Thursday, April 2, 2015

WWI: Were Jewish Soldiers in the British Army Permitted to Celebrate Passover in Jerusalem in 1918?

Israel's History - a Picture a Day (Beta)


WWI: Were Jewish Soldiers in the British Army Permitted to Celebrate Passover in Jerusalem in 1918?

Posted: 01 Apr 2015

Individual Jewish soldiers served in the ranks of the armies of Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand and were involved in the 1917 battles in locations such as Be'er Sheva and Rishon LeZion. Another large group of Jews served in the British army's Jewish Legion, commanded by Col. John Henry Patterson and involved in combat after arriving in Palestine in 1918. According to Patterson's memoirs, 2,000 soldiers were under his command.

Patterson bitterly complained that his soldiers were forbidden from celebrating Passover in Jerusalem in 1918 and 1919, yet the pictures below show Jewish soldiers in Jerusalem on the holiday. How can the contradiction be explained?



Jewish soldiers from various British units celebrating Passover in Jerusalem, 1918. The various headgear suggests the soldiers were from many army units, including ANZAC and Scottish, and not necessarily from the Jewish Legion.. (Harvard Library/Central Zionist Archives)

In Patterson's own words, the new sovereign of Palestine -- the British army -- continued the Ottomans' anti-Semitic practices against the Jews. Patterson's fury could barely be contained when his Jewish soldiers suffered from vicious anti-Semitism within the army and from British commanders.


Col. John Henry Patterson

Palestine has become the theatre of an undisguised anti-Semitic policy. Elementary equality of rights is denied the Jewish inhabitants; the Holy City, where the Jews are by far the largest community, has been handed over to a militantly anti-Semitic municipality; violence against Jews is tolerated, and whole districts are closed to them by threats of such violence under the very eyes of the authorities; high officials, guilty of acts which any Court would qualify as instigation to anti-Jewish pogroms, not only go unpunished, but retain their official positions. 

The Hebrew language is officially disregarded and humiliated; anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism is the fashionable attitude among officials who take their cue from superior authority; and honest attempts to come to an agreement with Arabs are being frustrated by such means as penalising those Arab notables who betray pro-Jewish feeling. 

The Jewish soldier is treated as an outcast. The hard and honest work of our battalions is recompensed by scorn and slander, which, starting from centres of high authority, have now reached the rank and file, and envenomed the relations between Jewish and English soldiers. When there is a danger of anti-Jewish excesses, Jewish soldiers are removed from the threatened areas and employed on fatigues, and not even granted the right to defend their own flesh and blood.

Discrimination against Jews was, however, still shown in other quarters. Early in April 1918 the men were considerably upset on the receipt of orders from G.H.Q. that no Jewish soldier would be allowed to enter Jerusalem during the Passover; the order ran thus: "The walled city (of Jerusalem) is placed out of bounds to all Jewish soldiers from the 14th to the 22nd April, inclusive."



The caption reads: "Jewish Legion soldier (sic) during Passover in Jerusalem." Clearly, this is not Jerusalem. The library description of the photo also includes "Judean Hills region," a more likely setting. (Harvard Library/Central Zionist Archives)

I cannot conceive a greater act of provocation to Jewish soldiers than this, or a greater insult. The days during which they were prohibited from entering Jerusalem were the days of the Passover. Think of it! Jewish soldiers for the first time in their lives in Palestine and barred from the Temple Wall of Jerusalem during Passover! Only a Jew can really understand what it meant to these men, and the great strain it put on their discipline and loyalty.

How provocative and insulting this order was will be better understood when it is realized that the majority of the population of Jerusalem is Jewish, and, therefore, there could have been no possible reason for excluding Jewish troops belonging to a British unit, while other British troops were freely admitted, more especially as the conduct of the Jewish soldiers was, at all times, exemplary.


Jewish soldiers at Passover Seder, Jerusalem, 1919 The photo is signed by Ya'akov Ben-Dov who moved to Palestine in 1907 from Kiev. He was drafted into the Ottoman army during World War I and served as a photographer in Jerusalem. Ben-Dov filmed Allenby's entry into Jerusalem in 1917. (Harvard Library/Central Zionist Archives)

Not since the days of the Emperor Hadrian had such a humiliating decree been issued. However, to make up somewhat for the action of the authorities, I made arrangements for the Passover to be observed at Rafa with all the joy and ceremony usually attending that great Feast of the Jewish People. At considerable cost we provided unleavened bread, as well as meat and wine—all strictly "Kosher." 

