Israel, Jews pleased with new pope

Friday, March 15, 2013 |  Israel Today Staff  

 

 

Israeli leaders on Thursday welcomed news that Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires had been selected as the new pope.

Bergoglio will be sworn in as Pope Francis I next week.

"The new pope will be welcomed in the Holy Land with love and appreciation by Jews, Muslims and Christians as one," said Israeli President Shimon Peres.

Anti-Defamation League President Abe Foxman said he was "reassured" over the new pope's record regarding the Jews, and Rabbi David Rosen of American Jewish Committee labeled the incoming pontiff a "warm and sweet and modest man."

As archbishop of Buenos Aires, Bergoglio had good relations with the local Jewish community. He attended a Rosh Hashanah celebration at a local synagogue in 2007, and for years has led solidarity efforts and calls for justice in respect to the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center.

Many Jews were concerned that only a European pope who had lived through the Holocaust could truly appreciate the history of the Jews vis-a-vis the Church, and that popes John Paul and Benedict XVI would be the last to truly foster strong Jewish-Catholic relations.

But those concerns have been put to rest with the selection of Pope Francis I, who is being universally praised for his down-to-earth and genuinely sympathetic nature.

http://www.israeltoday.co.il/NewsItem/tabid/178/nid/23732/Default.aspx?hp=readmore

Solomon's Pools -- (Continued) -- Jerusalem's 'Swimming Hole'

Solomon's Pools -- (Continued) -- Jerusalem's 'Swimming Hole'

IsraelDailyPicture.com

"Solomon's pools becomes a picnic and swimming resort. Group of bathers"
(Library of Congress)

Some 20 years ago, Tel Aviv's Mayor Shlomo Lahat "gave" one of his beaches to Jerusalem's mayor Teddy Kollek.  Ostensibly, "Jerusalem Beach" is the closest beach to Jerusalem and those citizens who want to drive the 40 kilometers to swim and splash.

But Jerusalem has had huge swimming pools nearby for 2,000 years, and the photographers of the American Colony filmed the Jerusalem residents who flocked to Solomon's Pools in the 1940s.

Solomon's Pools -- Picnic and Swimming Resort
 and here (circa 1940, Library of Congress)



Cars arriving from Jerusalem and concession stand
(Library of Congress)

 

From 1948 until 1967 the area was occupied by Jordan, and Israelis could not travel to Solomon's Pools.  The area, of course, was open to local Arab residents.

After the 1967 War, the area was reopened and Jerusalemites and residents of the local Jewish communities would visit the pools for picnics and to swim.  

 After the Oslo Agreements, Solomon's Pools were granted to the Palestinian Authority.  Since the mid-1990s, Jewish groups have been able to visit only with special permission and escort by Israel's army.  Foreign tourists can reach the site without restrictions from Palestinian-controlled Bethlehem.

Recommended reading (in Hebrew) סיפורן של אמות המים לירושלים  The Story of the Water Supply to Jerusalem from "All About Jerusalem," Israeli Tour Guide Course.  Photographs by Tamar Hayardeni and Ron Peled whose comments and photos have appeared in these postings in the past.

http://www.israeldailypicture.com/2013/03/solomons-pools-continued-jerusalems.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+IsraelsHistory-APictureADaybeta+%28Israel%27s+History+-+a+Picture+a+Day+%28Beta%29%29

Alex Levin Fine Art

Alex Levin - fine art from Israel

 

I befriended Alex Levin on Facebook last year, and have tremendously enjoyed his fine art paintings. Below are a few samples. More can be seen at his website and on his FaceBook page. Steve Martin

