Random Act of Culture

A long time friend of Vistas sent this marvelous information and link to the below clip. No matter what your background--this is spectacular! Imagine shopping in one of the largest department stores, and suddenly an organ fires up and all throughout the store "shoppers" burst into chorus.

The Story:

The great Wanamaker Grand Court Organ was originally located  Wanamaker's Department Store, Philadelphia...and is now--Macy's. They still do mini-concerts daily and weekly on the what is is the largest operational pipe organ in the world with 28,482 pipes!. Macy's supports the continued use of this instrument, the most often publicly heard Pipe Organ in the USA, and arguably the world. A National Treasure, it is valued in excess of $57! Recent renovations and additions have resulted in the finest state of conservation and tonal quality ever.

And what better piece of music to sing to organ accompaniment than The Hallelujah Chorus? No doubt some will tut-tut about this particular type of performance, but how great is it to see all the singers amongst the crowds throughout the Grand Court in Macy's. Note the response, attention and delight of the shopping crowd. And at the end, the applause and cheering says it all...I say we need MORE Random Acts of Culture all over the world! Enjoy!!

Weekly Bible Study~Vayeitzei~Genesis 28:10 to 32:3

This week's reading is Vayeitzei, "go out" and is from the book of Genesis, Chapters 28:10 to 32:3. Jacob leaves his hometown Be'er Sheva  and journeys to Charan to the home of his uncle Laban. He stops for the night at a place that traditionally is considered to be Har Moriah, the site of the Akeida, (the binding of Isaac)  and the location of the future Beit Ha Mikdash. We know it as the Temple Mount. Jacob dreams of a ladder. It was pointed out by one of the great sages that the ladder was described as having its "feet" planted in the ground (representing worldliness and basic decency) and that its "head" reached the heavens (representing spiritual pursuits). In his dream Jacob sees angels going up and down the ladder. Some say that this is a message telling us that wealth is temporary and can go "up" and "down", therefore if we are blessed with wealth we should use it wisely, constructively and charitably. Gd appears to Jacob and tells him that He will bequeath the entire land to Jacob's descendants, and that He would safeguard him (Jacob) until his return to Canaan. When Jacob wakes up, he recognizes the holiness of the location and erects a monument to Gd. He names the location Beth El (House of Gd) and makes a vow to tithe all his belongings when Gd's promise of a safe return would be fulfilled.

The next day he arrives at a well on the outskirts of Charan where he spots Rachel, Laban's youngest daughter, arriving with her father's sheep. When she is unable to remove the cover of the well, Jacob single-handedly rolls away the heavy stone and gives water to the flock. Rachel tells her father about Jacob, and Laban rushes out to greet him. Jacob goes to Laban's home, and after a month, Laban offers Jacob the job of tending to his herds, and asks Jacob what he wants in terms of wages.

Laban had two daughters--Rachel, and her older sister Leah. Jacob falls in love with Rachel and offers to serve Laban for seven years in exchange for her hand in marriage. Laban accepted the deal and after the seven years pass, Jacob tells Laban he wants to marry Rachel. Laban arranges a wedding feast, but when it is time to go to their tent for the night, Laban switches the girls, giving Leah instead of Rachel. Some sages say that Rachel cooperated in this ruse by giving Leah her "private signals" to Jacob. They say she did this to save Leah from a probable marriage to Esau, Jacobs elder brother. When Jacob realizes the deceipt he protests, so Laban offers to give Rachel to him as well--in exchange for another seven years service. Jacob marries Rachel, and begins another seven years of working for Laban. Leah gives birth to four children, Reuben, Simon, Levi, and Judah--but Rachel remains barren. Rachel and Leah both give their handmaids to Jacob as concubines. Rachel's maid, Bilhah, bears two children, Dan and Naftali, and Leah's maid gives birth to Gad and Asher.

Leah's son Reuben picked dudaim (fertility) plants for his mother. Rachel asks Leah for some of them, and Leah agrees, provided that Rachel relinquishes her turn with Jacob that night. As a result Leah gives birth to another two sons--Issachar and Zebulun--and one daughter--Dinah. Eventually, Rachel, too, gives birth to a son, whom she names Joseph. At that point, Jacob asks Laban for permission to take his wives and children and return to Canaan. Laban, not wanting Jacob to leave, points out that his divining reveals that his wealth and blessings are due to Jacob's presence in his home.

