In Honour of Israel's 72nd Independence Day

Nineteen Cantors From Around the World Created this Online Performance~Avinu Shebashamayim

History of Chanukah

Eric Stakelbeck Presented This "History" in 2013~The Truth Never Grows Old~Still Amazing...

Chanukah Someyach~Greetings from Israel to All

In Israel we are celebrating the Eight Days of Chanukah. Each day as the sun sets people fill their Chanukiot with oil. As they light the wicks or candles, the say the blessings of Chanukah and sing "Maoz Tzur". Then everyone feasts on yummy potato latkes and sweet sufganiot (jelly-filled donuts). 

Almost everyone knows the story of the Maccabees and the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days~the reason for Chanukah! For those who are not sure, here is a short, fun, info video done by Mayim Bialik. You may remember her from The Big Bang Theory, or from Blossom, two TV series from some years ago. As a point of interest, the name Mayim means "water" in Hebrew.

Happy Chanukah to All Our Friends!

The Chanukah Song

Chanukah is A Time of Celebration~Here is a Fun Tune From Neil Diamond~Enjoy!

Chanukah Fun! Time For Latkes

A Happy Latke Recipe for Chanukah from the Macabeats!

Sukkot is Here! Time to Dwell Joyfully in A Sukkah!

In Israel it sometimes feels like the last quarter of the year is a series of holidays! We first celebrate Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year), followed by Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), and now we are about to enter into the eight days of Sukkot (Feast of Booths). 

After the Shofar is sounded, and we break our fast at the end of Yom Kippur, there is a flurry of activity as people begin building thier Sukkahs. These small, fragile, temporary domiciles are a remnant from the days the Jews were brought out of Egypt and traversed the Sinai desert before entering the Holy Land. 

Here are a few hinto to build your own Sukkah. (*Please Note* These are only general tips~anyone interested in Halakic rules should consult an appropriate rabbi or kosher internet site)

Your Sukkah must be outdoors, with easy access to your house. There should not be anything between the schach on the roof and the sky~no trees, roofs, umbrellas, etc. The walls can me made of anything from wood to plastic as long as they are tied down and will not blow away. Some people use a wall of the house, as when building on an open balcony. There is no specific size, but the idea is to be able to sit on a chair in the Sukkah and eat your meal. 

Photo: Menahem Kahana/AFP/Getty Images

For the roof you must use schach~raw, unfinished "vegetable matter". In Israel, many people use palm fronds, but you could also use evergreen branches, corn stalks bamboo or special schach mats.

It is important that you do not use an overhead trellis or any live branches attached to a tree or plant. Many people use thin strips of wood to make a lattice then lay the branches over top.

When laying the branches, don't make them too thick~you should be able to look up and see bits of the sky.

Once the dwelling is up you can decorate with lights, pictures, shiny balls or anything that you like. Add a table and chairs and you are ready to dwell! At night you can remove the table and chairs and lay down a sleeping bag or mattress, or if you have the space, curtain off the back of the Sukkah.

It is great fun to walk through the religious areas of Jerusalem and see the Sukkot hanging from balconies, on stilts and leaning against apartments. At night you hear the giggling of children as they "sleep under the sky" for the week.

It is said that one should make every attempt to be joyful for the full eight days. Think about it~if everyone in the world would focus only on joy and peace for those eight days~who knows what it could lead to!

...But on the fifteenth day of the seventh month (Tishrei),
when you gather in the produce of the land,
you shall celebrate the festival of the Lord for a seven day period;
the first day shall be a rest day, and the eighth day shall be a rest day.

And you shall take for yourselves on the first day,
the fruit of the hadar tree, date palm fronds, a branch of a braided tree, and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for a seven day period.

And you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord for seven days in the year.
[It is] an eternal statute throughout your generations [that] you celebrate it in the seventh month.

For a seven day period you shall live in booths.
Every resident among the Israelites shall live in booths,

...in order that your [ensuing] generations should know that I had the children of Israel
live in booths when I took them out of the land of Egypt.
I am the Lord, your God...Leviticus 23:39~43  

 Chag Sameach to Everyone!  

Shana Tova~Rosh Hashanah 5775

Rosh Hashanah is the New Year on the Jewish Calendar. Tomorrow (Wednesday, 24 September 2014) at sundown, Israel begins the first night of Rosh Hashanah.

In the days leading up to Rosh Hashanah, Jews say Selichot (Prayers of Forgiveness). The Sephardic community began Selichot after midnight on the first day of the month of Elul (16 August 5774) For the Ashkenazic community Selichot started after midnight on Saturday, 21 September.

This is a time of prayers and repentence as well as a time of great celebration. On this day, Hashem makes his "assessment" of the whole world. It is said that on Rosh Hashanah, three books are opened. The righteous are immediately inscribed in the Book of Life~they are sealed "to live". Those in the middle are given ten days (until Yom Kippur) to repent, while the wicked are "erased from the Book of Life" forever. Of  course, we all pray that we will be inscribed and sealed in the Book of Life for another year!

Like all celebrations we want to have family and friends, good food and happiness on this day. We at Jerusalem Vistas / Israel Vision are praying for new, and better things to happen in 5775.

We thank you all for your ongoing prayers and support~without you we could not continue. Our wish is that all of you will be "Incribed and Sealed in the Book of Life for a Sweet, Healthy, Happy and Prosperous Year"

לשנה טובה תכתב ותחתם "Leshana tovah tikatev v’tichatem"
May You Be Inscribed and Sealed For a Good Year!

