new family and inheritance; an adopted son, unlike a biological son, could never be disowned or abandoned, and he could go to his adoptive father whenever he wanted. So when Paul, the writer of this letter to the church in Rome, uses the word ‘adopted’ when talking about these early Christians’ relationship with God, the same is true, and the same is also true for anyone who believes in Jesus today: God is our Heavenly Father who has adopted us into His family – we have a new security in God rather than worldly things, a new family including all the other Christians in the world, and our new inheritance is a new life in Jesus that lasts beyond our life on this earth. This analogy with Roman adoption isn’t something I knew about until the Bible study recently. And now that I do know this context, the meaning of the verse is even clearer to me. I know that God will never abandon me. I know that I am blessed with a good relationship with my parents, but if that wasn’t the case, I imagine that it would be a great comfort to know that God my Heavenly Father would be someone to turn to. Whatever your relationship with your own dad is this Fathers’ day – maybe it’s good, maybe it’s not, maybe your Dad isn’t around any more – wouldn’t it be amazing if you had someone even bigger and even better to run to calling ‘Daddy’ just like a child? Every Thursday morning, the boys and I go to a group at church – it’s for women of any age, most of us have children of various ages, and there is a lovely student who looks after the toddlers (who love her!) whilst we read a passage from the Bible, discuss what we’ve read, and pray with each other. This term we’ve been looking at the book of Acts (short for Acts of the Apostles – they were Jesus’ first followers), which was written as an account of what happened to Jesus and his followers after He had died and risen from the dead. The first chapter of the book describes how Jesus stayed with his followers for 40 days after he rose from the dead, then, as they were all eating a meal together, Jesus went back up into heaven. We were discussing in our group how the followers might have felt at this moment; I think I would have felt like a complete emotional wreck – I’d have been through the grief of seeing Him killed, the joy and amazement of seeing him alive again, and now he goes and leaves again by disappearing up into the clouds – what’s that all about?! The followers’ response was to pray together, which is probably the only response that could make any sense of their situation. However, Jesus had promised them something which would appear after he had left them, and we see what this was in chapter 2 of Acts. The followers had gathered for the traditional Jewish festival of Pentecost as they would every year. During this celebration, God sent the Holy Spirit to them, which is described as being like a violent wind that whooshed among them and like flames of fire that came between them and fell upon them. As Christians in the present day, it is this sending of the Holy Spirit into the world that we celebrate and remember today (and every year) on Pentecost Sunday. So it is very apt that our group has been looking at Acts leading up to today. We can read an account of how the Holy Spirit was sent to Jesus’ followers back in the first century AD, but what relevance is this to our lives today? God’s plan was that the Holy Spirit would stay with anyone on Earth who believes in Jesus and what He did for us, throughout the centuries until Jesus comes again. As the Holy Spirit stays with us and we are filled with Him, His role is a ‘helper’ – there are several ways in which He helps me in my life. Here are a few examples, along with Bible verses that refer to these too: How to live my life…. He leads us and guides us (John 16:13; Romans 8:14; Galatians 5:18;) He teaches us (John 14:26; 1 Corinthians 2:13), and specifically to pray (Romans 8:26-27; Jude 1:20) He speaks to us (Acts 8:29, 10:19, 11:12; 1 Corinthians 12:3; Hebrews 3:7; 1 Timothy 4:1; Revelation 2:11) How I’m feeling…. He puts God’s love into our hearts (Romans 5:5) He gives us deep down joy even in suffering (1 Thessalonians 1:6) He encourages us in good and hard times (Acts 9:31) How I interact with others…. He speaks through us to others (Matthew 10:20; Acts 2:4) He gives us the power to do what God wants us to do in helping others (Luke 4:14; Acts 1:8; Romans 15:19). He unites us with each other in peace (Ephesians 2:14-18, 4:3) The big and deep bits…. He shows us who Jesus is, that Jesus is present in our lives (John 16:14-15, 1 John 3:24; 4:13), and He transforms us to be more like Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:18). He lets us draw near to God the Father, and shows us the profound and amazing things He has done for us and given us through Jesus’ death and resurrection (1 Corinthians 2:10-12, Ephesians 2:18) For me, the Holy Spirit is key in how I became a Christian and how I continue to live for Jesus. As a child and a teenager, I felt like I knew a lot of the theory about God and Jesus as I read about them, but it wasn’t until I experienced the Holy Spirit that I really knew what it was like to live a life for Jesus – it’s difficult to describe this because it’s an experience rather than something tangible like a book to read. Life isn’t always easy, Jesus never promised that it would be, in fact He told us it would be hard at times, but He also promised that the Holy Spirit would be there to help, and I’m so glad that He is! Here is a song that I have in my head for today – it is a song asking God to please ‘send the fire’, and the fire it refers to is the Holy Spirit, just like it was first experienced by Jesus’ followers as described in the book of Acts. I can’t quite believe that Joel turned 6 months old this week. It only seems like yesterday that he was a newborn, all squishy, little and quiet (most of the time – honestly, he really didn’t cry much at all). Now he’s much bigger and heavier, can roll across the room faster than the time it takes for me to put a load of washing on, and is starting to make some syllabic sounds as he babbles away. I know I experienced these big changes in the first 6 months of Andrew’s life too, but it still never ceases to amaze me just how much my boys are changing all the time. It’s only when I stop and reflect like this that I am totally wowed by the growth and development of the human body – for me this is a real physical reminder of the amazing creator God who I believe in. On the whole I am loving my role in life of looking after two little boys. I can’t deny that there have been some hard times – I am human myself after all, and despite my best efforts to be ‘super-mum’, I do have limitations like the possession of only two hands and two eyes (neither in the back of my head) and no super power to avoid the effects of sleep deprivation. But given that there is only a 21 month age gap, so I had two kids under two in my care for 3 months of Joel’s life, I think it’s not bad going that there’s so far only been one occasion when all three of us were in tears at one time (there have been other combinations of one or two of us in tears, mainly the boys). I can’t claim that this is all my own doing though. I am very blessed to have such a supportive husband who helps out so much with the boys, and it’s a real blessing to both of us that his job is only a 15 minute cycle away so he gets home not long after he finishes at 5pm; things would be a lot harder for me if I didn’t have this help. We also have very supportive parents, and although they don’t live in Cambridge, they come as often as possible to help us; my mum is the most regular visitor every couple of weeks or so for a day, and Tom’s mum usually comes at half-term holidays for several days in a row; our dads have been more weekend visitors with our mums. And looking back over these past 6 months, I can see that Jesus has been with us too, helping me get through some difficult days, even those in which I had little time or space (with the demands of two children being my priority) to talk to him properly in prayer. I don’t think I would have got to where I am now in one piece without Him answering our prayers and the prayers of others on our behalf. For about the first 3 months, I would say that the hardest part of my role wasn’t looking after a newborn – he slept, fed, slept, fed, and not much else, plus I’d looked after a newborn before – no, the hardest part was looking after a newborn AND a 1year old toddler at the same time – I’d not done that before, and was still learning how best to meet Andrew’s needs that were evolving all the time. There are not many ways in which these past 6 months have been similar to the first 6 months of Andrew’s life – the only big one that I can think of is the similar amount of sleep that I’ve had. In many ways having my first baby and my second have been very different experiences. It could partly be to do with their different personalities, but I think the main difference has been that I know more about what I’m doing and therefore feel less stressed about what I ‘should’ be doing according to society’s parenting wisdom. I always felt I was fairly laid back with how things went with Andrew, and took a mainly baby-led approach with the various aspects of parenting in the early months, but I have noticed that I’ve been even less worried about how things are going this time, I guess because I’ve seen the positive outcomes of the baby-led approach with Andrew. One particular aspect of these first 6 months that I’ve been reflecting on, and how different it’s been the second time around is breastfeeding (I already blogged some of these thoughts here). Overall it’s been a much more enjoyable experience this time. In Andrew’s first 6 months I kept on breastfeeding more out of determination than anything else (I am a very determined person!) and my goal was just to get to 6 months; but when I got there, breastfeeding fairly soon became something I enjoyed rather than something I thought was my duty to my baby, and that’s why we carried on (that baby turned toddler still doesn’t think he’s too big for mummy milk!) At 6 months feeding became less about calorific intake and more about the non-nutritional aspects, so I felt less stressed when I (with the help of formula in the SNS) wasn’t the only source of food as he started to eat solids. This time I have been able to enjoy this longer term perspective right from the start, knowing that even in the difficult times of constant feeding as a baby, it would get better and would all be worth it in the end. Although there was a bit of an issue with his weight (in the GP/health visitor’s eyes) around 2 months, this soon righted itself, and I’ve just realised that I haven’t had him weighed for a couple of months, which has helped, I’m sure, in me feeling less stressed about feeding – he is clearly growing and getting heavier. In fact I think the better experience of breastfeeding, and also having learned how the health system sees breastfeeding compared to my own natural instincts as a mum, have together made the biggest difference to how I’ve felt as a mum of a baby in these past 6 months compared to how I felt last time. And as I said above, I’m sure my prayers, even exhausted and fed up at 2am, have helped. So there we go: I survived the first 6 months of life with 2 kids, and, more to the point, so did they – hooray! Now to carry on with life – looking after a growing baby who’s looking more and more like a little boy rather than a little baby and a toddler whose ability to communicate with me is getting more and more sophisticated. Although Andrew is now experiencing his third Easter in life, this is the first year that I have really thought about how to start explaining to him what happened at the very first Easter, because 2 years ago he was just a couple of months old and last year he still wasn’t understanding things we said half as much as he does now. To get some inspiration for how to tell the Easter story in language that a toddler will grasp, I’ve turned to the various children’s Bibles that we have. Both boys were given some Bibles for their dedications (Joel’s was last week), but despite the number we have, we’ve only ended up with a couple of duplicates between both boys. Some are board books aimed at babies and young toddlers, some have paper pages but lots of pictures and simple text for age 2 years plus, and some have more text aimed at early-school-age children. This is good because as they grow up we have a nice progression of Bibles to read with them. There is something very refreshing about reading the Bible in a version that is meant for children. It brings me back to basics and reminds me of some of the most important points there are to know about God.That’s not to say that I don’t want to explore the more detailed and challenging points of what we are taught through the Bible using a version meant for adults, but sometimes in studying the more complicated bits, it’s easy to lose sight of the simple truths. So this Easter I have been reminded, through the simplicity of children’s books, of the enormity of what Jesus did for me by dying on the cross and rising again. The two board book Bibles that Joel was recently given, which are aimed at babies and young toddlers, don’t actually say that Jesus died, but put it more figuratively: ‘Some people did not like Jesus. They took him away….Then Mary saw Jesus. Jesus had come back to life again!’ (The Baby Bible); ‘The people hurt Jesus and then put him on a cross, and soon Jesus was gone. Jesus’ friends took his body down from the cross and carried him to a tomb with a big stone door.’ (Baby’s First Bible). For about the past year or so, we have been reading a Bible story to Andrew each night before he goes to bed. We’ve been using the two Bibles for toddlers that he was given, and although he doesn’t understand everything, he enjoys looking at the pictures and talking about what’s in them as we read (I say ‘we’, but since Joel’s been born it’s mainly been Daddy reading). As we’ve worked our way through the Bible, we have of course got to the Easter story; he has heard it, but he doesn’t yet understand what it means when they say ‘they left him to die’ (Candle Bible for Toddlers) and ‘Jesus died on the cross’ (The Beginner’s Bible). However, he does understand that some of the people in the story were very sad about what happened, as he sees the sad faces on the pictures and we explain that they were sad. But the great thing about the Easter story is that although Jesus died, he also rose again, so it’s a happy ending and we can explain to a toddler that the people who were sad became happy again, shown by their expressions in the pictures in the books. These emotions of sadness and joy are at the heart of how I feel when thinking about what happened to Jesus and why we celebrate Easter. It is so very sad to remember that Jesus died, and in particular that he suffered a horrific death, tortured and killed on a Roman cross, even though he had done nothing wrong – in fact He went through this to make up for all the wrong things that I do which separate me from God. This is such a massive thing to fully appreciate, and it’s quite easy to forget throughout the rest of the year just how hard that must have been for Him, so in the days leading up to Easter Sunday, particularly on Good Friday, I think it’s the least I can do to reflect on this with feelings of sadness and thankfulness. But in the sadness there is always hope! Death was not the end of Jesus’ life, death did not beat Him. Having been through all that suffering, He rose again back to life from the dead. Now that is definitely a reason to be so very happy. What’s more, Jesus promised that whoever believes in Him and that He died for them to make up for everything they do wrong, they will have everlasting life with Him in heaven after their life in this world. That’s even more reason to be happy, and that’s what I am celebrating today. I have this song in my head and will no doubt be heard humming/singing it several times today 🙂 Happy Easter everyone!

A Zagora 4×4 Sahara Desert Tour of Amezrou Silversmiths and the Ancient Jewish Mellah offers a unique flavor of the Sahara. Places to visit include the Dunes of Tinfo, the Amezrou Silver makers workshops, the Tamagroute Pottery Cooperative, the old Spiritual Zaouia site, the Koranic Library and an adventure into the M’hamid Dunes of Sahara Desert. Zagora is a town that is nestled within the Draa Valley river in Souss-Massa-Draâ, southeastern Morocco. Zagora is surrounded by the mountain Zagora and is how this Saharan town got its name. Zagora was originally called ‘Tazagourt’ the singular of plural ‘Tizigirt’, Berber for ‘twin peaks’, referring to the form of the mountain. In old European maps the mountain Zagora is can be found however the town itself was only built in the 20th century.