Laban wants Jacob to stay so he tells him to name his wages "And I will give it!" Jacob asks that all the streaked and spotted sheep born  be given to him and in return, he would continue caring for Laban's flocks. Laban, in a sly move takes all the existing spotted and streaked sheep from the herd and gives them to his son. Jacob makes striped poles for the strong and robust sheep to view while they are mating. As a result, the sheep give birth to striped lambs. Despite Laban's sneaky ways, and continual changing of the terms of Jacob's wages, Jacob soon becomes very wealthy and after six years, Gd commands Jacob to return to Canaan. Jacob talks to his wives, and they agree that it is time to leave.

Jacob waits until Laban is away, then takes his family and belongings and slips away. Rachel takes one of Laban's idols. Some say she did this in order to save her father from the sin of idolatry. When Laban discovers they have left he goes after them. The night before he reaches them, Gd warns Laban in a dream not to harm Jacob or his family. When Laban finally catches up to Jacob on Mount Gilead, he complains that Jacob didn't allow him to say goodby to his daughters, and he also says that one of his idols is missing. Jacob allows Laban to search for his idol in their belongings. Laban searches everything (except Rachel's personal belongings), and finds nothing.

Laban and Jacob made a peace treaty and erecte a stone monument to seal the pact. Laban  kisses his family good bye and returns to his home in Charan, while Jacob continues on his way. When he entered Canaan, he is greeted by welcoming angels.

Next week, as Jacob returns to the Holy Land, he once again has a dream--this time he will struggle with an angel. Jacob will get a new name, finally meets his brother Esau, then loses his wife.

Kristallnacht~72 Years

During the evenings of November 9th and 10th, 1938, thousands of synagogues and Jewish businesses and homes were damaged or destroyed.

The Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem is holding a ceremony and symposium to mark 72 years since the Kristallnacht pogrom. The pogrom was named for the broken glass that resulted when the Nazis unleashed a series of riots against the Jews in Germany and Austria.

German and Austrian ambassadors will participate in the symposium. The program is in Hebrew with translation into English available, and includes lectures on Antisemitism and Holocaust Denial, as well as Holocaust Survivor Artists from Central Europe. There will also be memorial ceremonies held at  noon and at 5:30pm. Rabbi Mordechai Neugroschel will speak in the Yad Vashem Synagogue. He is is a well known lecturer and educator in Eretz Israel. He speeches in Hebrew and English reach a wide range of Israeli audiences.

Over the years the organizers of Yad Vashem have created one of the most complete centers for Holocaust information. I hope to post more on this amazing institution at a later date.

They now have a website where you can learn about the Shoah, and even search the database for names of Shoah victims.

Do visit their on line section dedicated to the  Kristallnacht Exhibition called It Came From Within.  You will find pictures and stories of the people who lived and died during those terrible nights. 

The sad truth is that the evil of antisemitism is rising around the world once again. Israel and the Jewish people are being blamed for all the ills of the world. 

While Christians are being slaughtered in every Muslim country in the Middle East, the mainstream Media  either ignores the atrocities, refuses to name the perpetrators or promotes the view that this would not be happening if Israel would only give up their country. I listen to BBC and their biased reports bear no resemblance to what is happening here in Israel. They maintain a policy that is completely  against Israel and consistently invite only those who share their antisemitic views. I don't know which is more disturbing, the fact that they are funded by public taxes or that they are heard around the world!

Sadly, even those in Germany have once again joined in the hatred towards Israel and the Jews. There was an article in the New York Times pointing out that the keynote address this year for the commemoration of the Kristallnacht pogrom at Paulskirche (a former church in Frankfurt that is a symbol of German democracy), will be delivered by Alfred Grosser, who was born in the city 85 years ago. Last year, he published a book called “From Auschwitz to Jerusalem,” in which he suggested that Germany was not critical enough of Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians because of the legacy of the Holocaust. A "Pro Palestinian" Jew, he rails against Israel. It should be noted that he lives in France, where his family fled in 1933. 

Today there are many, many Jews both in Israel and abroad who jump on the podium to vilify Israel. Just as there were Jewish Kapos in the concentration camps, these people bring shame to themselves.

The violence today has nothing to do with land--it is totally about the evil rise of Islam and their bid to conquer the world to establish a new Caliphate. Read and be informed.

We must stand up and say Never Again to those who would deprive us of the freedoms that so many have died for. As we remember the horror of Kristallnacht and what it brought to the world we must ask ourselves; "If Israel falls...who is next?"

Now They are Putting Korans in Church Pews--Why?