As we were nearly 2,000 strong at this time, the catering for the feast had to be most carefully gone into, and Lieut. Jabotinsky, Lieut. Lazarus, and the Rev. L. A. Falk did yeoman service in providing for all needs. It was a wonderful sight when we all sat down together and sang the Hagadah on the edge of the Sinai desert. 

Passover was selected to insult their deepest religious feelings, by barring them access to the Wailing Wall during that week. No Jewish detachment is allowed to be stationed in Jerusalem or any of the other Holy Cities of Jewry.

.


Jewish soldiers -- their headgear and uniforms suggests they are from from various units -- celebrating Passover at the British Jewish Soldiers Home in Jerusalem, 1919 (Harvard Library/Central Zionist Archives)

The Feast of the Passover was celebrated during our stay at Helmieh. Thus history was repeating itself in the Land of Bondage in a Jewish Military Camp, after a lapse of over 3,000 years from the date of the original feast.

I had considerable trouble with the authorities in the matter of providing unleavened bread. However, we surmounted all difficulties, and had an exceedingly jovial first night, helped thereto by the excellent Palestinian wine which we received from Mr. Gluskin, the head of the celebrated wine press of Richon-le-Zion, near Jaffa. The unleavened bread for the battalion, during the eight days of the Feast, cost somewhat more than the ordinary ration would have done, so I requested that the excess should be paid for out of Army Funds. This was refused by the local command in Egypt, so I went to the H.Q. Office, where I saw a Jewish Staff Officer, and told him I had come to get this matter adjusted.

He said that, as a matter of fact, he had decided against us himself. I told him that I considered his judgment unfair, because the battalion was a Jewish Battalion, and the Army Council had already promised Kosher food whenever it was possible to obtain it, and it would have been a deadly insult to have forced ordinary bread upon the men during Passover. 

I therefore said that I would appeal against his decision to a higher authority. He replied, "This will do you no good, for you will get the same reply from G.H.Q." He was mistaken, for I found the Gentile, on this particular occasion, more sympathetic than the Jew, and the extra amount was paid by order of the Q.M.G., Sir Walter Campbell.

It is apparent that while Jewish soldiers from other units in the British army were permitted to attend seder in Jerusalem, the formal Jewish Legion was not, perhaps because of the army's desire to restrict a distinctly Jewish, nationalistic corps in its midst. 


Pictures from the German Army March in 1917 Are Matched by a Reader to Today's Jaffa Road

Posted: 01 Apr 2015

Bravo to Simon, a reader of Israel Daily Picture, who provided these contemporary pictures showing the exact locations where German soldiers marched in Jerusalem during World War I.

Simon even recreated the exact photo angles.

Stay tuned. More mystery pictures from World War I will be appearing here.



German soldiers marching in Jerusalem on Good Friday, Passover Eve, 1917 on Jaffa Road


The exact spot on Jaffa Road 98 years later, the same doorways, balconies.



German soldiers marching in Jerusalem on Good Friday, Passover Eve, 1917 in front of the Fast Hostel, where the Dan Pearl Hotel is located today.


The 1917 buildings have been replaced, but this is the spot where the German army marched.


Simon wrote, "It's fascinating how in one picture the scene is little changed, apart from the modern shop signs and the light rail tracks down the street, but in the other picture nothing from 1917 is still there in 2015 -- even most of the street itself has been replaced by an underpass."

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

A.D. The Bible Continues - Meet Peter (Video Sneak Peek)




Published on Mar 18, 2015
This fisherman must learn how to fight. Adam Levy plays Peter in A.D. The Bible Continues, premiering Easter Sunday, April 5 at 9/8c on NBC.
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» A.D. The Bible Continues Premieres Sunday April 5 9/8c on NBC!
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As part of NBC's new shows in 2014 and 2015, NBC's A.D. The Bible Continues, premiering Easter Sunday 2015, follows the events that occur after the crucifixion of Christ.

Find A.D. The Bible Continues trailers, full episode highlights, previews, promos, clips, and digital exclusives here.