The Liberal Party's youngest ever senator is preparing to pursue radical reforms, including throwing out the national curriculum, relocating the Australian Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and reimposing a debt ceiling. Vowing to respect voters' intelligence, scrap talking points and speak plainly, newly installed senator James Paterson has told Fairfax Media he had no intention of staying in Parliament for the sake of it. "I'm not here for a career, I'm not here for personal power and advancement," he said. "I only want to be a minister to serve the goals of economic and personal freedom - not for my own sake. If I feel I'm not having an impact then I'll call it a day." Senator Paterson also left open the possibility of crossing the floor on totemic issues but "only in the most extreme circumstances". The 28-year old, who most recently worked at the free-market think tank The Institute of Public Affairs, was sworn in on Tuesday and is due to deliver his maiden speech to Parliament on Wednesday. In a repudiation of dumped treasurer Joe Hockey, Mr Paterson will call for the Parliament to reimpose a debt ceiling, which Mr Hockey abolished in a 2013 deal he struck with the Greens. "With gross debt exceeding $400 billion, the government should have to seek permission from the Parliament to increase it," Senator Patterson said. Radical schools proposal Mr Paterson's maiden speech will also propose radical changes to the national curriculum, which he rubbished as "biased and left-wing". He said the education sector would be boosted by schools being allowed to "throw out the rule book and teach as they see fit". Citing the Charter Schools movement in the United States, Mr Paterson said the "one-size fits all approach" to teaching was outdated and flexibility in setting class times could help close the "achievement gap". I'm not here for personal power and advancement But Mr Paterson's call for Australia's Embassy in Israel to be relocated from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is likely to be his most controversial. Israel claims Jerusalem as its indivisible capital, but most countries base their embassies in Tel Aviv, an acknowledgment of the Palestinian claim to East Jerusalem. "Jerusalem is Israel's capital and we should respect that by putting our embassy where they choose to have their capital," he said. As a staffer to Victorian senator and now cabinet minster Mitch Fifield, Senator Paterson travelled to Israel in 2009 as part of the Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council student leaders delegation. Links to Cory Bernardi Senator Paterson was the surprise winner of a recent Liberal Party Senate preselection battle to replace the retiring Michael Ronaldson. His victory makes him the party's youngest ever senator but he hoped to be judged on his input, not age. "The great benefit of being a young person coming into Parliament is that I can have long-term ideas and prosecute them for as long as I have the blessing of the Victorian Liberal Party." Part of his pitch to Liberal preselectors were his media skills, which he finessed in the United States as part of a prize for winning an essay competition held by conservative senator Cory Bernardi under the umbrella of the Conservative Leadership Foundation. The foundation aims to "train and develop the next generation of conservative leaders".

October 19, 2013 NEW YORK – The United States has the Iranian tiger by the tail. Washington doesn’t know whether to hold on or let the big beast go. The Mideast diplomatic thaw begun by Russia’s clever Vladimir Putin, and Iran’s democratic change of presidents, opened the diplomatic path to progress over Syria, Iran’s nuclear ambitions, and, lest we forget, the question of Palestine. For the first time since 1979, senior US and Iranian officials are holding talks in Geneva. Joining them are nuclear negotiators from Russia, Britain, France, Germany and China. Ironically, the only two nations in this group that are not in violation of the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty are Iran and Germany. The other members have never fulfilled their pledge to rapidly eliminate all nuclear weapons. Five decades later, they still hold 22,000 nuclear warheads. And that total does not include the nuclear arsenals of Israel, Pakistan and India. Washington now faces a very difficult problem. It has waged economic and political warfare against the Islamic Republic of Iran since its 1979 revolution. Iran has been badly damaged by sanctions. But like that other disobedient bad boy, Cuba, Iran has managed to hold out. But what will happen if punishing US-engineered sanctions against Iran are eased? Oil-rich Iran will rebuild its ravaged economy and infrastructure, and quietly enhance its military power. A key priority for Tehran will be modernizing its decrepit civilian air fleet that routinely crashes from mechanical problems or pilot error. Good news for Boeing and Airbus, as well as US energy companies. If Iran regains its former role as a major Mideast power, this important development will run head-on into current US strategy to keep it weak and isolated until a pro-US government comes to power in Tehran. A strengthening Iran will generate fear and anxiety in Saudi Arabia and some of the less flexible Gulf states, and increase Tehran’s influence over Iraq. An Iran with the capability of producing a few nuclear weapons within a year also deeply alarms Washington, its Arab allies, and Israel. An Iran with even a few nukes, like North Korea, would sharply limit US Mideast power and its ability to use military forces against Iran. Israel knows that Iran has no intention of launching a nuclear attack on the Jewish state, which is a major world nuclear power with an invulnerable triad of land, sea and air-launched nuclear weapons. But Israel’s constant alarms about Iran’s so far non-existent nuclear weapons serves to distract attention from its rapid absorption of the West Bank and Golan, and generate potent political and financial support from its North American partisans. Or maybe Israel’s leader, Benyamin Netanyahu has actually come to believe his own Jeremiads about Tehran’s supposed suicidal “mad mullahs.” Today, Israel has no serious enemies in the Arab world: Egypt has been bought off; Iraq and Syria destroyed. Saudi Arabia is in secret alliance with Israel. The only nation that can hope to challenge Israel’s increasingly dominant role in the Mideast is Iran. That puts Israel, Iran and Saudi Arabia in a three-way competition for regional hegemony. If Iran is kept isolated and assaulted by trade sanctions, electronic attack, sabotage and ethnic subversion in its Arab and Azeri regions, Iran will very likely continue its slow but steady development of nuclear breakout capability – meaning being able to assemble nuclear components into a warhead and deliver them on fairly short notice. A deal limiting Tehran’s breakout capability would seem the best recourse. My own long-standing proposal is the “Margolis Plan:” let Iran and Israel to inspect one-another’s nuclear facilities. But that, of course, won’t happen because Israel won’t admit it has nuclear weapons, a fairy tale backed by all US administrations. How about the US, China, Russia, France and Britain opening their nuclear plants for inspection? Add India and Pakistan to this list. While what appear to be fruitful talks progress in Geneva, powerful special interests in America are trying to thwart any agreement with Iran. The US Congress, profoundly corrupted by political donations, is moving to impose new, draconian sanctions on Iran while Israel’s rightists and their allies in the US media thunder about the alleged dangers from Iran. The Republican Party leads the call for harsher sanctions on Iran. President Barack Obama knows that any deal with Iran must be struck before the next US presidential season gets under way, otherwise it will fail. Iran’s new leadership, led by President Hassan Rouhani, clearly wants a deal. The nationalist pride Iranians feel for their so far civilian nuclear program cannot outweigh the damage and pain of crushing sanctions. However, as in the past, the US-led western powers may keep moving the goalposts ever farther from a lasting agreement. If there’s a deal with Iran over nuclear power, can pressure for a deal over Palestine be far behind? copyright Eric S. Margolis 2013

Staff member Robin, who serves in Israel, and some of the other Israel staff took twenty-five Holocaust survivors to Scandinavia during Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. There is something so special about having time together away from home, sharing life and laughter, that allows for going deeper. Together they did some touring, lots of singing and games, and our staff shared the gospel. Robin has known most of these Holocaust survivors for many years. They have heard about Jesus and they participate in banquets and other events in Israel. Some of the people on the trip used to roll their eyes when anyone spoke of Jesus, but at this Rosh Hashanah service, they hung on every word that was shared. Robin had tears in her eyes as another staff member shared a compelling message of Jesus’ love for them. It was clear many were moved. Robin also had the opportunity to share her testimony with the group, as did a Holocaust survivor who came to believe in Jesus. Robin says, “Thank you for your prayers that make it possible to be part of sharing the Messiah with these dear people. Please pray they come to know Jesus in a personal way.” She continues, “There are three people in the group here who have come to faith in the last few years, and they can’t stop sharing the joy God has brought into their lives.”

There is little else more exciting than embarking on a first-ever trip to Israel aboard a flight full of Jews making Aliyah to Israel. The inability to keep exhilarated grins off of faces, the nervous energy of young children itching to taste the sweet Israeli air, and the atmosphere of deep and almost intoxicated anticipation is infectious. Excitement wafts throughout the airplane like the aroma of freshly-baked pastries, and no one aboard is immune to it. Pastor Becky Keenan was no exception. As a guest of Nefesh B’Nefesh on one of their charter flights for new immigrants to Israel, Becky Keenan and her husband Joe made the most of their first plane ride from New York to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport in 2010. Becky moved about the cabin and spoke with almost every passenger, asking them why they were making Aliyah, and engaging them in conversation about their decision to fly halfway across the world to live in a tiny slip of a country in the Middle East. “Every single passenger,” says Becky, “said the same thing: ‘We belong there. It’s our home.’ It didn’t matter where the passengers came from, they were all united by their belief that they were returning, at long last, to their Homeland. They believed they belonged,” Becky tells me. “And they did.” Two things stand out to Becky when she remembers that fateful plane ride. The first was the prevalent sense of community aboard the airplane; it was full of people who had never met one another, and yet no one was a stranger. The unity of their purpose – to return to and live in Israel – made them into a family. The second thing was the individual responsibility that each Jewish immigrant seemed to carry on their shoulders. Every Jewish passenger on that flight had taken it personally upon themselves to see God’s centuries-old prophecy to Abraham come to fruition – “All the land that you see, I will give to you and your children until eternity.” Retirees, parents and young children, and college graduates preparing to enlist into the Israeli Defense Forces – personal responsibility had brought all of those passengers to Israel. And personal responsibility is what makes Becky Keenan keep coming back to Israel again, and again, and again. Love of Israel was something that Becky acquired early on in her life. She was born in Germany and lived in Puerto Rico from ages 5 to 18. As a child, Becky’s father, a US Army veteran who served in World War II, took pains to ensure that Becky understood the deep significance of the Land of Israel, both to Jews and Christians. In the War, Becky’s father had fought for the values of freedom, liberty, and justice, and Becky knew that those were the selfsame values that the State of Israel had been founded on. “We are natural allies,” she says. On her first trip to Israel, Becky connected deeply with the land and the people of Israel. Right from the outset, the spiritual weight of the Biblical Homeland was apparent to her, and she immediately understood the depth of the relationship between Israel and the Jews. She saw firsthand how the return of the Jewish People had made the stony hilltops and desert areas flower. To Becky, it was clear that Israel had been waiting centuries for her people to return to her as God had promised. “The State of Israel was not a gift from the UN,” says Becky. “It was a gift from God, and it belonged to the Nation of Israel for a long, long time.” On that same trip to Israel, Becky met Sondra Oster Baras, CFOIC Heartland’s Israel Office Director. A quick but emotionally-loaded meeting in a hotel lobby grew into an amazing relationship ever since. Upon her return to Texas, bursting with the beauty of the land and excitement and revelation of her trip, Becky became determined to help Israel. She understood for the first time just how skewed the world’s perception of Israel really is. This disturbed Becky greatly, because she believes that those misguided opinions affect the younger generations and sour the relationships between Israel and its allies. Joe and Becky Keenan pastor the Gulf Meadows church in Houston, Texas, a bilingual congregation. After that first trip to Israel, Pastor Becky began to initiate serious education in the church for Israel. She hosted the first Night to Honor Israel in Houston and invited Israeli speakers to the church. A favorite visitor and speaker for several years now has been CFOIC’s Sondra Baras. In addition, Becky decided to start bringing her own groups to learn about Israel, to expose them to the real facts on the ground, and to combat misinformation. On her Educational Journeys through Israel, Becky encourages participants to think independently. “I don’t insert my opinion,” she says, “I allow the facts to speak for themselves.” In tandem with CFOIC Heartland, Becky brings her groups to meet locals in communities throughout Judea and Samaria, where she believes the most important lessons can be learned. “I want [my participants] to meet Jewish families, to see their appreciation for family, freedom, and education. In the Jews, with their survival and accomplishments, you can see the hand of God. We can all learn from that.” And there is always more to learn; Becky says that she is still learning about the situation in Judea and Samaria. When asked if she has a favorite Israeli community, Becky laughs and says, “That’s not a fair question! I love them all. Each community is so different, so individual. They’re full of hope.” Despite their differences, Becky says every resident she meets expresses that same unity of purpose that she witnessed on her first trip to Israel: that they belong here, as Jews, in their Biblical Homeland. “The Bible is alive,” continues Becky, “because God is alive. He’s alive in Judea and Samaria, and CFOIC Heartland can show you. The land of Israel responds to and protects the Jews living in it, and that is a true miracle.”

