Jerusalem Jubilee

 

Jerusalem Jubilee (Randyjw; June 26, 2017)

 

The concept of “Jubilee” is derived from the laws of G-d handed down to the Jews thousands of years ago and pertains, in its overall aspect, with “release” and “wiping the slate clean”, whether of a bondsman by his master, an unfulfilled repayment of debt, or other specific instances of servitude without remission of one over another. Its occurence happens once every fifty years.

 

In its admittance to the lexicon of the English language, we have subverted its original meaning to stand-in for a substitute, whose new definition is abbreviated to mean a celebration marking the commemoration of an event recurring on a fifty-year anniversary, or something which will occur every fifty years.

 

2017 marks a fifty-year milestone since Jerusalem was recaptured by the Jewish people from its captivity at the hands of Jordan, who had been beaten back, along with their Arab neighbors, in their attack upon Israel in 1948, but who had, nevertheless, managed a toehold in the Old City at the time when an armistice was declared by outside forces. Continued Arab attacks led to the final Jewish push in 1967, which permanently ousted the Arab occupation from the City, placing it into Jewish hands, once again.

 

2017 also marks a centennial anniversary of the November 2, 1917 Balfour Declaration by the British Mandate powers handed their responsibility from the League of Nations to oversee the administration for the disposition of the control of Palestine to the Jewish people, then operating under their governing body known as the Jewish Agency, which is still in existence, today, and which still manages many of the Jewish issues worldwide, such as logistics and settlement to their homes and the return of Jewish refugees/exiles to Israel.

 

Gad Elbaz, an Israeli singer to which I’ve previously linked his beautiful family Passover YouTube video of “Mah Nishtanah” for you to see, will be performing a concert corresponding to this Jubilee and which will benefit the Chabad of Greater Daytona.

 

The event is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on July 9th at The Fillmore Miami Beach, in the Jackie Gleason Theatre; 1700 Washington Avenue; Miami Beach, Florida, 33139. Doors open 6:30 p.m. Tickets available through Ticketmaster.com.

 

For a preview of his beautiful voice, please see his “Mah Nishtanah” video, again:

 

 

Randy’s Recipes: Berry Good Granola

Randy’s Recipes: Berry Good Granola (Randyjw; June 25, 2017)

 

Ingredients:

Pitted Dates, pureed (these are Medjool; I bought already prepared date rolls with coconut)

Shredded coconut flakes

Strawberry Yogurt Muffins , crumbled (I used one package of the brand known as “Lil Bites”)

Pomegranate-flavored (or other) dried cranberries (I used a prepared, pre-mixed package with walnuts)

Walnut pieces

 

---

 

Puree the pitted dates until fairly smooth. Round into small pieces and coat with flaked coconut. Add crumbled muffins, dried pomegranate-flavored (or other) cranberries and walnut pieces. Enjoy! Store remainder (if any!) in airtight container.

 

Bows

Bows (Randyjw; June 25, 2017)

 

We take for granted

things we see every day

gifts that are given

in myriad ways

and need small reminders

to recall to the fore

just what exactly

those gifts lay in store

So G-d made a way

to remind us of those

He made sure the giftwrap

was tied with a bow

And when days seem dark

and the clouds pour out rain

remember the spark

in the sky once again

violet and indigo

blue, green, and yellow

orange and red

from the clouds like marshmellows

At nighttime,

you just need to look for the “K”

in Hebrew, it’s “Keshet”

in stars that G-d made

It’s also known

by its constellation name

Orion and his bow

for the one and the same

And some say to tie a string

with bunny ears

looped on your finger

to keep memories near

Visual reminders

help bring dear ones nigh

but I never need any

to remember you by

 

Machaerus Mikveh Unearthed

 

Machaerus Mikveh Unearthed (Randyjw; June 23, 2017)

 

A Jewish ritual immersion pool, known by its Hebrew name of “mikveh”, has been located in the Machaerus palace complex on the eastern side of the Dead Sea, in what some people reference as today’s country of Jordan.