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ABOUT A.D. THE BIBLE CONTINUES
As most of the world knows, the Crucifixion was only the beginning of the story. The immediate aftermath of Christ's death had a massive impact on his disciples, his mother Mary, and key political and religious leaders of the era, completely altering the entire world in an instant. Watch as the disciples struggle to survive and share their beliefs, guiding us from the sorrow of Christ's ultimate sacrifice to the awe-inspiring wonder of the Resurrection and beyond.

A.D. The Bible Continues - Meet Peter (Sneak Peek)
https://youtu.be/PpgIRYZA-5g

A.D. The Bible Continues
https://www.youtube.com/ADTheBibleCon...

TV Miniseries Review: A.D. THE BIBLE CONTINUES

A.D. the Series

Take a moment and check out our Faith-Friendly Film Review of A.D. THE BIBLE
CONTINUES —a 12-week television event premiering this Easter Sunday,
April 5th on NBC at 9 ET / 8 CT.

Arriving just in time for Easter and airing in prime time through Pentecost and beyond,
A.D. THE BIBLE CONTINUES tells the amazing story of the first followers of Jesus
as recounted in the Book of Acts and the Gospels.

Click here to read the full review and find out how we rated A.D. THE BIBLE CONTINUES.



As you know, we’ve developed a set of five specific criteria to measure the compatibility
of entertainment products for Faith Driven Consumers like you and me.

By supporting faith-compatible entertainment, we collectively encourage Hollywood to
continue producing more products that resonate with the 41 million Americans who are
Faith Driven Consumers and spend $2 trillion annually.

Share this review with your family and friends. We hope you will use it to make an
informed stewardship decision about taking the time to tune in to A.D. THE BIBLE
CONTINUES this Sunday evening and in the weeks that follow.

Sincerely,

Kermit Rainman
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‘Killing Jesus’ Breaks NatGeo Ratings Record With 3.7 Million Viewers. Next on Fox News Channel


‘Killing Jesus’ Breaks NatGeo Ratings Record With 3.7 Million Viewers

Deadline
Lisa de Moraes1 day ago



© Provided by Deadline


Killing Jesus nabbed 3.7 million viewers across Sunday night — the biggest audience in National Geographic Channel history. The channel also noted the 8 PM premiere’s 1.0 rating in the adults 25-54 demo is the highest rating for that demo since the net’s November 2013 premiere of Killing Kennedy, which clocked a 1.1, and 300% higher than NatGeo’s Sunday 8-11 PM average this calendar year.

The film also premiered last night on Nat Geo MUNDO in the U.S., and will air globally in 171 countries. And, Fox News Channel will repeat Killing Jesus this Friday at 8 PM ET/PT and on Easter Sunday at 8 PM ET/PT.

Fox News Channel star Bill O’Reilly wrote, with Martin Dugard, the best-selling book on which the movie is based. Their two earlier books, Killing Kennedy and Killing Lincoln, also were adapted for NatGeo, and had been the two most watched programs in the network’s history until last night’s Killing Jesus unveiling. Killing Kennedy nabbed 3.4 million viewers in its November 2013 launch, and Killing Lincoln had clocked 3.35 mil in February 2013. Before the Killing franchise came NatGeo’s way, NatGeo’s largest crowd came way back in August 2005 with Inside 9/11 which had logged an initial 3 mil.

Last night’s numbers were good news for NatGeo’s new series The Big Picture With Kal Penn, debuting tonight, and Neil deGrasse’s new late-night talk show StarTalk, debuting April 20; both shows were promoted heavily during the Killing Jesus premiere.

Cast of Killing Jesus included Kelsey Grammer as King Herod the Great; Stephen Moyer as Pontius Pilate; Haaz Sleiman in the title role as Jesus; Rufus Sewell as Caiaphas; Emmanuelle Chriqui as Herodia; Eoin Macken as Antipas; and John Rhys Davies as Annas.


KING SOLOMON'S WALL EXCAVATED



Published on May 31, 2013
Gordon Robertson explores the ruins of the palace of King David and the wall of King Solomon in Jerusalem.

Ukrainian Jews Exodus 'Deeply Significant'

Courtesy The Jewish Agency

Ukrainian Jews Exodus 'Deeply Significant'

"The Bread of Affliction" ✡ Israeli Matzah Factory Hard at Work

This is the bread of affliction that our fathers ate in the land of Egypt. Whoever is hungry, let him come and eat.