This weekend, the Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church in Houston along with Christian communities in Atlanta, Seattle, and Detroit will initiate a series of sermons that have been designed to produce an ecumenical reconciliation between Christianity and Islam. This next line is a shocker:  In addition to the sermons, the Sunday school lessons will center on the inspired teachings of the Prophet Mohammad. Qurans will be placed in the pews next to the Bibles.

There is much more--to read the entire article, simply click on the link to go to Bare Naked Islam's blog. The first video prompted me to do more searching and I found the second clip. Although the clip header says 3-to-5 it actually starts where the first clip leaves off. It is interesting how they use terminology to bring Jesus into Islam, but if you listen carefully, you see that they use him as a tool to bring Christians into Islam. The second video discussed this in more detail, including how they change the crucifixion and resurrection--claiming it did not happen. There are many, many articles and clips available due to the openness of the internet--this is but one example. We must take care about what we watch and what our children are exposed to. People who are new to faith, or those who have struggled with doubts can easily be drawn in. Be informed!

If you are interested in reading more articles that you will Not see in the mainstream Media do go to the home page of Bare Naked Islam for many more articles--you may be surprised!

Part 2 to 5 of Jesus of Islam

Are Christians Being "Cleansed" from the Middle East?

The Mainstream Media, the UN and associates, and others, are constantly blaming all the ills of the world on Israel. Calls of brutality, apartheid and even comparisons to the holocaust. This is false propaganda, but sadly, we as humans are so tied to our evening news we accept as fact whatever flashes on the screen.

The pope decried the decline of Christians in the Middle East saying, "urgent and concerted international effort to resolve the ongoing tensions in the Middle East, especially in the Holy Land, before such conflicts lead to greater bloodshed."  A 46-page document from the Vatican said input from clerics in the region blamed the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories for inhibiting freedom of movement, the economy and religious life, alleging that access to holy places is dependent on military permission that is sometimes denied on security grounds.

Müezzin Mahfili~for readers of the Koran during services

FACT: Israel is the only Middle East country where freedom of movement is enjoyed by all faiths. Where there are entry restrictions it is usually for Jews! A case in point  is the Temple Mount, where Christians  have better access and freedom of movement than Jews, who can be arrested if they move their lips (because they might be trying to pray!) Of all the countries in the Middle East, Israel is the only one whose Christian population has increased! While the percentage of Christians in the Israeli population has declined due to the immigration of Jews, the absolute number of Christians has increased. The Christian population of Israel has grown from 34,000 in 1949 to about 140,000 today. Think about it--how many churches have been built in Saudi Arabia, or any other Arab country in the last ten years? More likely we see projects like Hagia Sofia in Turkey (pictured right) that has been turned into a mosque! I have seen it.

The countries where Christianity is being obliterated are those with Muslim majorities. On a daily basis, Christians are brutalized, murdered and forced to accept Islam; churches are vandalized and burned, graves are dug up and the bones desecrated, because according to Islam, they are impure. Now this doctrine is spreading. A Christian can't wear a tiny cross around her neck in the UK, but a Muslim can wear a full burka, people are being dragged into court for standing on a street to pass out Christian leaflets, and worse, drawing a comic of Mohamed will net you a death sentence! But what is the Media saying--Not Much!

For those of you who are interested in Truth this is a Must Watch movie. You will see and hear the gripping testimonies of those who have lived under Islam and rejected it. Many, but not all have embraced Christianity. Critical verses from the Koran and the Hadiths are explained by people such as Bat Ye'or, Cairo born author, Abdullah Al-Araby (pseudonym), Walid Shoebat and Serge Trifkovic. You will see world politicians praising  Islam and urging us all to accept (submit to?) the rising Muslim population in our midst.

Learn why, for Muslims there is No God but Allah and Muhammad is his Prophet. Learn about the Struggle and Jihad. Learn of Expansion through conquest and historical evidence of enslavement and massacres of Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians and Hindus by Muslim invaders. Learn about Deceipt in War and Taqiyya. Finally learn why Islam is More than a Religion; why Sharia law rules every aspect of religious, political and personal action and the true meaning of Dar al-Islam ("the house of Islam" or "the house of peace"). Educate yourself and pass it on to others.  Please take time to watch (below) or at this link:

http://www.eyeblast.tv/public/checker.aspx?v=hd8zIrVrVr

Befriend a Soldier

YNet News has published an interesting article about a New Website,  Befriend a Soldier launched by former IDF soldiers aimed to connect discharged Israeli combat troops with the general population. It gives you, the general public worldwide, an opportunity to contact a former IDF Soldier and ask serious questions. I have met many young people who have done their service and feel strongly that the things they are exposed to on a daily basis are beyond what anyone should have to face. 