 

http://www.artlevin.com

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

artistic development and enable him to devote substantial time to the creation of new work. Tradition of Jewish Heritage is a collection of work of Jerusalem's holy Western Wall and it's surrounding religious neighborhood by Alex Levin, one of Israel's most talented and youngest celebrated artist. Through the strokes of his brush, Alex has captured the inhabitants of Jerusalem's ultra orthodox neighborhood of Mea Shearim, Jewish Attributes and people at the Western Wall, one of Judaism most holy places... In 2007 Alex received the Medal Award for the Contribution to the Judaic Art from the Knesset. Major Exhibitions: 1989 - KIEV, UKRAINE 1990 - HERZLIYA PITUACH, ISRAEL Alex Levin comes from Kiev, capital of Ukraine, where he was born in 1975 and later on attended Art Academy, which he graduated with honors. In 1990 Alex Levin immigrated to Israel, where he continues to live in a city of Herzeliya. With most productive and hectic schedule, Alex Levin finds additional time to grow as an artist and studies new techniques with Professor Baruch Elron who was the Chairman of Israel Artist Association. The main painting styles are Surrealism and Realism. Featuring a range of works in oil, acrylic, pencil, charcoal and tempera paints.Artworks of Alex Levin admired worldwide and were purchased for numerous private, corporate and institutional collections in the United States of America, Israel, France, Italy, Ukraine, Switzerland and Belgium. A young artist, who just have turned thirty years old, was directly acknowledged by many influential figures including actor and producer Richard Gere, Madonna, Canadian Jazz player Oscar Peterson and former president of Israel Ezer Weizman. Practicing the original manner of 16th century technique, which happens to be multilayered use of tempera and oil (no brush strokes). After serving 3 years in Israel Army, in 1997 entered the industrial and web design program which was a great benefit for his art work. Currently working on 2 themes: "Tradition of Jewish Heritage" and "Venice through the mask's eyes". An artist’s new vision of a Venice Carnival takes a completely unique approach and presents a viewer with a lavish and most prominent feature of Venetian carnival – the Mask. The earlier paintings from "Mask collection" were introduced in year 2002 in Venice and where awarded with the scholarship to Venice Academy of Art to support artist's continuing 1993 - TEL AVIV, ISRAEL (Wine festival Rishon le Zion) 1994 - NEW YORK, USA (ArtExpo) 1997 - SIDNEY, AUSTRALIA (Avory Gallery) 1998 - TEL AVIV, ISRAEL (Bitan Haomanim) 1998 - AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND (ArtExpo) 1999 - PARIS, FRANCE (Gal. le Parvis Saint Merri) 1999 - HERZLIYA, ISRAEL (Vizo) 2000 - LAS VEGAS, USA (ArtExpo) 2000 - BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (Gallery Aigu) 2001 - NEW YORK, USA (ArtExpo) 2001 - BERN, SWITZERLAND (Galerie Marlyse Aebli) 2001 - HAIFA, ISRAEL (Eshkol Pais) 2002 - NEW YORK, USA (ArtExpo) 2002 - TEL AVIV, ISRAEL (Offir Gallery) 2003 - NEW YORK, USA (ArtExpo) 2003 - SIDNEY, AUSTRALIA (Hamilton Art Gallery) 2004 - NEW YORK, USA (ArtExpo) 2004 - NEW YORK, USA (Alexander Gallery (Ancient Tradition of Jewish Heritage)) 2005 - NEW YORK, USA (Alexander Gallery (Jerusalem Revelations)) 2006 - NEW YORK, USA (Downtown by Philippe Starck, 23 Wall Street)) 2007 - LOS ANGELES, USA (Beverly Hills, (Jerusalem Revelations)) 2007 - JERUSALEM, ISRAEL (Knesset, (Jerusalem Revelations)) 2008 - NEW YORK, USA (Kostushko Foundation)

 

 





http://www.artlevin.com/judaica-prints.html

 

 

 

New Pope Francis (Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina) has Jewish connections

New Pope Francis has Jewish connections

March 13, 2013

JTA.com

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Pope Francis I, right, was the archbishop of Buenos Aires when he met with Claudio Epelman, executive director of the Latin American Jewish Congress, in Buenos Aires in 2012. (Courtesy Latin American Jewish Conference )

(JTA) – Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the Argentinian cardinal who was elected pope and will take the name Francis, is said to have a good relationship with Argentinian Jews.