PASSOVER HAGGADAH
 

הָא לַחְמָא עַנְיָא דִי אֲכָלוּ אַבְהָתָנָא בְּאַרְעָא דְמִצְרָיִם. כָּל דִכְפִין יֵיתֵי וְיֵיכֹל

הגדה של פסח

ha lakh-ma an-ya dee a-kha-lu av-ha-ta-na b'-ar-a d'-mitz-rai-yim kol dikh-feen yay-tay v'-yay-khol

Haggadah Highlights

We begin the Seder by remembering and inviting those less fortunate. One Passover, a poor woman asked her town Rabbi an unusual question. She wanted to know if she could use milk for the four cups of the Seder, for she could not afford wine. The Rabbi, in response, gave her a large amount of money, much more than was needed to purchase wine. The Rabbi reasoned that if she expected to drink milk at the Seder, it was clear she had no meat either (as we are prohibited from eating milk and meat at the same meal). So he gave her enough to buy both wine and meat for the festival. Today "Meir Panim" in Israel provides thousands of meals in dignified soup kitchens, as well as meals-on-wheels to Holocaust survivors, and hot lunches to poor school children.
 

Secret Poverty in the Holy Land

Under the radar is a large segment of Israeli society living in poverty. What is being done about it? You'll never believe the fight of one organization to stop poverty here in the Holy Land.

5 Thoughts for Your Passover Seder

Inspiring, take-away lessons to enliven your Passover Seder and deepen your understanding of the festival.
 

Best-Selling Passover Haggadah

"The Night that Unites" is a best-selling Haggadah from Jerusalem, featuring the full text in Hebrew and English, with powerful stories related to the Land of Israel. Includes questions and answers to help facilitate meaningful discussions during your Passover seder.

Today's Israel Photo

In the "Matzot Carmel" bakery in Petakh Tikva, workers prepare matzah, traditional unleavened bread which is eaten on the holiday of Passover.
 

Yesterday's Photo Trivia

Thanks to all who responded to yesterday's trivia! The beautiful photo by Yehoshua Halevi showed a paraglider over the Mediterranean Sea.
 

Thank You

Please help us continue to spread the beauty and significance of the Land of Israel!
 

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We Need a Revival of New Testament Love by Lee Grady

We Need a Revival of New Testament Love 

by Lee Grady

Identity Network
 
We who call ourselves Spirit-filled Christians are notorious for overusing the term "revival." If we get a standing-room-only crowd in a church for more than three nights in a row, and those people end up swooning on the floor after the altar call, we start hyping things up and comparing the meetings to the First Great Awakening.

 
But what exactly are the signs of a genuine move of God? Lately I've been buried in Paul's epistle to the Thessalonians to find the answer to that question. After all, one of the most explosive spiritual awakenings in history took place in the Greek city of Thessalonica. It was a headquarters of ancient paganism (and just three hours from Mount Olympus, the home of the Greek gods), yet when the gospel was preached there it triggered a chain reaction of miracles and mass conversions.

 
Spiritual Explosion

 
Paul said of the spiritual explosion in Thessalonica: "Our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction" (1 Thess. 1:5a). A riot erupted, Paul was run out of town, and the new Christians were persecuted. Yet the attacks couldn't stop them: The impact of this move of God was so forceful that within a short time the newly converted Thessalonians spread their faith throughout most of Greece (see v. 8).

 
So we could say that biblical revivals always include: (1) powerful preaching that brings heavy conviction of sin; (2) supernatural miracles that display God's power and confirm the message; (3) notable numbers of true converts who share their faith aggressively; and (4) persecution from those who resist the gospel. But after reading 1 Thessalonians a few more times I noticed one additional hallmark of genuine revival that we often ignore: (5) remarkable, sincere love that nurtures the growing Christian church.

 
We all want the miracles. We long to see mass conversions. But we forget that New Testament revival doesn't happen without New Testament love. I see this love manifested in some specific ways:

 
1. Servant-hearted Leadership.

 
The apostle Paul and the leaders on his team did not think of themselves as "all that." They weren't pulpit stars. They didn't ride in limousines or demand five-star hotel rooms. Paul was even willing to work a job so he wouldn't be a burden to the Thessalonians. He told them:"Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our very own lives, because you had become very dear to us" (1 Thess. 2:8).