 

Read the interesting articles and see photos, here:

 

JNi Media. “Hungarian Archaeologists Unearth Herod’s Fortress, Ritual Bath, East of Jordan River”. June 15, 2017:

 

http://www.jewishpress.com/news/israel/hungarian-archaeologists-unearth-herods-fortress-ritual-bath-east-of-jordan-river/2017/06/15/

 

Reblog:

Mandal, Dattatreya. “Archaeologists excavate (and reconstruct) a massive ritual bath inside Herod’s fortress of Machaerus”. June 21, 2017; Realm of History:

https://www.realmofhistory.com/2017/06/21/ritual-bath-herod-fortress-machaerus/

 

Additional Reading:

 

http://www.jerusalemchai.org/education.cfm?categoryID=145&categoryName=Coins%20of%20the%20Realm%20

 

Mitzrayim (Egypt), Son of Ham

 

Mitzrayim (Egypt), Son of Ham (Randyjw; June 23, 2017)

 

During the celebration of Passover, the Jewish people are commanded by G-d to recount our slavery in Egypt, and our subsequent deliverance by G-d from bondage. One of the songs we sing is “Dayenu” (It Would Have Been Enough”), and begins, thus:

 

“Ilu Hotzi Hotzianu, Hotzianu Mi Mitzrayim, Hotzianu Mi Mitzrayim, Dayenu”. In this song, we are thanking G-d for all the miracles He wrought to deliver us from our enslavement at Pharoah’s hand. For each miracle He provided, we say that just that one would have been enough, but He chose to bestow the many, so that the inhabitants of Egypt would be under no delusion as to Who was really responsible in creating them.

 

The Jewish people reference Egypt by its Hebrew name, Mitzrayim, which refers to the name given for the son of Ham.

 

At this time, it has come to light that mitochondrial DNA of a sampling of Egyptian mummies from the Abusir El-Meleq region of Egypt may indeed prove the Jewish reasons for our statements and the factual historicity of the Jewish Bible. Here is the article, written by Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz, for Breaking Israel News:

 

Berkowitz, Adam Eliyahu. “Mummy DNA May Prove Ancient Egyptians Descended From Son of Noah Exactly as Bible Describes”. June 22, 2017; Breaking Israel News:

 

https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/90106/dna-study-mummies-indicates-ancient-egyptians-descended-biblical-ham/#HC3O5S2ibtGddV1h.97

 

Randy’s Reviews: Pilate’s Wife by Antoinette May

 

Randy’s Reviews: Pilate’s Wife by Antoinette May (Randyjw; June 13, 2017)

 

I believe in things like karma, synchronicity, and the other myriad, subtle influences that play a part in our lives, both physically and metaphysically. Little did I know that this fictional book, set just preceding and throughout the nadir of Pontius Pilate’s governorship in Judea during the reign of the Roman Empire, would touch me self-reflectively in the many references it makes to the journey I’ve felt myself to be on in recent months.

 

I’ve felt that the “universe” has been trying to tell me something very important that I have apparently been overlooking in my life. The same is being said to be the missing factor of the main character in this novel, Claudia Proculus, the eventual wife of Pontius Pilate. She is besotted with making this charming, handsome man her own, and goes to great lengths to see that this occurs, even seeking incantations from the mystagogue at her temple of Isis, to whom she swore devotional allegiance. Whether divinely inspired or chemically-induced, the attraction seems to work it’s magic spell and lures Pilate to her side, with equal ardor.

 

Claudia lives an idyllic childhood all too abruptly thrown into turmoil, as her life takes on tragic twists in the fate of her family members. She realizes that her inner happiness is in question, as well as her choices. Her child with Pilate brings her great joy, compounded by the realization that the man she really loves cannot be in her life. Their brief dalliances must last her a lifetime, and they do.

 

The book was researched by its author, Antoinette May, over a course of many years, taking about fourteen years’ time to complete. Several of these years were spent delving into the studies, documents, literature and resources of the Classics Department at Stanford University to research the era of this time, in order to make the real-life characters of the time come to life. I felt it was a very unique insight into the formation of monotheistic religion from its beginnings from its more nature-based, pagan panoply of deities. I loved the descriptions of the clothing, which were fashioned often after the celestial bodies of the stars, sun, and moon; the mentions of the various deities and their properties and how people came to worship them; etc.

 

While I appreciate that the Jewish slave, Rachel, was strictly written about in human terms and was never shown in any diminutive fashion, I felt that there was unnecessary antagonism toward the Jewish people portrayed by Ms. May in her wording and the feeling that I got based on her attitudes, which seemed particularly stereotypical and condescending toward the Jewish people as a religion and as a people. For this reason, I was really disappointed, although the book was otherwise an engaging and engrossing read. Taking this in mind, I do hope you have a chance to read and enjoy this book, as a love story and as a throwback to ancient times.

 

Until We Meet Again

☺🌞🌚🌈❤📺