Bergoglio, 76, a Jesuit, was the choice of the College of Cardinals on Wednesday following two days of voting in Vatican City. He is the first pope to come from outside Europe in more than a millennium; reflecting the changing demographics of Catholics, he comes from Latin America.

As archbishop of Buenos Aires, Bergoglio attended Rosh Hashanah services at the Benei Tikva Slijot synagogue in September 2007.

Rabbi David Rosen, the director of interfaith affairs for the American Jewish Committee, told JTA that the new pope is a "warm and sweet and modest man" known in Buenos Aires for doing his own cooking and personally answering his phone.

After the bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center in 1994, he "showed solidarity with the Jewish community," Rosen said.

In 2005, Bergoglio was the first public personality to sign a petition for justice in the AMIA bombing case. He also was one of the signatories on a document called "85 victims, 85 signatures" as part of the bombing's 11th anniversary. In June 2010, he visited the rebuilt AMIA building to talk with Jewish leaders.

"Those who said Benedict was the last pope who would be a pope that lived through the Shoah, or that said there would not be another pope who had a personal connection to the Jewish people, they were wrong," Rosen said.

Soon after the chimney of the Sistine Chapel sent up a puff of white smoke signifying that the cardinals had selected a successor to Pope Benedict XVI, Francis addressed thousands of faithful from the balcony of St. Peter’s Baslica.

“Buonasera,” he told them, saying "Good evening" in Italian, and thanked his fellow cardinals for going “almost to the ends of the earth” to find him.

Benedict was the first pontiff to step down since 1415.

Israel Singer, the former head of the World Jewish Congress, said he spent time working with Bergoglio when the two were distributing aid to the poor in Buenos Aires in the early 2000s, part of a joint Jewish-Catholic program called Tzedaka.

“We went out to the barrios where Jews and Catholics were suffering together,” Singer told JTA. “If everyone sat in chairs with handles, he would sit in the one without. He was always looking to be more modest. He's going to find it hard to wear all these uniforms.”

Bergoglio also wrote the foreward of a book by Rabbi Sergio Bergman, a Buenos Aires legislator, and referred to him as “one of my teachers.”

Last November, Bergoglio hosted a Kristallnacht memorial event at the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral with Rabbi Alejandro Avruj from the NCI-Emanuel World Masorti congregation.

He also has worked with the Latin American Jewish Congress and held meetings with Jewish youth who participate in its New Generations program.

“The Latin American Jewish Congress has had a close relationship with Jorge Bergoglio for several years," Claudio Epelman, executive director of the Latin American Jewish Congress, told JTA. "We know his values and strengths. We have no doubt he will do a great job leading the Catholic Church."

In his visit to the Buenos Aires synagogue, according to the Catholic Zenit news agency, Bergoglio told the congregation that he was there to examine his heart "like a pilgrim, together with you, my elder brothers."

"Today, here in this synagogue, we are made newly aware of the fact that we are a people on a journey and we place ourselves in God’s presence," Zenit quoted the then-archbishop as saying. "We must look at him and let him look at us, to examine our heart in his presence and to ask ourselves if we are walking blamelessly."

Renzo Gattegna, the president of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, offered Italian Jewry's congratulations to the new pope with the “most fervent wishes” that his pontificate could bring “peace and brotherhood to all humanity.”

In particular, Gattegna voiced the hope that there would be a continuation “with reciprocal satisfaction” of “the intense course of dialogue that the Jews have always hoped for and that has been also realized through the work of the popes who have led the church in the recent past."

http://www.jta.org/news/article/2013/03/13/3121966/new-pope-francis-i-is-argentinian-cardinal-jorge-maria-bergoglio

Miss Israel to Join State Dinner with Obama

CBNNews.com

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

 

 

 

 

JERUSALEM, Israel -- Israel's first Ethiopian-born winner of the Miss Israel pageant has been invited to the state dinner in honor of President Barack Obama. The dinner will be held at President Shimon Peres' residence in Jerusalem.