 
In today's "Spirit-filled" churches, some pastors have morphed into hipster CEOs who appear only in the pulpit and on the video screen. They may bring a powerful message, but the idea of personal impartation has become a relic of a bygone era. In the era of the iChurch, we really can't get on the people's level. That's too bad, because sermons alone don't make disciples. People need a personal touch from leaders who feel deep affection for those they are discipling.

 
2. Selfless Investment.

 
When Paul was in prison, he didn't throw a pity party or feel bad for himself. He was thinking 24/7 about the people he had led to Christ in Thessalonica. He desperately wanted to see them again. They were in his heart. He prayed for them constantly "that we may see your face, and may complete what is lacking in your faith" (3:10). That kind of selfless love, modeled by humble leaders, sets the bar high for the entire church.

 
3. Slobbering Affection.

 
The word "brethren" appears in 1 Thessalonians 17 times. Paul understood that when we join the community of the redeemed, we are bonded together by the Holy Spirit who lives in all of us. That precious spiritual bond should be treasured. That's why Paul wrote: "May the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another" (1 Thess. 3:12). He knew the true measure of Christian maturity is fervent love.

 
Paul also told the Thessalonians: "Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss" (5:26). Today we explain this verse away by suggesting that kissing was a cultural tradition that doesn't apply to us. Really? I've been in churches where people keep their polite distance, and their lack of affection is an indicator of their icy spiritual condition. Some people criticize what they call "sloppy agapé," but I've learned that when Christians hug and kiss each other, they are also more prone to be passionate followers of Jesus.

 
Paul cared deeply about his followers and he told them: "We proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children" (2:7). There is a direct connection between extravagant love for each other and the spirit of New Testament revival. Let's rediscover it.

 
Lee Grady




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Franklin Graham: Thank God for Gov. Mike Pence - Jennifer LeClaire

Franklin Graham: Thank God for Gov. Mike Pence


Indiana Gov. Mike Pence discusses his state's Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence discusses his state's Religious Freedom Restoration Act. (Reuters)
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence is taking more than a little heat over his religious freedom bill. The radical gay agenda is up in arms and stirring the pot against the man of God, claiming the law could be used to discriminate against gays.
The Indiana bill and others work to protect business owners who don't want to provide services, like bake wedding cakes or rent wedding venues, to gay couples.
Sold-out Christians are standing with Pence, even as the Indiana legislature vows to clarify the religious freedom bill. Similar initiatives in Georgia and North Carolina have already stalled.
"The Governor of Indiana, Mike Pence, is taking a lot of heat for doing the right thing. He signed into law the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which protects the freedoms of Hoosiers of every faith," Franklin Graham wrote on his Facebook page.
"He is being attacked by the LGBT community, liberal politicians and liberal media who don't want Christians' freedoms to be protected. Thank God for politicians like Governor Pence who are not afraid to take a stand regardless of the political consequences. We need more men like him in public office across this country and in Washington who are willing to stand for right over wrong."

When Actors Played Out This Prophecy, Something Supernatural Happened

When Actors Played Out This Prophecy, Something Supernatural Happened


While filming this scene in National Geographic's version of 'Killing Jesus,' the actor who plays Peter says the Spirit was moving.
While filming this scene in National Geographic's version of 'Killing Jesus,' the actor who plays Peter says the Spirit was moving. (YouTube)
Palm Sunday came and went a few days ago, but as the Killing Jesus re-enacted it before the scene before cameras, something startling happened. 
Alexis Rodney, who played Peter in the televised version of Bill O'Reilly's book, revealed in a podcast that as Christ entered into the streets and extras were shouting "Hosanna!" the Lord really showed up.
"There was a scene where Jesus was fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah ... where he's riding the donkey colt into Jerusalem, and the people are laying the palms on the floor and there was a moment where it reached near rapture," Rodney says on The Church Boys 
"The people—they were going to cut, we had finished the scene—these were people in an absolute state of rapture. They were just screaming 'Hosanna!'
"They weren't stopping. They were paid supporting actors ... and the camera operator used his good thinking and just carried on filming ... I felt like a biblical superstar. It was just absolutely amazing."
If a prophetic re-enactment can have that sort of impact on paid actors, what could this mean for the world?
Having a diverse cast allowed the producers to expand the audience to include nonbelievers, Rodney tells The Church Boys.
"It takes in a younger, perhaps more skeptical audience," Rodney says. "It will open up more to them."
And allow them to prepare the way of the risen Lord?