Uncooperative Radio Show Notes: Sunday 12/9/12 A Hanukkah story In 168 B.C.E. the Jewish Temple was seized by Syrian-Greek soldiers and dedicated to the worship of the god Zeus. This upset the Jewish people, but many were afraid to fight back for fear of reprisals. Columbus Police sprayed Mace on several people in a crowd that had gathered to sign up for a list to get subsidized housing at a northwest Columbus apartment complex. Two killed at alleged Washington pot house on first day of legal weed Two suspected robbers believed to be targeting an alleged home-based marijuana growing operation were killed in a shootout on the first day of legal marijuana in Washington state, authorities said. Add This Group To Obama's Winning Coalition: 'Religiously Unaffiliated' The big demographic story out of the 2012 presidential election may have been President Obama's domination of the Hispanic vote, and rightfully so. What is Interventionism? Part Three Or, the government imposes minimum-wage and prounion legislation, thereby compulsorily pricing workers out of the market and into unemployment Why Impatience May Hurt Your Heart Now that the holiday season is here, nearly everyone's patience will be tested at one time or another. Long lines, crowded malls and unbearable travel delays are among the reasons why some people will lose their cool.

Jodi discovers realityVirtually no Israelis favor a 'two-state solution' on the same terms as the 'Palestinians' want. What she still has not discovered is that while Israel has repeatedly expressed a willingness to compromise, the 'Palestinians' have yet to compromise on anything. Dore Gold, president of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, said there was a consensus in Israel favoring a Palestinian state, but not along the 1967 borders (as the Palestinian leadership insists); not with East Jerusalem as its capital (a cornerstone of every Palestinian plan); and not without maintaining an Israeli military presence in the Jordan Valley (which Palestinians reject as a challenge to their sovereignty). Israelis have also become more vigilant about security and less trusting of so-called moderate Arab leaders in the wake of the Arab uprisings exploding around them. “There’s the idea of a two-state solution in the abstract, and then there’s converting it into a map,” said Mr. Gold, a former peace negotiator and Netanyahu adviser. “Israelis want negotiations, they want to see a settlement that addresses the issue, but they also have certain red lines that they don’t want any arrangement to cross.” The current tempest began when Danny Danon, a hawkish member of Mr. Netanyahu’s Likud Party and deputy defense minister, told the Web site The Times of Israel that “there is no majority for a two-state solution” within Likud or Israel’s governing coalition. Later, in a television interview, he said that the majority of the Israeli public “has given up the idea of land for peace”; that Israel should declare sovereignty over the Jewish settlements and empty areas of the West Bank; and that the fate of Palestinian “blocks” should be “determined in an agreement with Jordan.” Opposition leaders called for Mr. Danon’s ouster. Palestinian leaders condemned his remarks as racist but said they revealed the “true face” of Israel. “Danon is an honest man who discloses the Israeli real policies and plans,” Ahmad Tibi, an Arab-Israeli member of Parliament, was quoted as saying in gulfnews.com, the online version of a newspaper based in the United Arab Emirates.And while Jodi wonders why Prime Minister Netanyahu has Danon as a Deputy Minister in his cabinet, she hints at another reality: The Prime Minister is well to the Left (at least in what he says) of his own party. And he's been fighting that reality for the last four years (at least). Several analysts noted that while Israel’s Jan. 22 elections resulted in a less conservative Parliament than the previous one, the coalition Mr. Netanyahu assembled in mid-March tilts further to the right, particularly on the Palestinian question. David Horovitz, the founding editor of The Times of Israel, said that the most telling thing was not what Mr. Danon said but that Mr. Netanyahu had given him and the others who disagree with the prime minister’s stated support for two states prominent positions in the cabinet. Some political experts here see the open airing of these divergent views as a sign of Mr. Netanyahu’s weakness within his own party, and of the fragility of his coalition. Others wonder whether Mr. Danon and the others may be voicing more than a fringe view. Moshe Yaalon, Israel’s defense minister, said Friday in Washington that Mr. Kerry’s initiative had “failed so far” and that he was not optimistic about the prospect of an agreement. I'm not sure that Prime Minister Netanyahu himself knows what the 'real Netanyahu' believes. But real Israelis know what we believe. We're not going to commit suicide to give Obama and Kerry a foreign policy success.For some, Mr. Danon’s directness is instructive. “If you ask me, he tells us the truth, while they are playing with the image they would like to project,” said Tamar Hermann, vice president of Israel’s Open University and director of the Peace Index project. “The proximity between Danon and the real Netanyahu — not the Netanyahu talking to Washington — is much smaller.” Read the whole thing.

Cincinnati (Jun. 24) A program whose purpose will be “to disseminate knowledge of Judaism among the public, Jewish and non-Jewish, to the end that a better understanding of our faith and its principles arise and prejudice now prevailing disappear” will be considered Saturday evening at the annual meeting of the tract commission of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations and the Central Conference of American Rabbis at the Congress Hotel, Chicago. Dr. Leo M. Franklin of Detroit, chairman of the commission, will preside at the meeting which is being held in connection with the sessions of the Central Conference scheduled to open Tuesday. The members of the commission, beside Dr. Franklin, are: Dr. Edward N. Calisch of Richmond, Va.; Dr. Harry W. Ettelson of Memphis, Tenn.; Dr. Israel Bettan of Cincinnati; Rabbi Samuel Hirschberg of Milwaukee; Milton M. Alexander of Detroit and Rabbi Louis I. Egelson of Cincinnati, secretary.

Our Foundation’s Planned and Legacy Giving programs offer financial tools for tax-deductible donations in Rockleigh, NJ Individuals and families often reflect on what they can do to make a positive difference in the “quality of life” of others. The Jewish Home offers many charitable gift-giving opportunities, and encourages members of the community to include the Jewish Home in their charitable gift planning. The following is a list of some of the most popular forms of charitable giving. Appreciated Stock: Gift of stock that has increased in value is a win-win-win situation. It provides a charitable gift to the Jewish Home, eliminates capital gains tax that would otherwise be applicable to the donor, and provides a charitable deduction to the donor. This type of gift can be as simple as an electronic transfer. Bequests: Remembering the Jewish Home in your will is a wonderful way to leave a lasting legacy. This gift demonstrates foresight in understanding how to help the Jewish Home guarantee delivery of vital programs and services in the future. A bequest can be unrestricted, allowing the Home to use the funds at its own discretion or can be directed by the donor to a specific program or endowment. Bequests can play an important role in estate planning. Those who identify their intention of making a bequest of $10,000 or more to the Jewish Home in their wills are included in the Foundation’s Charuvim Society. Cash Donations or its equivalent: The most popular form of charitable giving. This gift can be sent directly to the Home, for use in the Home’s general operating budget, or can be directed toward a specific project. Gift Annuities & Remainder Trusts: A gift of this type can be structured in a variety of ways, providing annual income to the donor, and also providing the satisfaction of knowing that the residual of the gift will ultimately benefit the Jewish Home. Life Insurance: This allows the donor to make a gift of assets that may no longer be needed, or that have “outlived” their original purpose. One can choose to use the “cash value” of a policy to fund a gift, or name the Jewish Home as the “beneficiary”, to receive all or a portion of the proceeds of the policy at death. Retirement Plans: If you have one or more retirement plans in your accumulated assets, or are over the age of 59 and find you have excess retirement funds, your IRA may be an appealing source for the funding of a charitable gift. Or, you can donate now via the Web! Contributions may be made through the Jewish Home Foundation which is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) organization. Contributions made to the Foundation are tax-deductible as permitted by law. For further information about making a donation of any kind to the Jewish Home, contact Melanie Cohen, Foundation Executive Director at 201-750-4231, or firstname.lastname@example.org.

* While all this is going on with the Dalmatians, there are problems in other provinces as well. * We hear of campaigning going on in….. Africa. * And also this is the period when Herod’s son Archelaus is so unpopular in Judaea that he’s stripped of his throne and forced into retirement, and Judaea becomes a full Roman province. * As I mentioned a few episodes ago, Quirinius is sent by Augustus to run the province and he hold a census which makes the Jews unhappy. Click on the banner and use the coupon code LOC to get 25% off your first three months! * It’s the first time they’ve had to pay taxes directly to Rome. * And so they rise up. * This is actually a really interesting event. * The uprising is lead by a guy called Judas of Galilee. * Not Jesus of Galilee. * Not Judas Iscariot. * Judas of Galilee. * According to the late first century Jewish historian and turncoat Josephus, Judas of Galilee is the founder of the Zealots. * And he was actually a messiah wannabe. * He may or may not be the same Judas who, a few years earlier, cleaned the temple because Herod the Great defiled it with statues of Roman eagles. * Anyway, Judas, like all of the other messiah wannabes, was executed by the Romans before his revolution could succeed. * Quirinus shuts down the rebellion like a good Roman should – quickly and brutally. * So at the age of 69 – Ray’s favourite age – Augustus is facing serious problems on several fronts simultaneously. * And for a brief time at least, he reverts back to young Octavian – curled up in the corner, sucking his thumb. * Pliny claims he fell into despair, didn’t eat for four days, and kept yelling that he wished he was dead. * I actually have a clip. * GODFATHER – YOU CAN ACT LIKE A MAN. * Or the ANTONY clip. * Or both. * When the rebellion in Illyricum broke out, he couldn’t have known how Bodacious would react when he pulled Tibbo out of Germany. * Would he take a peace deal or not? * And of course he knew the Illyricum warriors first hand, cuz he’d gone there himself to pacify them back when he was a youngster. * He had Agrippa by his side at the time though. * Now’s he’s all alone. * All his worst fears have happened. * Nobody by his side, no-one really to replace him, and the empire is falling apart around his ears. * All those decades of work for nothing. * In Italy he only had nine cohorts of praetorians, his bodyguards, the urban cohorts, the imperial fleet, and the Village People. * IN THE NAVY * The rest of the army was too far away to get there in time. * The funny thing is, Augustus started the year by setting up a new treasury fund for the military. * He even kicked in 170 million sesterses of his own money. * But don’t worry – he found that lying behind the couch. * He also set up three former praetors to serve as the managers of the fund for three year terms of office. * The fund was supposed to pay for the soldier’s salaried and the standard discharge bonus that was given out now instead of a land grant. * By this time there were 28 legions. * About 140,000 troops. * The terms of service have been extended from 16 to 20 years. * And then a further FIVE years as a veteran. * The kind of solider massacred during the early stages of the rebellion in Illyricum. * To pay for all of this, he instituted a tax of 5% on inheritances. * This was the first direct taxation of citizen living in Italy in more than 150 years and it was VERY unpopular. * Because Italians, like the American Founding Fathers, didn’t like paying for shit they were used to getting for free. * When news of the Illyricum rebellion happened, Augustus tried to raise a new army at home. * For the first time in decades they held a levy but not enough volunteers appeared. * So he resorted to limited conscription. * He also admitted men to the army that normally would have been rejected due to their age or physical condition or occupation. * Like a 50 year old midget podcaster would definitely not have made it into the ranks under normal circumstances. * And slaves were demanded from the wealth citizens, and when they were handed over they were declared free, given their citizenship, and enrolled in special cohorts – – the cohortes voluntariorum civium romanorum (volunteer cohorts of Roman citizens). * This distinguished them from the free-born cohorts. * The elite of Italy were expected to play their part as leaders. * Augustus asked for volunteers, especially from the younger members of the senate and equestrians. * Some volunteered. * Some said they would go if they were forced to. * Others refused. * One equestrian father cut his sons thumbs off to make them unfit for service. * I’d be like “fucking hell, you couldn’t just shoot me in the thigh or something?” * My fucking THUMBS!? * How am I going to jerk off without thumbs? * DIDN’T THINK ABOUT THAT DID YOU OLD MAN. * Right – from now on, YOU are in charge of jerking me off. * I posted on Facebook and asked how you jerk off without thumbs. * Amanda Kippax suggests you’d get a Fleshlight. * Augustus had the father arrested, tried, condemned and sold as a slave. * His property was all auctioned off. * But wait – it gets worse. * This guy was actually one of the publicani – the guys who collected taxes on behalf of the state. * This guys colleagues tried to do him a solid by bidding for him. * But Augustus ignored them and told the guy for a token price to one of his own freedmen. * OH SHEEEEIT. * The reluctance of men from all classes not willing to serve the state was part of a wider problem. * Fire was still a major problem in Rome, and so Augustus enlarged the fire department. * There were now seven cohorts of vigiles. * Most of the recruits were freedmen, partly because they were a large demographic in Rome, but also because they were the only people willing to do the dirty work. * They were like the Mexicans of Rome. * Augustus instituted a 2% tax on the sale price of slaves to fund the new fire dept. * For some reason there are also good shortages in Rome at the time, and so excess people were banned from coming within 100 miles of the city. * Some public business was suspended, senators were permitted to stay in their country villas and skip Senate meetings and an exemption was made so that votes would be valid even if a quorum wasn’t present. * It’s crisis time in Rome. * And so with so much going wrong, it’s not surprising that the people weren’t so happy with Augustus. * Anonymous pamphlets start circulating, openly hinting at revolution. * We don’t know if they just targeted Augustus or other magistrates and Senators. * The ancient sources blame it on someone obscure called Rufus, but modern scholars seem to think it might have been started by people who thought they would do better if they could undermine Livia’s descendents in favour of Julia and her family. * Who is left? Postumus? * Dio says the new inheritance tax was one of the reasons for the discontent. * And because that only affected the filthy rich, historians think this rebellion was the rich trying to sow the seeds of discontent amongst the masses. * Like Donald Trump campaigning on the Wall. * Like he fucking cares. HOW TO LISTEN If you’re seeing this message, it means you aren’t logged in as a subscriber. If want to listen to the premium episodes of the series – 200 episodes on the lives of Julius, Augustus and Tiberius Caesar – you’ll need to become one of our subscribers and REGISTER NOW and pay unto Caesar what is Caesar’s.

