Our Hearts Yearn For Jerusalem ✡ "Toward Jerusalem"

Now his (Daniel's) windows were open in his upper chamber toward Jerusalem -- and he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. DANIEL (6:11)   וְכַוִּין פְּתִיחָן לֵהּ בְּעִלִּיתֵהּ נֶגֶד יְרוּשְׁלֶם וְזִמְנִין תְּלָתָה בְיוֹמָא הוּא בָּרֵךְ עַל בִּרְכוֹהִי וּמְצַלֵּא וּמוֹדֵא קֳדָם אֱלָהֵהּ כָּל קֳבֵל דִּי הֲוָא עָבֵד מִן קַדְמַת דְּנָה דָּנִיֵּאל ו:יא v'-kha-veen p'-tee-khan lay b'-i-lee-tay ne-ged y'-ru-sh'-lem v'-zim-neen t'-la-ta v'-yo-ma hu ba-raykh al bir-kho-hee u-m'-tza-lay u-mo-day ka-dam e-la-hay kol ka-vayl dee ha-va a-vayd min kad-mat d'-na

Jerusalem Inspiration Today's verse packs a powerful lesson on prayer and the eternal centrality ofJerusalem. Daniel, who was exiled to Babylonia after the destruction of the First Temple, opens his windows to face his beloved, yet distant, Jerusalem, the place where prayer ascends to Heaven. As the holiday season approaches, we reflect on the people and places that mean the most to us, and offer gifts to mark our thoughts, love and devotion to them. What better way to show your love for Israel than buying gifts from the holy land for those whom you cherish.   Check out the selection from Israel365 » The Love of God 'God is not judging us, He's loving us'. What a simple, yet deep message. Want to hear more?   Watch here » You Can Become an Archaeologist! The Israeli Antiquities Authority is releasing a free app, called “Dig Quest”, meant to help kids get a feel for what archaeologists do, and experience what it is like to discover artifacts from the past.   Read more » 365 Days of Israel Devotional Our book of inspiring daily devotionals will help you keep focused each day of the year on what is most important - connecting with the Almighty and the Holy Land. Makes a great holiday gift for your loved ones! Get this Great Deal » Jerusalem Daily Photo Today's photo by Uri Baruch displays a colorful window scene on Emek Refaim, one of Jerusalem's most popular hang out streets with many cafes and shops.   See more photos by Uri Baruch » Thank You Today's Jerusalem Scenes and Inspiration is sponsored by Unna Trunkenbolz in honor of her children Michael and Angela. Toda Raba!   Sponsor a day » “Keeping Me Up-To-Date About Israel” It’s great to hear from you and make new friends from all over the world. Please send mean email and let me know how you are enjoying Jerusalem365 (don’t forget to say where you are from!).   Stay in Touch »   Thank you, Rabbi Tuly, for keeping me up-to-date about Israel and the Jewish people, the "apple of God's eye."  I love your wonderful country and know G-d is on your side!  Psalm 3 says in part, "I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that have set themselves against me round about,.  Arise, O LORD, save me O my G-d, for Thou hast smitten all my enemies upon the cheekbone; Thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.  Salvation belongeth unto the LORD; My blessing is upon My people.".....Love and prayers to you, G-d's chosen people, from a Christian friend of Israel. G.Y. Blessing from Jerusalem, Rabbi Tuly Weisz RabbiTuly@Israel365.com

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The Big 60

Family gathering to celebrate my 60th birthday - Steve Martin

(Birthday was Nov. 23, 2014)

Laurie and Hannah - wife and daughter

Cake by Mary Ann Blade

Jonathan Avalos - son-in-law

Ben Martin - son

Lila Parker (Mom), Mary Ann & Michael Blade

Jack Blade - grandson

Mom, Bill Parker & Ben

Steve & Michael Blade

 

Steve & daughter Christen

Daughters Hannah and Christen

Payton Avalos - grandson

Family gathering to celebrate my 60th birthday - Steve Martin

(Birthday was Nov. 23, 2014)

Spielberg Film Honors U.S. Pilot Defenders of Israel

Film Honors U.S. Pilot Defenders of Israel

By John Waage

CBN News Sr. Editor

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

During Israel's 1948 War for Independence, a small band of American pilots quickly left everything they had in the States and risked their lives to take to the skies in defense of the brand new nation.

They were part of the Machal, or the Volunteers. In effect, they founded the Israeli Air Force. David Ben-Gurion, Israel's first prime minister, would later say they saved the nation.

Their remarkable story is the subject of a new Spielberg documentary--not Steven Spielberg, but his sister, Nancy.

She produced the film, called "Above and Beyond," which includes recollections by several of the pilots.

The film was screened at the Jerusalem Film Festival this summer, with the audience giving one Machal pilot, 94-year-old Lou Lenart, a standing ovation. "Above and Beyond" also opened the Calgary Jewish Film Festival earlier this month.

The production will come to theater screens in 2015, and Spielberg told The Jerusalem Post she plans to turn the documentary into a feature film.

"One of the hardest parts of making the movie was deciding what I had to leave out. There were so many capers, so many stories, you can't include them all," she said.

In 1966, Hollywood told the story of one of the heroic pilots, Mickey Marcus, in the film, "Cast a Giant Shadow," starring Kirk Douglas. Marcus was killed by friendly fire in battle.

Tinseltown hasn't paid much attention since then.

The American Machal pilots not only risked their lives, they also risked their citizenship. With urging from the State Department and the Pentagon, the United States had placed an arms embargo on Israel, fearing reprisals and backlash from Arab leaders that could endanger oil supplies.

The State Department made every effort to stop President Harry Truman from recognizing Israel in May, 1948. Having failed that, the leadership succeeded in an official embargo.

Israel had tremendous difficulty cobbling together the planes, military equipment, and personnel needed to stave off attacks from Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Iraq.

Thanks in large measure to the pilots from places like Brooklyn, New York, and St. Paul, Minnesota, the new nation survived, then thrived.

Source: CBN News

Israel to Remember 850,000 Jews Driven From Arab Lands

Friday, November 28, 2014 |  Israel Today Staff

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Israel

On Sunday, November 30, Israel will commemorate the 850,000 Jews driven from their homes in neighboring Arab countries on the occasion of the Jewish state’s rebirth.

While the international community has numerous days and events marking the flight of hundreds of thousands of Arabs from the land during Israel’s War of Independence (there is even an official UN commemoration), the Jewish side of the equation is all but ignored.

For thousands of years Jews had been living in what are today Arab countries, with many of their communities dating back much earlier than the Arab Muslim conquest of the region.

Some 70 years ago, with the rise of Arab nationalism and a growing struggle for control of what the British called “Palestine,” the newly-created Arab regimes began a campaign of intimidation and oppression against their own Jewish citizens.

Local Jews in Arab countries had their property expropriated, their citizenship stripped, and a great many were imprisoned, tortured and murdered.

One regional Jewish community in particular, that centered in and around Baghdad, was over 2,500-years-old. Originally based in Babylon, this community had given birth to the Babylonian Talmud and had long been a leading Jewish cultural center.

But with the rebirth of Israel as a nation-state, the Iraqi government at the time attacked and dispossessed the local Jews, driving nearly the entire community to emigrate to the new Jewish state and elsewhere.

PHOTO: Aharon Aboudi grew up in Iraq, before his family was evicted and forced to build a new life in Israel.

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