Book of Good Life~The Maccabeats

 Dip Your Apple~The Fountainheads

Rosh Hashanah Greetings from Israel's Prime Minister

Rosh Hashanah Greeting from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu~September 2014

Join Jay and Meridel in Their Sukkah!

Welcome to the Rawlings Family Sukkah, Share A Blessing and Learn About the Joy of Sukkot

Rosh Hashanah Greetings from Jay and Meridel

New Year Greetings for 5774 to All Our Family, Friends and Partners...שנה טובה ומתןקה

A Walk Through Our Valley in Israel...

Israel is a tiny country but it is filled with wonders, from the arid desert to the snowy mountains, and the lush welcoming valleys.

The best way to see and appreciate the Wonders of God's Creation is to "walk the land". The Jewish Talmud says that “one who walks four cubits (1.8 meters) in the Land of Israel will merit a portion in the world to come.” When one is privileged to be in Israel it is easy to see why the sages made this statement!

This year, on Tisha B'Av, Jay and Meridel did just that. On the Jewish Calendar the 9th of Av, or Tisha B'Av (15-16 July 2013) is known as the saddest day of the year for Jews. The list of tragedies is long, beginning with the Sin of the Spies. The destruction of the First and Second temples, and the fall of Beitar (the last fort to hold off the Romans), during the Bar Kockba Revolt were also added to the day. Later in 1492, King Ferdinand of Spain ordered the expulsion of the Jews, wtih Tisha B'av being the last day Jews would be allowed to walk on Spanish soil. Later, WWI, which eventually led to the Holocaust began on  (you guessed it) Tisha B'Av. Jump to 1942~on the eve of Tisha B'av~the Germans began mass deportations from the Warsaw Ghetto to Treblinka. Even as recent as 2005, we watched as 10,000 Jews of Gush Katif were expelled from their homes, and their towns were bulldozed to the ground. The next day, members of the terror group Hamas moved in and began firing rockets into Israel...and the people mourned on Tisha B'Av.

It is no wonder that people in Israel fast, mourn and reflect. They also spend time walking the land, amongst the lush growth, allowing the "Land of God" to bring them peace and regeneration.

Jay and Meridel are blessed to live on the edge of a beautiful Valley. With cameras in hand they took a walk, to find "peace" in the valley. Join them in their walk, and share a portion in the world to come...

Israel Shall Blossom and Bud, and Fill the Face of the World with Fruit...Isaiah 27:6

Happy 65th Israel!!

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Greeting for Yom Ha'Atzmaut

Sukkot in Israel

Etrog & Lulav for Sukkot

We are at the time of year in Israel when a series of major holidays are celebrated~Rosh Hoshana, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Simchat Torah. 

This means that many days during September and October are designated holidays. It is a time when families travel the country, visit museums and the Old City of Jerusalem. It is a joyous and festive period.

It is also a time when many businesses work partial days or close entirely and all work is back logged. For this reason, our posting has been slow. We hope to pick up again after the 10th of October with new content and information. Meanwhile, do scroll through this site and review our Blog posts from the past. 

We also invite you to visit our video website at this link:

Israel Vision TV 

...where you can watch many of the documentaries and interviews we have produced over the years~All at no charge. Until then, our Jerusalem Vistas Family wishes you all Chag Someyach!

PM Netanyahu~Israel's 64th Independence Day

Pesach~The Story of Passover

For Jews all over the world, Monday, 18 April 2011 is the night of the Passover Seder. While many look upon the day from varying points of view, for the Jewish people it is a confirmation that God is in charge. His plan for the world will unfold and no man can stop it. Chag Sameach to all.

Celebrating Purim in Jerusalem

In Jerusalem Purim is celebrated with great energy. Here is the "mini" story...

Kudos to the Governor of Arizona

I read this letter on Mesopotamia West. I am reprinting it for you to read. All around the Politically Correct world we are being denied the right to openly celebrate our Holidays and Holy Days. We are being forced to take the "Christ" out of Christmas, and the Menorah out of Hannukah because it may be "offensive to some cultures". I reject this completely. Christmas has always been the celebration of the Birth of Christ--End of Story. We must stand up and refuse to allow our history and Judeo-Christian faith to be erased. Merry Christmas to Governor Jan Brewer and all or our friends everywhere. Here is the Governors letter:

 

Dear Friends,
An Executive Order that I issued last year encourages the celebration of Christmas and Hanukkah and prohibits any censorship of these religious holidays.

As you may know, in the past, state and local officials in Arizona (and elsewhere) have attempted to strip both Christmas and Hanukkah of their meaning, including establishment of policies forbidding state employees from placing religious items of celebration at their desks, re-naming of Christmas trees as “holiday” trees, and renaming of Menorahs as “candlesticks.”

Under my administration, I will call things what they are...a Christmas Tree and a Menorah...and will gladly allow both Christmas and Hanukkah to be celebrated at the State Capitol. I encourage my colleagues and fellow elected officials to do the same.

Finally, during this Christmas season, make a difference in our community by volunteering your time or making a donation to a worthy cause. An organization that I support, Hope & A Future, is making a difference this Christmas by providing gifts and clothing to foster children. I encourage you to learn more about Hope & A Future and make a difference in our community through this charity or another charity of your choice.

Merry Christmas! 
May God bless you, your home, and all of Arizona,
Sincerely, Jan Brewer Governor

Amen Governor!

A New Spin on the Chanukah Story!

This is a cute and easy to understand version of the Chanukah story. This time of year in Israel Dreidels are everywhere, and yes, people do play the game. Enjoy!