Find jewish dating sites herpes dating orlando florida Our excavations are highlighting the pivotal role of ritual purity observance – not only in Jerusalem, but in the far-off Galilee as well.”The excavations also revealed an artificially hewn cave from which ancient workers quarried the raw material for the chalkstone vessels.“Ancient chisel marks cover the walls, ceiling and floor of the cave,” Adler said.“Inside the cave and on the ground nearby are strewn thousands of stone cores, the ancient industrial waste from stone mugs, and bowls produced on a lathe. Hundreds of unfinished vessels were also found, apparently damaged during the production process and discarded on-site.”While similar finds have been recorded in other parts of the country, Yardenna Alexandre, an archeologist at the authority specializing in the study of the Galilee during the Roman Era, described the most recent discovery as an unprecedented opportunity.“Throughout the years, we have been discovering fragments of these kinds of stone vessels alongside pottery in excavations of houses in both rural and urban Jewish sites from the Roman Period, such as Kafr Kana, Tzipori and Nazareth,” said Alexandre.“Now, for the first time, we have an unprecedented opportunity to investigate a site where these vessels were actually produced in the Galilee.”Alexandre added that Jews using stone vessels for religious purposes is well attested in Talmudic sources, but noted that the phenomenon also appears in the Wedding at Cana narrative in the Gospel of John, where the water-turned-to-wine is said to have been held in six jars made of stone: “Now, there were six stone water jars set there for the Jewish custom of purification, containing 20 or 30 gallons each” (John 2:6). It was originally a service called Just Say Hi, but the site transitioned to Mingle2 in 2008 and now works with many populations of singles. OKCupid is one of the most popular dating sites and is free to sign up initially. It is one of the biggest dating sites with over 90 million registered users across the globe. Mingle2 is a membership service of which users pay to be a part. All are hand-picked and deemed trustworthy by our team of Torah educated Jewish Orthodox editors. Online dating has grown in popularity to the point where there is almost no social stigma attached to it. Large and Lovely is a BBW dating service with online BBW personals for plus size singles, the BBW (Big Beautiful Woman), the BHM (Big Handsome Man), and their FA (Fat Admirer’s with hundreds of thousands of personal ads currently listed here on our website. Love can come in all different shapes, sizes, and colors, so you never know when it’s going to strike. Our is a unique dating site specifically catered to people over 50.

1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, 3 the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name, 6 including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, 7 To all God's beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed throughout the world. 9 For God, whom I serve with my spirit by announcing the gospel of his Son, is my witness that without ceasing I remember you always in my prayers, 10 asking that by God's will I may somehow at last succeed in coming to you. 11 For I am longing to see you so that I may share with you some spiritual gift to strengthen you -- 12 or rather so that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine. 13 I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as I have among the rest of the Gentiles. 14 I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish 15 -- hence my eagerness to proclaim the gospel to you also who are in Rome. 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, "The one who is righteous will live by faith." 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of those who by their wickedness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse; 21 for though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their senseless minds were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools; 23 and they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling a mortal human being or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles. 24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the degrading of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them up to degrading passions. Their women exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural, 27 and in the same way also the men, giving up natural intercourse with women, were consumed with passion for one another. Men committed shameless acts with men and received in their own persons the due penalty for their error. 28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind and to things that should not be done. 29 They were filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, covetousness, malice. Full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, craftiness, they are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, rebellious toward parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 They know God's decree, that those who practice such things deserve to die-- yet they not only do them but even applaud others who practice them. - Introductory things - Romans is the longest of Paul's letters, written about 55 AD. - Paul identifies himself as an apostle. This is is important because he did not plant the Roman church personally. Further, the Romans had evidently heard some misrepresentation of Paul (3:8). Thus it was vital to establish his authority at the outset -- and the authority of his gospel. - There were some Roman Jews living in Jerusalem at Pentecost (Acts 2:10). Perhaps they still had relations living in Rome, with whom they shared the gospel message. Thus there is no solid basis for the Roman Catholic claim that Peter founded the church in Rome; it already existed. - He hoped to visit them soon (1:10-13; 15:22-23). In the meantime, he writes in order to be sure they are on the same page; to address the sensitive question of Jew-Gentile relations; and to lay out his message. - The Jew-Gentile controversy was the hottest issue in first century Christianity. - It occasioned the writing of Romans and Galatians, and is in view in Colossians, 1 Timothy, etc.It led to the Council of Jerusalem -- see Acts 15. - After the destruction of the Temple and its sacrificial system in 70 AD, it became much less of an issue, eventually yielding priority of place to the Gnostic heresies, which came to dominate the horizon in the second century. (If you are unfamiliar with Gnosticism, see the Catholic Encyclopedia article, or a simple explanation by Andrew Kitchen.) - Since Rome (population 1 million) was the seat of the entire empire, clarity here would have a positive effect on churches everywhere, just as confusion or division here would have a negative effect on Christianity. For a map of the Roman Empire, see top of this page. - Given the trouble brewing in the eastern Mediterranean, the Jew-Gentile controversy, and given Paul's hope that the Roman Christians would provide missionary assistance so that he could evangelize Spain (Romans 15), it is understandable that he would strive to prevent the issue from catching hold and troubling the churches of the west, like Rome. - At the time of Romans, there were at least 20,000 Jews living in Rome. This was an overwhelmingly Gentile city. - The theme of the entire letter is found in verse 17. - "The one who is righteous will live by faith," or "He who through faith is righteous will live." - "From faith to faith" most likely refers to the faith (fidelity, allegiance) of Jesus to our own faith (faithfulness, fidelity, allegiance). There is a perfect literary parallel (in the Greek) in 3:22. - This connects with the contentious Jew-Gentile controversy -- Does one need to keep the law, or become a Jew, before he can become a Christian? Paul's answer is that faith, not works, is the ground of our justification. - The opposite of a faithful lifestyle (v.17) is a life of personal autonomy -- living in opposition to God's will (vv.18-32). - Beginning in v.18, Paul argues that the (Gentile) world has suppressed the truth about God. - Yet they have no excuse for this, since God's general characteristics are known (through nature) to all people. - Instead of gratitude, mankind's response has been to rationalize -- to use his mind to justify himself. - Mankind is in moral declension: - Idolatry (v.23) - Sexual sin (v.24) - Homosexual sin (v.26) - Twisted thinking (v.28) - There is a sequence in the downward slide humanity has followed, and experienced: - Ingratitude (v.21) - In each case, though it was our own decision to sin, God "gave us over" (vv.24, 26, 28). God will force no one to follow him. - The big idea of chapters 1-3: the world needs the gospel message. - The Gentiles (non-Jews) are in desperate need of the gospel. - The Jews (covenant people of God) are also in desperate need of the gospel. - All human beings are in desperate need of the gospel. - The oldest set of Paul's letters is p46, or papyrus 46, which is in Ann Arbor, Michigan. - This letter, often called "the Queen of the Epistles," has been favored by Protestants at least from the time of Luther. - It is claimed that Romans lays out the entire gospel message. But this claim is questionable. Paul was not writing to convert outsiders, but to remind insiders of the gospel, and especially its implications for Jew-Gentile relations. - Many theologians insist that to understand Jesus, we must read Paul. They usually mean that Jesus can be misinterpreted as urging a "works salvation," whereas Paul clearly insists on salvation by faith alone. - This is a false analysis. Both insist on a living and active faith, an obedient love/faith relationship with the Lord. Let's let Jesus speak for himself. - 1:3 speaks of God's Son being born / coming into being, as does Gal 4:4, with the same Greek construction. And yet the Greek word is often used for normal human birth, and doesn't necessarily have to imply Christ's pre-existence. - The gospel was announced beforehand in the OT, in such passages as Genesis 12:3 and Isaiah 49:6. (But there are many more!) Paul ends the epistle with this thought (see 16:26). - The "obedience of faith" (1:5; see also 16:26) is true Christianity, not "easy believism"! - In verse 11 Paul says he would like to impart a spiritual gift to them. What does he mean? Does he refer to his preaching or time of fellowship with them? Or is he referring to a miraculous spiritual gift? - If the latter, that would make sense, since no apostle had established or visited the church of Rome. - Paul's visit to Rome would lead to his laying hands on some of their members and imparting gifts of prophecy, leadership, etc. - Rome stands in contast to Corinth. See 1 Corinthians 1:4-7, where the Corinthians are said to possess the full range of spiritual gifts. - We need to understand Habakkuk 2:4 in order to appreciate Paul's use of it. - Habukkuk's days were a very challenging time for Israel; her survival as a nation was in the balance. - The Israelites of the late 7th century BC were tempted to trust in works, political alliances, and the help of man, rather than live by faith. - Paul sees in this passage a vital principle, and chooses it as the theme of Romans. - If you are not familiar with the short letter of Habakkuk, this might be a good time to go back and take a look at it. - Notice the parallel between v.17 and v.18. The righteousness of God is revealed... the wrath of God is revealed. - The foolishness of idolatry isn't just a Christian theme (Rom 1) or Jewish theme (Isa 44). Even the Romans made fun of it. - Horace wrote (Satires 1.8): "A long time ago, I was the trunk of a tree /The wood was not fine, so the carpenter contemplated / Whether it would be better to turn me into a stool / Or into a Priapus and he decided on the latter / So now I'm a god / And I scare the wits out of thieves and birds" - In Greek mythology, Priapus was a minor deity, a god of lust and fertility. He is always represented with a giant phallus. Priapus was a son of Aphrodite and Dionysus. According to one myth, he disliked donkeys, they were often sacrificed to him (condensed from Wikipedia). - The moral steps in the sequence (vv.18-32) are general, not specific to all individuals and societies. That is, one need not become an idolater on the way from ingratitude to sexual sin -- though this is likely. According to Pseudo-Lucian, Affairs of the Heart 20, c.300 AD, "In the beginning... human life... obeyed the laws made by nature; and men, linking themselves to women... became fathers of children. But gradually the passing years degenerated from such nobility to the lowest depths of hedonism... The same sex entered the same bed. Though they saw themselves embracing each other, they were ashamed neither at what they did nor at what they had done to them. And sowing their seed on barren rocks, to quote the proverb, they bought a little pleasure at the cost of great disgrace." - This moral declension was embodied on the macro scale in the empire. As Edward Gibbon, 18th century author of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, famously noted, there were five characteristics of Roman society that led to its collapse. (How descriptive of our own society!) - Mounting love of show and luxury (affluence). - Widening gap between the very rich and the very poor. - Obsession with sex. - Freakishness in the arts, masquerading as originality. - Increased desire to live off the state - Though the Jew-Gentile controversy is no longer a major issue, the basic principles still apply. Consider these questions: - Can we stay unified with other true Christians who think very differently to us about faith? - Can we tolerate people who sometimes have expectations for membership that go beyond the scriptures (even though in their minds they do not)? - How serious are we about anticipating and heading off potential problems. - For a great book on Romans, easy to follow, see Gordon Ferguson's Romans: The Heart Set Free. For something more challenging, see Jim McGuiggan's The Book of Romans. - What if only the first paragraph of Romans survived the ravages of time, and the rest of the manuscript were lost? Based on this fragment, what would you know about: - The letter to the Romans? - The apostle Paul? - Early Christianity? - Why do you think Paul begin his case for the good news on such a negative note (vv.18-32)? - At the time you became a Christian, how far down the slippery slope were you? Which portion of this chapter describes your life at that time?

Presented by JCC Manhattan Come together with New Yorkers from across the spectrum of Jewish life for a revelatory night of study, film, music, dance, yoga, cheesecake and more throughout the building in celebration of Shavuot. Come for an hour or stay the night! Rabbi Jonah Geffen will present a session at 1:45 a.m. entitled, "Arranging the Coals and Stoking the Fire: Whole Hog Barbecue and the True Jewish Soul". For more information, visit the JCC's website.