Do look at their site, and by all means participate!  You will surely learn something and you might even make a friend. The link is: 

http://www.friendasoldier.org/

Bible Study for Week of 31 October~06November 2010

This week's study, Toldot, means "offspring" and "generations"; it also means "generations" in the more general sense, (ie) that which a person generates and produces. Thus, "the toldot of Isaac" are Isaac's two sons, Jacob and Esau, as well as the deeds and achievements of Isaac...And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son. 

Toldot--Genesis 25:19-28:9
Isaac and Rebecca (sister to Laban) marry. After twenty childless years their prayers  are answered. Rebecca conceives but the pregnancy is difficult. G-d tells her "there are two nations in your  womb" and that the younger will prevail over the elder.

The twin boys emerge, Esau first, followed by Jacob who is born clutching Esau's heel. Isaac favors Esau "a cunning hunter and man of the field" but Rebecca loves Jacob "a  wholesome man, a dweller in the tents of learning". One day, when Esau returns exhausted and hungry from the hunt, he sells his rights as the firstborn (birthright) to Jacob for a pot of red lentil stew. Then comes the famine in Canaan and Isaac escaps by traveling to Egypt via Philistine (The Holy Land). And Gd told Isaac to remain there and that He (Gd) will give to him all the blessings promised to Abraham.

In Gerar, the land of the Philistines, Isaac claims Rebecca is his sister, out of fear that he will be killed over her beauty. He farms the land, and reopens wells dug by his father Abraham. Eventually, Abimelech, king of the Philistines, perceives that Rebecca is Isaac's wife. He reprimands Isaac, but then issues a decree that no one should touch them. While in Philistine, Isaac sows crops, and miraculously harvests many times more than a field's normal yield.

The Philistines eventually became envious of Isaac's wealth, and ask him to leave. He moves away from the city, settling in the Gerar Valley. There, Isaac's servants dig two new wells but the Philistines contest his ownership over these wells. Isaac moves on and digs a third well. This well is uncontested and he names it Rehoboth "for now the Lord hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land".

Isaac goes to Beersheba, where Gd appears to bless him and assure him that He (Gd) would always be with him. Abimelech travels to where Isaac is and requests to enter into a peace treaty with him; "We saw certainly that the Lord was with thee".

Isaac agrees to Abimelech's request and on that day, Isaac's servants inform him that they have successfully dug another well. Isaac names it Shebah. Isaac is now becoming old and blind. He wants to bless Esau, but first asks him to hunt for his (Isaacs') favorite game. Rebecca overhears, and devises a plan to disguise Jacob as Esau, including using goatskins to simulate the feel of his hairier brother. She then prepares the meal and sends Jacob with it to Isaac.

 Jacob receives the blessing for "the dew of the heaven and the fat of the land and mastery over his brother". Esau arrives soon after and only then does Isaac realize what has happened. He tries to comfort Esau with a minor blessing "Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above; And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck". But Esau remains furious and is determined to kill Jacob. Once again, Rebecca finds out and asks Isaac to send Jacob to Charan to find a wife. Isaac does so, and blesses Jacob again before he departs.

After Isaac sends Jacob to his brother-in-law Laban's home, to marry one of his daughters,  Esau also marries (again) this time to Machalat the daughter of Ishmael. 

We see from this that Isaac was blinded concerning Esau’s (un)worthiness for the birthright, while Rebecca, who had lived under the same roof with the evil Besuel and Laban, saw through him and took steps to insure Jacob received the blessing, then finally, sent him away to safety. How often in families do we have this same situation where one parent favors a particular child. Does this contribute to sibling rivalry? Do we even recognize we are favoring one child over another? What if we have a difficult, unruly child? A very wise woman with many children once said that when a child of hers became "uncontrollable" she would immediately ask Gd to help her react to the child with love, and to provide her with a method to deal with the situation.

Next week Jacob leaves his hometown Be'er Sheva and journeys to Charan. On the way, he meets and struggles with an Angel.

Israel's Critical Security Needs for a Viable Peace

From the time Israel was declared a state in 1948 it has been under attack. Time and again agreements have been drafted and even signed, but the violence has continued, with Israel so far being able to defend itself.