I recently replayed one of your “Ancient Jewish Wisdom” programs that I recorded about the tower of Babel and the introduction of secularism. I noticed , correct me if I am wrong, the first time the word “Brick” is mentioned in the Bible is in Genesis 11:3. The question is, what is the significance of bricks concerning secularism as mentioned in Genesis Chapter 11:3? And by the way I absolutely love your program “Ancient Jewish Wisdom.” I record them and play them back to get it all, can’t get enough. ∼ Bob B. We are delighted that you watch and enjoy our Ancient Jewish Wisdom show on TCT. We’re not sure which episode you are referencing, but your point about bricks is not only correct, but vital to understanding the allure of socialism as it recurs through the centuries. Genesis 11:3 is one of the many verses in the Bible that loses a great deal when it is translated into another language from the original Hebrew. We delve into this verse in great detail in our audio program, Tower of Power: Decoding the Secrets of Babel, including showing some of the unique Hebrew features in the study guide. But we don’t want to leave you in this answer without some tidbit of teaching. The focus on bricks in the tower of Babel, continuing in Exodus with the building projects of Egypt and in later books of Scripture as well, is deliberate. We need to contrast bricks with another building material that was more readily available—stone. If you have ever played with Lego, you know that when you are looking for a piece of a certain size you can pick any of the matching pieces. Unlike a jigsaw puzzle, you don’t need to find the one and only piece that will work. That is the message of the brick; bricks are interchangeable. Stones, on the other hand, more closely resemble jigsaw puzzle pieces. Each one is unique and irreplaceable. The socialist vision views people as bricks. They are only important for what they can do together. Each one is of minor import and is dispensable. God’s vision sees each person as built in HIs image. Every individual is a stone of society with unique contributions that the world needs that only that individual can deliver. Again, thanks for watching and for writing. If you are still intrigued by this topic, please do take a look at Tower of Power: Decoding the Secrets of Babel. Rabbi Daniel and Susan Lapin

Only two years ago, when I was finishing my memoir of gardening obsession, “Rhapsody in Green,” I claimed that I had no time for houseplants. Prickly, diminutive, macramé-reliant: I’d rarely been less tempted by anything. Or so I believed. Dimly, I noticed that the press and social media were filling with accounts of mustachioed creative types with nine hundred ferns; that every coffee shop and office lobby had ditched the cool neutrals and installed, among the neon and crates, psychotic-looking Sansevieria cylindrica, a row of tragic houseleeks, a couple of tall dusty ficuses like the ghosts of happy trees. But I am a late adopter, so uncool I’m cool. Fashion? I scoff at it. So, even when I was seized by a strange, Zeitgeist-y compulsion to buy, experimentally, a string of hearts, or Ceropegia woodii, I knew I’d never love it. It was dryish, grayish, inedible: What was the point? Like an innocent born to a house of hard drinkers, given her first taste of the booze she was doomed to adore, I thought I was safe. I fashioned a little hook for the plant in my study, right next to my desk, and vowed to ignore it, which I did: several times a day. Have you ever watched a toddler try a lemon? I recommend it; she’ll have a suck, scrumple up her face like a banshee, then try another taste. To distract myself from strawberries at a local plant sale, I bought, as aversion therapy, a grotty aloe vera. “Good for burns,” everyone says, as if there is any domestic wound between Ignore and Emergency. The butcher was selling home-reared Chinese jade plants, horrible rubbery things, for charity. I’m not a monster; I bought two. Then I spotted a reddish sedum dangling unloved from a crack in the railway bridge. My godmother’s stephanotis needed foster care. A glossy, deep-purple Aeonium arboreum Zwartkop came home with me because . . . well, by this stage, I’d run out of becauses. Call this slope slippery? Watch me polish it to a sheen. This year, despite the mild London winter, I decided that my scented pelargonium “attar of roses” was too delicate to sit outside. I’d always meant to try sprouting an avocado; suddenly, I have three. Might the cat prefer homegrown cat grass? I was sprinkling oat and wheat groats on organic compost in rather a nice old terra-cotta pot within an hour of having the thought. Now I sadly scan the shelves in charity shops, longing to retrieve the ceramic pot holders that, when my grandmother died, I recklessly surrendered. The park near my home is scattered with shiny and pickupable conkers, as rich and russet as a healthy pony flank; yesterday, I found myself standing, like an absent-minded flamingo, transfixed by the sight of a pink shoot emerging from a broken shell. It would either be trodden on or uprooted. I remembered seeing, and sneering at, on Instagram, a hipster’s windowsill on which baby horse-chestnut trees sprouted in jars of water. I’d thought it cruel to the poor plants, but, wait: Could it actually be a kindness? And, with the clarity of love, I can’t stop thinking about the Swiss-cheese plant that, in my secular Jewish childhood, we draped with tinsel every Christmas. Recently, on the way to write in the British Library, I accidentally entered a small and dismal florist. They had one for sale; this seemed significant, even if the British Library guards were curiously immune to its charms. Now it lives by the sofa: dark, glossy, splendid. “Have you seen its holes?” I croon to startled visitors, polishing a leaf with my sleeve. Actually, I’m getting worried; I’ve started fantasizing about a trip to IKEA’s extensive houseplant section. It seems that rock bottom might soon be reached. And, yes, I know there’s always hope, if the addict wants to change; I almost do. I’m nearly there. I honestly think that with just one burro’s tail, and maybe a Calathea, I’ll be ready.

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Representative of the Jewish minority at the Iranian Parliament Siamak Morreh Sedq confirmed that he plans to accompany President Hassan Rouhani during his visit to New York, but added that he has not received the US visa yet. He deplored the recent hue and cry by the western and Israeli media about his visit to New York, and said, “The visa has not been issued and it is not clear who will accompany the president on his trip.” His remarks came after western and Israeli media widely covered news about his visit to New York. The Guardian, for example, had reported on Thursday night that the Jewish MP in the Iranian parliament will join President Rouhani in the US at the UN General Assembly in a bid to help revamp Tehran’s image in the international community. The Iran Project is not responsible for the content of quoted articles.

The Heritage of the Holy Land Treasures from the Israel Museum in Jerusalem 23 June 2009 - 23 July 2009 The Museum of Fine Arts' exhibition opening on 23 June offers an unparalleled selection from the treasures of the Israel Museum, Jerusalem. The works of art displayed in the exhibition embrace a period of 9,000 years and the Hungarian public will have the opportunity to see such rarities as a piece of the Dead Sea Scrolls and masterpieces by Rembrandt, Chagall and Rodin. The exhibition, displaying some fifty special works of art, is open until the beginning of September. |Rembrandt van Rijn, St. Peter in Prison, 1631, © The Israel Museum, Jerusalem The Rabbi (Praying Jew), 1913–14 © The Israel Museum, Jerusalem The many genres and artefacts in the exhibition – sculptures, archaeological finds, goldsmiths' work, paintings, and Jewish ritual implements are a representation of the comprehensive collection housed in the Israel Museum, which opened its doors in 1965. The material of the collection comprises half a million objects and ranges from the prehistoric period to contemporary art. The museum preserves the most comprehensive exhibition in the world of Israel's archaeology, and the material culture of the Jewish world, in addition to a rich selection of fine arts works from the Renaissance to the present day. The seat of the museum, Jerusalem, is a meeting point in many respects: it is the holy city of three monotheist religions and a geographical point of intersection, joining East and West, the history of its territory having been the meeting point of cultures and religions for thousands of years. The masterpieces on display in the Budapest exhibition originate from the multifarious parts of the Israel Museum's collection, from diverse historical periods and from various areas of art. The aim of the exhibition is to provide the visiting public with a picture of the cultural diversity of the region's history and to draw attention to the links that exist between the works of art, which in some cases are self-explanatory and in others surprising. In addition, the interpretation of the sacred and the spiritual, as well as their artistic manifestation, are the organising principles that lend unity to the exhibition. The oldest piece in the exhibition, which dates back to the 7th millennium BCE, is a Neolithic mask made of limestone. This unprecedented find was discovered in the Judean Desert and is among the earliest known masks. It was probably used during religious rituals and magical rites. The painted anthropoid terracotta coffins, dating from the 13th century BCE, were discovered in archaeological digs near Gaza and unambiguously demonstrate Egyptian influence. The exhibition' s most valuable and perhaps most fascinating artefact is a piece of the 2,000-year-old Dead Sea Scrolls (photo: © The Israel Museum, Jerusalem). The first pieces of these special documents were found in 1947 by Bedouin shepherds in 1947 near Khirbet Qumran on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea. The parchment fragments are regarded as one of the most important archaeological finds of the 20th century and are copies of the books of the Bible, Apocryphal works and the writings of a religious sect. The longest fragment included among the scrolls on display at the exhibition is a 40cm-long section of the so-called Temple Scroll, which is a detailed description of an ideal temple design. On display is a gilded Koran of 550 silk-paper sheets dating from the 17th century, as well as numerous devotional objects linked to the Torah (a mantle, Torah pointer, breastplate, and Torah crown)(photo: © The Israel Museum, Jerusalem). There are numerous other implements pertaining to Jewish religious rites, such as a sanctifying cup, a prayer book and a collection of spiceboxes gathered together from various European countries. The forty decorated spiceboxes of different shapes were used in the Havdalah rituals held to mark the passing of the Sabbath. Pieces of Christian culture included in the exhibition are such special and rare objects as the negative and positive images of a photograph taken by Secondo Pia of the Shroud of Turin in 1898. The Israel Museum's fine arts works are represented by such masterpieces as Rembrandt's painting executed in 1631, entitled St. Peter in Prison. The painting is based on the Acts of the Apostles of the New Testament and depicts Peter the Apostle in his prison cell in Jerusalem after his arrest by Herod's soldiers. Other outstanding works to be seen in the exhibition are Nicolas Poussin's The Destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, Turner's landscapes of Jerusalem, Chagall's painting entitled The Rabbi, and Rodin's bronze sculpture of Iris, Messenger of the Gods. The Budapest exhibition also provides a rich selection from the Israel Museum's 20th-century and contemporary material. The works on display by Rothko, Serrano, Richter, Anthony Gormley, as well as Mark Wallinger's Ecce Homo, a sculpture depicting Jesus which was erected on Trafalgar Square in London in 1999, are deserving of attention in their own right (photo: © The Israel Museum, Jerusalem). Between 2008 and 2010, some of the exhibition halls of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem remain closed because of a campus renewal programme. This renovation has made it possible for some of the numerous, precious items that normally form part of the museum's permanent exhibition to be displayed in Budapest in summer 2009. The curator of the exhibition is Yigal Zalmona, the Chief Curator at Large of the Israel Museum, Jerusalem. The exhibition is organized by the Israel Museum, Jerusalem. Responsible for exhibition design and installation Krisztina Jerger.

The Sabes JCC and the St. Paul JCC are thrilled to announce the kick-off the Twin Cities Jewish Film Festival, formerly the Minneapolis Jewish Film Festival, scheduled to open in October, 2014. A partnership of the Sabes JCC and the St. Paul JCC, this festival promises to bring the broader community together as a showcase for feature films, documentaries and shorts from around the world on themes of Jewish culture and identity. This year’s event also includes community events paired with each film to create an enhanced experience, inspire dialog and provide meaningful moments of community engagement. “We are so proud of the Festival’s rich past,” said Joshua Wert, CEO of the Sabes JCC. “Having just celebrated our 20th Anniversary season, we knew that it was time to build on this success and move the festival beyond the Minneapolis community.” Executive Director of the St. Paul JCC, Michael Waldman added, “We are thrilled to be a part of the future of the festival. Our two JCC’s share a common purpose and vision. While we maintain a commitment to the local communities that we serve, together we are able to reach a broader spectrum on the community for innovative and excellent programming. By working together, everyone wins.” The 2014 Twin Cities Film Festival will be chaired by Walter Elias and Tom Cytron-Hysom. Walter has been the chair of the Minneapolis Jewish Film Festival since its inception and brings great knowledge, experience, and a love for film to the role. Tom is a member of the St. Paul JCC’s Executive Committee and has chaired the St. Paul Book Fair (now the Twin Cities Book Fair). The festival staff will be led by Co-Directors Todd Bruse (Sabes) and Katherine Tane (St. Paul). If you are interested in becoming a volunteer or sponsor, please contact Todd or Katherine at TCJFilmFest@sabesjcc.org. The Sabes Jewish Community Center and the St Paul Jewish Community Center are multifaceted organizations offering educational, social, cultural, recreational, and fitness to the entire community. Program and service areas include early childhood education, health & fitness, recreation, Jewish arts & humanities, senior services, afterschool programs, day camp, special events and more.

The Truth? You Can’t Handle the Truth! “Hey! Look! What is that? “A worker on the drilling rig exclaims. “Geez, it moves like a bat out of hell!” Shouts another. “It’s coming this way! Whoa!” He calls out when it seems that the craft is about to collide with the rig. The lander sets down just short of the tower on the drilling rig. “Get Matt Woodford to the helipad!” Bellows a voice on a speaker. When nothing happens a plume of water shoots hundreds of meters into the air next to the tower. “If you do not move quickly we will remove the legs from under this rig and you will be swimming with the sharks! Get a move on!” The voice barks again. There is a scramble, and a surprised Matt Woodford is hurriedly accompanied to the helicopter landing site. The lander moves right up to them and the hatch opens. “Get on board, Matt! This is your dad!” A stunned Matt Woodford scurries into the craft and the hatch closes. Brato shows him to a vacant seat and moments later the vessel takes off at a staggering speed. It’s all over before anyone on the rig realizes what had just happened. Back on the ship everything is explained to Matt. He is not sure if he’s having a psychological breakdown or just a dream, but gradually his panic subsides and he realizes what his father is telling him is true. Eddie’s getting impatient: “Now it is your turn, General. We now want the names of everyone you know of that are involved, and especially who their controllers are. Do not leave anyone out. Every detail is important.” General Woodford is starting to enjoy the game: “I have longed for an opportunity to get back at those scumbags. It will be my pleasure to rat out each and every one of them.” For more than two hours General Woodford tells everything he knows about the criminals who control his life and how they forced him to act against his better judgment. The interview is also video taped and Woodford is now fully part of the team. After having recovered from his ordeal, Matt Woodford joins them again and his father explains to him what has happened and the danger he himself unwittingly found himself in. Eddie warns: “We will probably need you to testify before the UN, General.” General Woodford gets a determined look on his face: “Whichever way it goes, my military career is probably over anyhow. I will testify.” “Count me in.” Matt said. But General Woodford is concerned: “The UN building is situated in New York City. The UN is an organization itself created by the establishment, and its senior staff, including the Secretary General, are probably all on their payroll or forced to dance to their tune. They will probably try to eliminate any witnesses before the meeting. “ “We are aware of all that.” Said Eddie, “We’re not going to actually meet in New York.” On the US Defense System’s radar screen a group of very dim and fast moving images appear. This causes an alarmed stir in the control center. “Get hold of the President immediately!” Commands the General in charge. When the red phone in the White House rings, the President picks up immediately: “Yes, what is it?” “Mr. President, a number of fast flying objects are approaching us from space, what are your orders?” The President sounds tired. He has seen the writing on the wall: “I was expecting something like this. So far there hasn’t been any loss of life and I don’t think they’re going to hurt anyone. We don’t need another demonstration. Leave them alone. Let’s see what they want first before we all start acting like idiots.” “They are approaching New York City, sir.” One of the craft lands at the back of the UN building near the East River as the other craft form a circle in the air providing cover. A loudspeaker bellows: “The presence of the Secretary General is required on the helipad… Immediately!” In the buildings around many faces appear in the windows, a few cameras start flashing and in the streets people curiously start to congregate. The vessel rises to the roof to await the Secretary General. In the Council of Foreign Relations Headquarters opposite the UN building chaos reigns. The President is immediately called: “What are you doing about this invasion?!” The President has already decided: “Nothing. You and I have relinquished control over world affairs!” “You have to stop this immediately!” “We have no effective deterrent and there is no way I am going to risk any more lives for your benefit!” “That will be the end of your career, your reputation and your life you foolish old Goyim!” “So be it. I have seen this coming and made my peace with it.” Replies the President as he gently hangs up the phone. A smile flickers across his face… who could’ve known that today would be the end of his Presidential mockery. He was never in control and feared for his life and the lives of his family every single day. Not from some mad man roaming the streets, but from his Kehillah puppet masters. They show no mercy and the relief he felt was making him lightheaded. The oligarchs within the Kehillah have met their match at last. An uncertain Secretary General appears on the helipad area on the UN building. The lander approaches and the hatch opens. “We will not keep you for long, sir. Please come aboard immediately.” The Secretary General comes closer and hesitantly gets on board. The hatch closes behind him with a hiss and a clang. He recognizes General Woodford immediately and hurries over to him: “General Woodford…?” he utters hoarsely. “Don’t worry; nothing’s going to happen to you. Please sit down. We need to meet with the Heads of State of all UN member countries. You must contact them and provide us with a list of locations where we can pick them and their translators up, three days from now around noon. We will transport them to a safe place where we can meet. Anyone who does not comply will suffer dire consequences. Contact us at this email address.” General Woodford hands him a note with the address. “Go now, and tell them not to try anything foolish. They are to come unarmed. This is not a game and we want to ensure everyone returns unscathed.” Woodford takes him by the arm and escorts him to the hatch. Without uttering a word, the Secretary General gets off the lander, the hatch closes, and together the vessels take off, straight up into the sky. The news spreads like a wildfire. Nobody in a position of authority at this time is unaware of the newcomers’ display of power and within a day the list of attending members is completed. An insider meeting of authoritative members is hastily called and assembled. Oil tycoon Dave Roth, accompanied by his brother Chuck, has the floor: “We have to act quickly or we will lose control. We have lost the President already. We must find a way to neutralize these invaders.” Jane Heller of the Federal Reserve Bank suggests: “We will have to think long term Dave, as always. The military has effectively been neutralized, so immediate violence is out of the question. We need to get hold of their technology before we can be on an equal footing and that dictates infiltration.” Roth agrees: “You are right, Jane, but we must act quickly. We must use subtle disinformation in the media to generate distrust, get the public suspicious of any agreement they might conclude and also generate sympathy for ourselves and the world.” Joseph Greenberg is concerned: “We will not be safe once everything is revealed, Dave. We have to circumvent any action that might be taken against us and put our plans into action at the same time. We will have to introduce those of our sons who are not yet implicated and can not be prosecuted. I am fairly certain all of us will. We must transfer as much money as possible to their accounts and disguise the transfers while we still have control of the banks and computers involved.” Roth and others agree wholeheartedly with this. In the next few days large amounts of money find new homes. Special instructions and advice was also given to their children. On the third day, as arranged, landers appear at all the places indicated, and the world’s heads of state are all, to their surprise and sometimes dismay, taken straight to the ship’s meeting room where all sit down meekly with their interpreters. Eddie, standing on the central stage welcomes everyone and starts talking in a jovial tone: “I get to speak first since I was the first rookie astronaut from Earth to visit, long before you.” Here and there a nervous laugh can be heard: “First of all, we want to ensure that everyone is properly informed before we proceed to the next stage. We are going to show you some information from the ship’s archives dating back many millennia, in case you missed Don Hoffman’s broadcast. Since the soundtrack is in its original language, we will fill in where necessary. The video material should speak for itself, however.” For the next few hours the foreign audience sits quietly, spellbound by the story that unfolds before them. When it ends a lively discussion erupts. Eddie gives them some time alone and after an hour calls them to order: “Gentlemen, I want to introduce you to General Woodford. He is the previous military Chief of Staff of the USA. We apprehended him in self defense some time ago because he planned an aggressive act against this ship and its crew.” General Woodford takes place next to Eddie and clears his throat. His weightlessness does not make him any more comfortable: “Gentlemen, I have come to the conclusion that my assessment of these people and their intentions had been totally wrong, as you probably realize at this time. I bear no grudge towards them for my some what disturbing reception. I’m sure I’ve earned it.” A few gloating smiles can be seen in the audience. “I have an embarrassing confession to make in this regard, something I’m not proud of. When I was a young officer, I was tempted to commit what I thought was a somewhat unimportant indiscretion. I found out later that it was orchestrated by criminals in the financial and oil connected establishments. This was used to force me to commit even more indiscretions with some reward for my career afterwards. I convinced myself that my actions must have been for the good of my country since these are men with immense power at their disposal who are associated with most of the more powerful politicians behind the scenes. Eventually however, I discovered that their actions were completely criminal and aimed towards gaining even more wealth and power for themselves… a kind of game played in total disregard for human life. I protested against some of the schemes I was told to support, but by that time I was completely entangled through my previous transgressions, evidence of which they held to black mail me to comply with their wishes. After the death of my wife, my career became less important to me and I became more inclined to oppose their instructions. In the mean time however, one of their oil companies had offered my son a lucrative salary which he found impossible to refuse. He was then sent to supervise one of their deep-sea drilling operations, and once he arrived there, I was told that if I did not dance to their tune, he would have an unfortunate ‘accident’.” He turned to Eddie. “Thanks to this gentlemen and the crew of this spaceship, I am off the hook as far as he is concerned. Everything is up to you now. You were brought here because we must have everyone’s cooperation to make things right. I am not going to name anyone, but I know many of you are being pressured by the very same establishment. With the possible exception of a few, I think most of you will agree that it is illogical, if not downright irresponsible, to belong to an organization with the power to make decisions contrary to your own country’s interests whilst some members are immune from similar decisions taken for similar reasons. We propose to change to a system that makes it possible for all nations to allow their folk to make informed and just decisions to the advantage of their own nation and folk.” Here and there sounds of agreement can be heard. The US President has thoughtfully been listening to General Woodford. At this stage he indicates that he too has something to say: “Gentlemen, I fully concur with my General. I have been under the same kind of Damocles Sword as he was. I am ashamed to have to admit that many of my government’s important actions in the past century, which influenced world affairs and the decisions made in the General Assembly, have been tainted by decisions aimed at forwarding the purposes of the establishment my General referred to. At least two of my predecessors have even been insiders of this establishment.” He turns to the British Prime Minister: “You know what I am talking about. The two of us have had to co-operate in controlling the oil supply, oil prices, and associated dollar based floating exchange rates. We have both benefited handsomely, especially due to our shareholding in military industries and the wars we had to authorize to maintain control. In fact, since even before the first World War, since 1912, every President in my country was put in place by this establishment controlled by criminal Jew gangsters, forming public opinion through their control of their media and by misuse of their monetary powers and government backed covert operations. As you must know, our reserve banks are all privately owned and are interconnected. They are orchestrated to increase the wealth and power of the world’s true enemy, a secret organization the establishment is a large part of, called the Kehillah. It is run by an unknown, self proclaimed King who gives orders to his two Princes, one of the eastern hemisphere and one of the western hemisphere. The Princes then pass the King’s orders down the rank of command to others lower in the organization, until it reaches the establishment, which consists of International Jews who control the monetary system, energy industries, the media and every other industry used to control and enslave the masses. It’s a very sophisticated organization that controls the entire world. These banks are first based in the City of London, the independent financial and monetary establishment based in Britain and, since the First World War, affiliated with ours on Wall Street in New York City. In my country and in many others, due to their control of the media and the cost involved in presidential campaigns, no one can hope to become or remain President without their backing. The crux of their power is control of the monetary system, control of the media, and control of the energy resources used to manipulate the monetary system, exchange rates, and economic development of countries. We must put a monetary system in place that is honest and fair, based on a nationally agreed fixed value immune from any manipulation by these criminals. Gentlemen, this is an opportunity that must not be wasted. We need your input and cooperation to put these criminals in their place.” Everyone is surprised by the President’s brutal honesty. There is a moment of stunned silence before the dam wall breaks. One after another each one comes forward with similar stories and finally it seems that almost all the countries in the world are in one way or the other totally under the control of the Kehillah. The oil-rich countries more so than others as their rulers are always under International Jewry’s influence and only came into power with the help of their stoking unrest, leaving the door open for a take over. Eddie has to raise his voice to be heard: “It seems that almost everyone here has in some way been directly or indirectly controlled by this merciless, criminal establishment. The undeveloped and developing countries especially have suffered by being prevented from developing their industries and infrastructure, having their populations impoverished and reduced through wars and adverse health conditions, and their governments replaced in the cruelest ways. At present your respective infrastructures are still controlled by these criminals. They will do their utmost to prevent you from taking control. As far as energy is concerned, they have prevented the universal implementation of the super flywheel, fuel cells, large scale solar and wind power development, viable nuclear energy systems development… any alternative energy solutions for general use, especially the erection and development of nuclear power plants in developing countries. The spectre of nuclear war was used to create an excuse for meddling in nuclear programs in developing countries, whilst the countries with veto rights in the General Assembly were those who in reality constitute this very same danger. ‘Green Peace’ was created for this specific purpose, financed by a Canadian oil company to propagate and exaggerate the danger of pollution by radio-active substances from nuclear power stations and prevent the establishment of an alternative to oil for the generation of energy. Ironically, the main contributor to pollution today is oil and coal, together with pollutants like dioxins from the related chemical industry in developed countries like my own. At present oil is the main leverage for all these violations. Our visitors from space are prepared to supply you cost effective, unlimited, non-polluting power, totally independent of oil. On the one hand, plans are available for extremely efficient solar power and energy storage systems, suitable for remote locations. On the other, this ship is powered by a hydrogen nuclear fusion process that does not contribute to pollution. If we provide every country with similar power plants, that on its own will remove the must important component of their power base. Our problem is how to implement it without undue interference and loss of life. These criminals will not relinquish power peacefully if they can help it.” It sets a lively debate going and the teachers have a busy time. General Woodford now sees himself as part of the team: “Gentlemen, if you will allow me… I have a suggestion. Our main problem is the chasm between truth and disinformation. If we can teach the truth to the peoples of the world, we will have won, for our peoples themselves will demand retribution. The majority of the main media bosses are under the same kind of pressure as most of you. I suggest that when we take you back you use your powers as Heads of States and summon these people to your offices. We will then pick them up for an excursion similar to this one and see to it that the peoples of the world are informed. Those media directors who are insider members of the establishment and have not yet been identified as such, will be obliged to conform to the majority decision. If they do not, they will expose themselves to the wrath of their people. Before you do this however, you will have to take control of law enforcement. The establishment’s power over people must be immobilized before they can act effectively and without threat to themselves and their families. The known members of the establishment must be detained as soon as you are returned, before the media comes into play.” After further discussion, there is general agreement with this proposal. Eddie has one more thing on his mind: “Gentlemen … in the past months the Captain here has been keenly interested in our financial history, among other things. Drawing on the experience of their original civilization, which was very successful until the unfortunate event that terminated it, he suggests that we decide on a common exchange currency based on true value, banish financial speculation, and use a similar system internally as was used very successfully in a few states in the USA before their Revolutionary War. Also other examples like Swanenkirchen’s Wara notes in Southern Germany, Worgl’s Notgeld in Austria, and similar experiments in Geunsey in England and Alberta in Canada, where governments and other organizations printed their own internal currency and the regulated amount circulation according to demand until halted by the establishment’s minions. Even Hitler did that successfully until he was nearly brought down, not realizing that his financiers were his true mortal enemies, using him to forward their own designs. Proper analysis of the events that led to the Second World War, reveals that it was Britain and France who instigated the war. The purpose was to involve most countries in the world in a lengthy war, to be able to convince a war weary world that they need an organization to enforce world peace… a prelude to a world government which they intended to control themselves, initially by means of their control over the countries with veto rights. Incidentally control of the monetary system as well as the true cause of the American Revolutionary War, at first compelling all Americans to return to the use of the British pound, and then by trying to punish them for trying to circumvent it by submitting them to severe taxation, compulsory Imports, and Military force.” The British Prime Minister has a serious objection: “Pardon the interruption, Sir, but a system like that will restrict free trade between countries. Britain is dependent upon trade to a very large extent as we have little internal resources.” Eddie feels he should correct the Briton: “Your people and your manufacturing industries are your resources, sir. You will now be obliged to pay honest prices for the raw materials. Jews who’ve been controlling your British Government and also America after the First World War, have been abusing the world’s monetary system and the economies of other countries to finance wars to extend and reinforce their rule for far too long. The so-called free trade principle, together with recall or support for internal agriculture and reduction of support for the poor, was introduced in Britain in the 1840’s with the specific purpose to enrich the rich by importing goods from cheap labor sources, impoverishing the British Folk and causing famine in Ireland, though in reality was a planned genocide, making them immigrate to America in droves. Others tried to follow this example, but failed, as planned, because of Britain’s Jew financiers’ control of maritime foreign trade due to Britain’s superior military fleet and its support or privateers who plundered any ship that was not insured in Britain, using their controlled government’s extensive secret service network in all the countries they exchanged with. In the 1870’s a German economist, Friedrich List, convinced his government to use a contrary approach. They restricted financial and foreign stock speculation and concentrated on developing their own industries, agriculture and other sectors. They did this with such success that the Jews who controlled Britain felt compelled to declare war in 1914 to maintain their trade and maritime dominance. Incidentally, this was at a stage when the British government was, to all intents and purposes, totally bankrupt. The war was waged with cash and supplies supplied by the American Jews, who controlled the financial and manufacturing establishment, that eventually resulted in the so-called Anglo-American alliance between the Jew establishments of both countries. Free trade is a parasitic design to enrich the rich and oppress the poor by importing goods from cheap labor sources in undeveloped and developing countries who are continuously prevented from developing an efficient infrastructure or their own that will improve the well being of their own people, keeping them poor and their labor cheap.” The Prime Minister is not satisfied: “You also propose to corrupt the entire monetary system? That will have profound repercussions all over the world!” “You’re telling me, an honest system will have a profound effect all over the world? May I remind you sir, that it was because of British and American Jews that the monetary system was corrupted in the first place! First by under evaluating gold as a currency in foreign trade, and then in 1971 to save America’s economy and artificially boost the value of the dollar and the British pound, by sucking other countries dry through America’s unilateral abandonment of the gold standard, replacing it with a dollar standard and making it an unstable, stock market controlled device for manipulating the fortunes of other countries and their economies. The seven biggest oil companies are closely connected to this process. By means of an agreement with the Jewish Saudis, and through them with all other Arab countries, every country is obliged to pay for oil in dollars, which opened the way to print, many times over, more dollars than the Federal Reserve could ever back. Raising the oil price by 400% the first time destroyed the economy of the fastest developing country in the world, Mexico, and put them in debt to such an extent that they could not even pay the interest on their national debt. In addition, keep in mind that the Bank of England, the Federal Reserve, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and most, if not all, other reserve banks, are private institutions, intimately interconnected and created to serve the Jew establishment and finance the Kehillah. The UN and it’s immune members are in place to enforce any decision against countries who try to resist their draconian measures, using the World Bank, military means, the secret services, assassinations, sanctions, and support of terrorists and agitators to replace current legitimately elected governments, all of which we have experienced in my own country. Not even the Communist block and developed European countries like Germany, France, Austria, Yugoslavia, Sweden and Italy, have escaped their closest attention. My nation and my folk in particular have suffered and lost their country twice in one century due to their greed. The free trade principle is a sacred cow we must get rid of and replace it with a system that has the internal welfare of the peoples of individual countries in mind.” The other heads of state who up to now sat listening in silence, started clapping one after the other, until a general applause could be heard. The British Prime Minister throws his hands in helplessly in the air. “Gentlemen, that is not half the story, but we are not here to sling mud at each other. I can understand the British Prime Minister’s concerns and his country’s economic vulnerability. His government’s intimate and shameful involvement in the Jewish establishment’s atrocities are not the fault of the British people. However, we must come to an agreement and develop a satisfactory and mutually beneficial solution. Can we have a show of hands for an improved monetary system based on the principles I have outlined, please?” The proposal was adopted overwhelmingly, and Eddie notices that the US President had raised his hand. He concludes: “Very well, we will take you back in a while, but because of the numbers involved now we will have to schedule a series of visits on consecutive dates, starting with the most influential countries in different sectors of the world, allowing time for the necessary steps we have agreed upon. We also require a list of all known members of the establishment you can think of.” For the next few hours lists and schedules are drawn up, covering all the different cultures on Earth in a balanced way. “The first group will probably be enough to spread the news,” said Brato. Eddie agrees: “Yes, and the knowledge that others will follow will at the same time prevent any resistance from the criminal establishment. We must not allow anybody to feel left out. That could cause major problems, so we need to do this right, we only get one chance. But before anything else, Brato, your people have to take out the Kehillah…”