Israel is one of the smallest countries in the world. A comparison of the middle east was made to a hand. Hold out the hand and there you have all the Arab countries. Look at the nail of the tiny finger and there you have Israel. And yet, the world is constantly trying to force this small nation to give up land. The time has come to say No More!
  

Please watch this video produced by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs--If Israel gives up any more land it will be suicide. Remember, All of the Arab countries in the middle east have sworn to wipe Israel off the world map--it is in the constitutions and charters of each one. Even our "peace partners" have not removed this caustic declaration from their charter.

Could this be Anti Semitism ?

During the 2010 World Masters Weightlifting Championships in Poland in an unprecedented move, an Iranian athlete took his place on the medal podium beside an Israeli athlete. The Iranian News stated:

"This is the first time since the 1979 Revolution in Iran that an Iranian athlete has appeared beside an Israeli athlete in an official championship."

Read the full  article with source links on Elder of Zion blog. 

While the attitude is not unusual  for Iran, it is important to note that similar punishments would be dealt out in most Muslim countries. You can also read  Elder's follow up on what the Iranian government did to their own people.

Persian BBC writes that the coach, the weightlifter and the head of the weight lifting delegation are temporarily banned, but EoZ quotes an Iranian source saying that the

punishment is a Lifetime Ban for the athlete 

and the head of weightlifting--for standing next to an Israeli ! Watch the clip to witness this criminal act.

Outrageous! When did Rachel's Tomb Become a Mosque ?

Arutz 7 has reported that on 21 October 2010, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) voted recently on a resolution prepared by seven Arab states, to officially declare Rachel's Tomb to be a mosque. UNESCO director Irena Bokova had previously stated “concern” at Israel's decision to treat the tomb as a heritage site.  The PA has also demanded total control of Rachel's Tomb, the Tomb of the Patriarchs--the burial site of the other Biblical Patriarchs and Matriarchs--and the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

Furthermore, UNESCO could not really explain any Moslem connection to Rachel’s Tomb! In a note to the proposed resolution, the holy site is called “the Tomb of Rachel, home to the historic Bilal ibn Rabah Mosque.” But nowhere in the 11-paragraph document is it explained how or when the site became Moslem!  The remarks of protestation made by Israeli representative Nimrod Barkan were erased from the protocol because UNESCO claimed that his words were “too aggressive”.

The site has been recognized for over 3,000 (Rachel passed away in 1552 BCE) years as the tomb of Matriarch Rachel. It is considered as Judaism’s third holiest site, and is one of the oldest sacred places of prayer on earth. Rachel, wife of Jacob, is the quintessential mother in the Jewish psyche and it is here that Jews come to pour out their most gut-wrenching prayers. In 1169, Benjamin of Tudela,  mentions a pillar made of 11 stones and a cupola resting on four columns "and all the Jews that pass by carve their names upon the stones of the pillar." The brick cube with the dome was constructed around 1620 by the Ottomans. It was Sir Moses Montifeori who renovated the Tomb in 1841 and  added on an anteroom and enclosed the dome over the grave marker so that pilgrims could find shelter from the elements. Pilgrims came to Rachell's Tomb long before King Solomon built the Temple in Jerusalem, and they continue to come until today.

 And they journeyed from Bethel; and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour. And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son also. And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin. And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem. And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave: that is the pillar of Rachel's grave unto this day...Genesis 35:16-21 (King James Version)

It was only a little more than ten years ago, that the PA begin to call the site the Bilal Bin Rabah Mosque, and now they want to change history by having Rachel's Tomb removed from Israel's Heritage list. In fact, if we go back a few years, a publication called “Palestine, the Holy Land,” published by the Palestinian Council for Development and Rehabilitation, with an introduction by Yasser Arafat, simply says that: "at the northwest entrance to [Bethlehem] lies the tomb of the matriarch Rachel, who died while giving life to Benjamin."   (Benjamin-one of the 12 tribes)

This ongoing effort to de-legitimize Israel must be stopped! For the threat is not only  to Israel. For some time now, arabs have been spreading rumors that Mother Mary was a Muslim and that Jesus will only return to convert the world to Islam! Allowing this ongoing rape of history affects all of us from every faith and denomination. Even now, while the media remains silent, Christians in Muslim countries are being tortured and murdered daily, churches are burned, graves are desecrated and bones dug up. Ancient statues of the Buddhists were destroyed and nobody spoke up, now they make claims on the Holy sites of the Jews and the silence is deafening, and when they make claim to what remains there will be nobody left to stop them.