By Rabbi Eliyahu Safran Not long ago, a prominent matchmaker replied to a request for shidduchim by writing that she has many, many wonderful young ladies looking for a successful match. What she was lacking, she went on to say, was some young gentlementches. I was surprised to learn about this. The community was not lacking for young men just as much in need of a match as the young women. More, there were so many prominent yeshivas in the community filled with bright, committed young scholars. Certainly, I thought, that would make matchmaking fairly simple. “Oh, scholars we have plenty of,” the matchmaker conceded with a sigh. “They are fine students of Gemara. What we don’t have are enough young men who match their scholarship with mentschlichkeit. How can I, in good conscience, make a match that seems good on the outside, but on the inside I know it will not bring joy to the home?” R’ Bachaya writes that the very name of the Ark, Aron, is derived from ora, light. It not only stands as the repository for that which lights the world, but it should exude that powerful and holy light itself. In the same way, a talmid chochom must not only take in the light of Torah but he must give off that sacred light as well. He must shine as bright as the source of his wisdom and learning. Bezalel, builder of the Mishkan, questioned whether the Ark should be made before its “home”, the Mishkan. In answer and throughout Parshat Teruma, Moshe speaks not simply as an architect of structures but as a teacher, a teacher of values. He speaks first of the Ark and its composition and then of the building. By extension, he speaks of our own institutions, shuls, yeshivas, and schools. In other words, the schools exist for the Torah and its students, not the other way around. If we focus on the edifice before the value of what it houses, then the building is nothing but bricks, a façade. Likewise, if the talmid chochom is not humble, sensitive, and caring, if he lacks derech eretz, then his scholarship too is a façade. In fact, though we praise our best students as talmidim chochomim when they have demonstrated their grasp of their studies, it is impossible to speak of a genuine talmid chochom if he is not a mentsch. Lacking mentschlichkeit, the student – even the student whose grasp of texts is impressive – is vulgar, one who uses the power of his learning and intelligence to elevate himself, not the Torah, and certainly not others. No wonder the matchmaker was so disheartened. Talmidim, be learners, but do not hold up your learning above your decency! Chazal teach us [Yoma 21a] that the physics of space did not apply to the Aron, that the Aron did not occupy any space in this world even though it was a physical vessel constructed by human hands. “Aron eino min hamiddah” – the Aron was not included in the measurements of the Kodesh HaKadoshim. Moreinu Rav Belsky goes even further, “Just as it is not part of space, neither is it part of time; the Aron will endure for eternity.” This insight teaches us that if a talmid wants to be like an Aron – emitting the light of Torah – then he needs to rise above the metrics, and limits, society uses to measure “worth.” Those who are consumed with social and political measurements of worth get bogged down in their own thinking and consequently cannot make room for others. Their implicit and explicit message is, “You are not good enough. You are not observant enough. You can’t be part of our school, our community…” It is not how genuine talmidim chochomim think and behave! Genuine talmidim chochomim emphasize that they are talmidim and do not ever presume for themselves chochomim. When the Satmar Rebbe, zt”l, came to America after World War II, Rav Shraga Feivel Medelovitz, the Principal of Yeshiva Torah VoDaath invited him to come to the yeshiva to present a Torah lecture for the students. The Satmar Rebbe gave a well-received shiur and afterwards the students surrounded him to engage in a vigorous Torah discussion. After the boys left, Rav Medelovitz went to the Rebbe and asked, “Nu, what did you think of that? Wasn’t it beautiful?” The Satmar Rebbe conceded that it had indeed been an impressive experience but, inverting the classic Talmudic teaching on being a talmid chochom, he hoped that the students would be “on the outside like they were on the inside.” In his reply, the Satmar Rebbe not only turned our conventional understanding on its head, he also called attention to the need to be in balance on the inside and out – for our scholarship to be an expression not just of our intellect but our spirituality as well. In our communities, there is often too much emphasis on appearances, on the color of suits and kapotes , shapes and colors of hats and shtreimels we wear. Such emphasis blinds us to the inner qualities that make a person truly pious, qualities that are essential to a Torah scholar. This is not to suggest that our outward appearance isn’t important. It is by our external selves that we shine the light of the Torah to the world and so we should not be oblivious to “outer beauty” either. Act like a mensch. Look like a mensch. Be a mensch! The inner self and outer self must be in balance. Because being a Torah chochom is, by definition, a humbling experience – never one that is achieved, only striven toward – we understand that being a Torah scholar should not be goal oriented. That is, the reward is not overt, or external. Unlike in worldly matters, where reward is meted out based on completed tasks, on results rather than effort, in Torah study the opposite is true. Reward is granted for effort, even more than for achievement. The Torah student who wrestles with a tractate of Talmud but does not comprehend every line and nuance of the discussion and analysis extols God at a siyum celebration: Heim amelim veinam mekablim sechar, anu amelim umekablim sechar – “They exert effort and receive no reward; we exert effort and receive rewards.” We seek to understand that which cannot be fully understood. Therefore, our reward must be for our efforts. We are always “striving for” but never achieving full knowledge and understanding. Beneath the Aron’s gold covering inside and out, its construction is acacia wood. What does this teach us? Why would the receptacle of our Torah, our greatest gift, not be fashioned exclusively from the most precious metals? The wood teaches us that Jewish knowledge and scholarship should not – cannot – be not be associated only with wealth, riches, or exclusivity. Our inner and outer selves must be equally “gilded with gold” but we must remember that that inner and outer gold cover plain wood, which one day will rot and return to dust. Knowing where we come from and whence we go – dust – teaches that the heart of the talmid chochom must be filled with overwhelming love, compassion, and humility. Sometimes it seems that some well-meaning contemporary Jews, who strive earnestly to become talmidei chochomim, forget the purpose of their pursuit. They think it has an end result – an award, recognition, the applause of peers. They think it elevates them. They indeed become chochomim but somehow forget to remain talmidim. Balance. On the one hand, the essence of Jewish learning and knowledge is unpretentious. It is simple wood, available to all. On the other hand, we cover that wood in gold because the repository of the Torah, the Aron, should reflect the value we place upon the treasure it holds, the Torah. The talmid chochom must know it is not enough to acquire learning. He must demonstrate respect, reverence, and derech eretz to the Torah. Chazal teach that derech eretz kadmah l’torah, derech eretz must precede actual learning. We Jews must appreciate not only the contents of Torah, but also embrace an approach and attitude toward learning, one that bespeaks the path of learning, and not just the destination. The Aron was built to be beautiful inside and out but its physical beauty was only external representations of an inner reality. The true scholar knows from whence he comes and to whence he goes. Along the path of that journey, he seeks balance in his inner and outer self. In this way, he remains respectful, normal and humble, he is a mensch. He would be a most wonderful match indeed!

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I am sure a lot of us are glued to our televisions watching our countries at the XXX Olympics. The modern Olympics started in 1896 in Athens, Greece. The original Olympics date back to ancient Greece when the city-states competed against each other. The games were revived in the late 19th century and commenced in the ancient city of Athens, where they originated. The United States has had an interesting niche in Olympic history, besides the amazing athletes that broke records and medaled in the last 30 games, concerning the nation’s flag. At the Parade of Nations in 1936, the U.S. Team and its flag bearer began, consistently, refusing to dip the U.S. flag to foreign leaders and the tradition was kept alive at the 2012 Olympic Parade of Nations. There is some confusion of the legacy of this tradition. The first time an incident with the U.S. flag occurred was at the 1908 Olympic games, ironically, held in London. American shot-putter, Ralph Rose, refused to observe the custom of dipping the flag to the host country’s leaders. It is not clear whether the incident was fueled by anger over the U.S. flag not being displayed at the stadium, or was it resentment that the Irish-American athletes held against the British? It is a hazy area of history that remains a mystery, but this is where the tradition has its roots. However, our flag did dip in the 1912, 1924 and 1932 Olympics. The consistency of refusing to dip our flag came in 1936. It was the year of the XI Olympiad held in Nazi Germany’s capital city, Berlin. Some individuals in the Unites States tried to stage a boycott of the 1936 Olympics and insist on not sending U.S. athletes to the games. Their argument was by sending athletes to Berlin to compete was only showing support for the Nazi regime and its anti-Semitic policies. Many Jewish organizations pushed for the boycott of the game as well, but in the end the Unites States sent its athletes and refused to let political issues interfere with the Olympics. Adolf Hitler and his propaganda machine wanted to use the Olympics as a stage to show the world what Germany had transformed into. When visitors poured into Berlin, the city was clean and there were no signs of anti-Semitic sentiment. Free press had returned for the duration of the Olympics and Hitler urged the host country to treat their international guests with hospitality. Hitler had transformed Berlin into a fascist “utopia” and used the Olympics as an opportunity to show it before it turned back into a hardened police-state once again. The opening ceremony was marked with cheers of “Sieg Heil”, the showcase of the stiff-armed Nazi salute and the Olympic banner over powered by the waving red, white and black swastika flag of the Nazi Party. Nation by nation marched in showcasing their athletes and presenting their country’s banners to the crowd and Hitler. Each country dipped its flag as a sign of respect to the host country’s Führer. As the United States of America walked by the box of Adolf Hitler, the Stars and Stripes flew high and never dipped to the fascist leader. This marked the consistent beginning of the Unites States refusing to dip its flag to a foreign leader. It was the one way our country symbolically defied the Nazi’s. So there you have, it all started in 1936 when the United States athletes refused to dip the nation’s flag to a foreign leader. In the case of 1936, it was a sign that the United States would not dip its flag or show respect to a dictatorial nation. After the Berlin incident, it was only solidified as the U.S. and U.S.S.R. were engaged in a war of ideology and arms race. Some view it as a disgusting display of Americanism or disrespect to others nations, while others see it as a sign of pride of America, a democratic nation, that will stand tall and never dip or bow to other nations. On July 27, 2012, as the American Flag streamed passed the box of the Queen it did not dip, maintaining the 76 year tradition. What do you think? Should the Unites States give in and show some respect to foreign leaders at future Olympic games, or should the policy of “Never Dip” be continued?

Beginning with Part 6 of Nibley’s An Approach to the Book of Mormon, he spends several chapters on the Dead Sea Scrolls and how they tie in to this study of the Book of Mormon. Sadly, one of the scholars he quotes frequently in these chapters, Frank Moore Cross, passed away on October 16, 2012, just days ago. He has been a stellar scholar in ancient Judaism, and particularly with the Dead Sea Scrolls. His scholarship and guidance to the world in these issues will be missed. Nibley does not go into detail on the discovery of the DSS, except for certain issues that tie into the discussion. I would note some things to consider, though. First, the DSS were first discovered in 1947 by some Bedouins who discovered a few of the caves near Qumran, where the scrolls were found. Scholars were later apprised of some ancient documents being sold in the market place, which led them to first buying several of the documents, and later finding the larger caches in about 30 caves. 972 texts were eventually found, from several near complete documents to fragments the size of a fingernail. All the books of the Old Testament are represented, except for Esther (the only book that does not mention God). Of these books of the Bible, Deuteronomy and Isaiah have the most copies. The documents were assigned to people on the translation team, a small group of scholars headed by Roland de Veaux, the archaeologist that excavated Qumran. Sadly, the translation process proceeded at a snail’s pace. Few outside the small translation team were allowed to see, view, or handle the scrolls. 40% of the documents were those we find in the Bible. Another 30% were non-Biblical documents that were already known from other ancient sources. The final 30% were unknown documents, such as the Community Rule, the Temple Scroll, and the Habakkuk Pesher/Commentary. By the early 1990s, very few of the third group of documents had been translated by the team. Scholars everywhere were frustrated at the slow process. Due to several events, quality photographs of the scrolls were suddenly made available, and many scholars made independent translations, or were eventually added to the Scroll teams, including LDS scholar Dana Pike. In 1957, when Nibley’s An Approach to the Book of Mormon was published, very few documents had been translated or provided to other scholars. It caused a lot of speculation in regards to the scrolls, such as Nibley notes on Solomon Zeitlin, a well known Jewish Rabbi of the time, who rejected the scrolls as medieval gibberish. It is interesting to study this section in light of so much more information now available to us today. We have several translations of the Dead Sea Scrolls in English and other languages available. I have two on my bookshelf. Nibley did not have such a luxury in writing these chapters, yet he quickly recognized issues that still hold true today. All scholars now agree that the scrolls date primarily between the 2nd century BC and the 1st century AD, although some may date as early as 400 BC or as late as 300 AD (depending on the caves they were found in). All scholars agree that the documents were prepared for long term storage, but not necessarily like one did in a Genizah, where old and tattered documents were discarded behind a wall. As with the Assumption of Moses, found in the DSS and elsewhere, the Lord discussed with Moses the importance of saving documents for future generations. We can easily agree that the DSS were preserved, just as the metal plates of Mormon were hidden by his son for a future generation to discover. There are still some who mock the Book of Mormon because it claims a Jewish group acting like Christians. The BoM speaks of baptism, a Messiah who redeems mankind, etc. But we find this same thing in the DSS. The Community Rule and other scrolls tell of a community of people, who enter into the group via baptism. The members partake of wine and bread to represent their anticipation of the coming Messiah. In Professor Geza Vermes’ translation of the Community Rule, we read, “And this is the Rule for the men of the Community who have freely pledged themselves to be converted from all evil and to cling to all His commandments according to His will…. They shall separate from the congregation of the men of falsehood and shall unite, with respect to the Law and possessions, under the authority of the sons of Zadok, the Priests who keep the Covenant, and of the multitude of the men of the Community who hold fast to the Covenant. Every decision concerning doctrine, property, and justice shall be determined by them…. On joining the Community, this shall be their code of behaviour with respect to all these precepts.” “Whoever approaches the Council of the Community shall enter the Covenant of God in the presence of all who have freely pledged themselves. He shall undertake by a binding oath to return with all his heart and soul to every commandment of the Law of Moses in accordance with all that has been revealed of it to the sons of Zadok, the Keepers of the Covenant and Seekers of His will, and to the multitude of the men of their Covenant who together have freely pledged themselves to His truth and to walking in the way of His delight. And he shall undertake by the Covenant to separate from all the men of falsehood who walk in the way of wickedness. “For they are not reckoned in His Covenant. They have neither inquired nor sought after Him concerning His laws that they might know the hidden things in which they have sinfully erred; and matters revealed they have treated with insolence. Therefore Wrath shall rise up to condemn, and Vengeance shall be executed by the curses of the Covenant, and great chastisements of eternal destruction shall be visited on them, leaving no remnant. They shall not enter the water to partake of the pure Meal of the saints , for they shall not be cleansed unless they turn from their wickedness; for all who transgress His word are unclean…. ” The Community Rule continues discussing entrance into the Community, and of the sacred meal the members partake of: “Every man, born of Israel, who freely pledges himself to join the Council of the Community shall be examined by the Guardian at the head of the Congregation concerning his understanding and his deeds. If he is fitted to the discipline, he shall admit him into the Covenant that he may be converted to the truth and depart from all falsehood; and he shall instruct him in all the rules of the Community…. after he has entered the Council of the Community he shall not touch the pure Meal of the Congregation until one full year is completed, and until he has been examined concerning his spirit and deeds; nor shall he have any share of the property of the Congregation….He shall not touch the Drink of the Congregation until he has completed a second year among the men of the Community. But when the second year has passed, he shall be examined, and if it be his destiny, according to the judgement of the Congregation, to enter the Community, then he shall be inscribed among his brethren the order of his rank for the Law, and for justice, and for the pure Meal; his property shall be merged and he shall offer his counsel and judgement to the Community.” (The Dead Sea Scrolls in English, Geza Vermes, Penguin Books, 1987, pp 67-70), To this day, many scholars believe that John the Baptist probably was a member of the Qumran group, and some still believe Jesus was influenced by them, as well. The discussion of the Community and of being a Covenant People is very important in the Book of Mormon, and to the DSS group. Interestingly, the people of Qumran were led by a group of 3 high priests and 12 elders. Nibley notes, “The scrolls are typically Christian and yet they are Jewish, typically Jewish and yet Christian! Moreover, they are typically biblical in style and composition, and yet not biblical.” We definitely can see this in regards to the Book of Mormon, also. As with the Book of Mormon, the Dead Sea Scrolls still make many Jews and Christians nervous. At least the ones who take the time to study them. Imagine what either would say in reading this in the scroll, Heavenly Prince Melchizedek” “And the day of Atonement is the end of the tenth Jubilee, when all the sons of Light and the men of the lot of Melchizedek will be atoned for…and he (Melchizedek) will, by his strength, judge the holy ones of God….Elohim has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment…And your Elohim is Melchizedek who will save them from the hand of Satan.” Christ is Melchizedek, or the Righteous King and Messiah.

2012.I remember as a kid thinking of the years past 2010 as "the future". We all expected flying cars and possibly jet packs by now. We (we, being me here. And being quite the anti-social, hide-in-a-book type of kid, I have no clue what others were thinking) never saw the Internet coming. And here's why: when we think of "the future" we tend to think of things we know about. And how they could be better (we already had cars and airplanes, flying cars was just a logical step). But something entirely new? Where do we even begin to start? Where does it come from? Start blah blah: I'm not going to get into it here, but Kabbalah teaches that there are two main aspects of thought. Chochmah and binah. Chochmah is the conception of an idea, that flash bulb going off and binah is the ability to incubate the idea, to fully comprehend it and hopefully implement it. Chochmah is also the part of us that allows us to connect with things far beyond us. And the way to cultivate is is through what is called "bittul" namely, nullifying oneself (for lack of better word). It's the ability to step back from your own perceptions, prejudgements, and preconceived notions. To allow something that is completely foreign to your current state to become part of you. And paradoxically it's only then that we really experience ourselves. That we really find out who we are deep down. ... end blah blah Being Jewish and all, we have our own new year (and own birthdays! And mine is tomorrow :)) however resolutions are always good, so I'll put down a few of my new year resolutions here and at the end (of the year, not the world) I'll post the results. Physical: People assume I'm in shape. I'm not. I was blessed with a body that doesn't gain weight and can usually jump right into prior states of prior physical prowess without major downfalls. But I never exercise and I feel it. My back aches, and I'll pull a muscle or get a cramp scratching my back. So by the time the year is out I would like (well more like resolute) to: 1. Run a mile in under 6 minutes. Currently I haven't clue how long it would take, probably around 8 and a half. 2. Run a 10 kilometer in under 45 minutes (my last one came in just under an hour and that was 7 years ago in South Africa). 3. Do a cartwheel. As much as I have been able to do odd stuff in the past the simple cartwheel has always evaded me. 4. Do a backwards handspring. Why? Good question. Photography: 1. Shoot an entire session at f/8 or smaller and kill it (good kill). 2. Take photos of 100 semi-strangers. As in people that I have to do with on a day to day basis but don't really know them (the barista, gas station dude, doctor, check out, cashiers, etc.) 3. Start (and finish) at least one large project that has no current financial benefit. Not for the good karma, but for being able to shoot without thought as to what people (or even me) expect. 4. To master the group photo (my current Achilles heel) both formal and casual. 5. To rock the off camera flash like a boss (even though stylistically its not really me now, I want that to be a choice, not a crutch). Personal, emotional and spiritual resolutions are in the works. I'll save those for my birthday. And because most people don't even read what I write and just come for the pics I'll start off the year with this yummy family session. I love how they came dressed exactly how they'd dress on any other day. It's like a slice out of their life that one day when we're old and wiser we could look back and remember exactly how their life was. Dirt stains and all! Enjoy, and may this year be the best one yet. Hands down.

Fri 5 May 2017 | 7:20 pm - 9:20 pm Chabad on the Coast - Bar Kochba 18, Tel Aviv, 30 NIS Disconnect from the weekly grind, unwind, and connect with great people. Join us on the first Friday of each month for an inspirational get-together. Celebrate Cinco de Mayo in style with Shabbat melodies paired with mojitos and Mexican appetizers! What? Bring in Shabbat with beautiful melodies led by Chazzan David Goldman, enjoy mojitos, words of inspiration & the best company! Who? Young Jewish Professionals & Lone Soldiers in their 20’s & 30’s Where? 18 Bar Kochba, Tel Aviv When? Friday, May 5th 7:20pm: Shabbat Melodies 8:00pm: Mojitos and Mexican appetizers Thought of the Week by Cynthia Ferman. Event is free with RSVP! Suggested Donation: 30 NIS Partial Sponsorship: 400 NIS Please RSVP so we can make sure to have more than enough mojitos to go around! Cynthia has lived in São Paulo, Buenos Aires, Madrid and Washington DC before moving to Israel. For the past three years she has made Tel Aviv her home. When Cynthia is not working, she enjoys studying Jewish philosophy, biking along the beach and traveling across this beautiful country. Cynthia and her husband live in the center of Tel Aviv, where they love having Shabbat guests.