Yityish Aynaw, 21, was crowned this year's Miss Israel a few weeks ago at the International Convention Center in Haifa. Her name, in Amharic, means "a look to the future." She was 12 when she immigrated to Israel with her family.

Before winning the coveted title, she told the panel of judges, "It's important that a member of the Ethiopian community wins the competition for the first time."

"There are many different communities of many different colors in Israel, and it's important to show that to the world," she said, promising "to represent all Israelis."

When the judges asked her what historical figure influenced her most, she named the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., saying she wanted to emulate his fight for "justice and equality" for Israel's Ethiopian community.

"He fought for justice and equality and that's one of the reasons I'm here," she told the judges. "I want to show that my community has many beautiful qualities that aren't always represented well in the media."

After completing her compulsory military duty with an officer's rank, Aynaw has been working as a saleswoman at a clothing store, though she plans to continue her modeling career.

"I hope to become a successful model thanks to the contest and create a change in the perception of dark-skinned models," she said.

http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/insideisrael/2013/March/Miss-Israel-to-Join-State-Dinner-with-Obama/

Solomon's Quarry

Beneath the Old City of Jerusalem Lies a Huge Cave. Does It Date Back To King Solomon or King Zedekiah?

 

Five men in "Solomon's Quarry," circa 1910. Another picture
of the group can be found here

 

Beneath the Old City of Jerusalem, not far from the Damascus Gate, is the entrance to an enormous cavern, one of the largest man-made caves in Israel. The American Colony photographers visited the cavern 100 years ago.

From the cave's entrance to the end is 300 meters; its width is 100 meters, and its height in some parts is 15 meters tall. The total size is estimated to be five acres.

Solomon's Quarry tourists (circa 1910)

And the cavern, which was used to quarry limestone blocks, dates back 3,000 years.

According to legend, King Solomon may have taken blocks from the cave to build the First Temple (circa 950 BCE). While archaeologists are sceptical, there is little doubt that King Herod (circa 50 BCE) quarried stone for building his massive expansion of the Second Temple, including what we call today the Western Wall.


"Hanging pillar" in Solomon's
Quarry (circa 1910)


Another legend claims that King Zedekiah of Judah (circa 586 BCE) fled from the Babylonian conquerors through the cave. Talmudic literature dating back to the 2nd - 3rd century CE refers to Zedekiah's Cave.

The quarry was used throughout the Middle Ages, but it was sealed in the 16th century by Suleiman the Magnificent to prevent enemy infiltration under the Old City.

Open & Shut, Open & Shut...

The cave remained sealed and undiscovered until 1854 when, according to another legend, missionary Dr. J. T. Barclay was walking his dog outside of Damascus Gate. The dog ran down a hole that had been opened after heavy rains. Barclay followed him in and discovered the massive cavern.

Entrance to Solomon's Quarry
(circa 1900)

In the 1880s a German cult took over the cave until they were removed by Turkish authorities. In 1893 the Turks sealed the entrance once again.

To secure stones for a clock tower the Turks were building at Jaffa Gate they reopened the quarry in 1907. Presumably, the American Colony photos are from that period because the cave was sealed again in 1914 during World War I. 

Ad: "Entrance to Zedekiah's Cave
From now residents of Jerusalem will
pay 3 grush per person. Groups of 10
pay 25 ..."

An advertisement announcing tours and admission rates to the Cave appeared in a Hebrew paper Hatzvi during this period, in April 1909.



The Quarry as a bomb shelter (1940s)

During the British Mandate Zedekiah's Cave was reopened and actually converted to a bomb shelter during World War II. The cavern was closed again in 1948 by the Jordanian authorities because of its location along the Jordan-Israel armistice line.
In 1967, after the reunification of Jerusalem, Israel reopened the cavern.

Read this excellent description of the cave written by Thomas Friedman when he was serving as The New York Times' Jerusalem bureau chief in 1985.

http://www.israeldailypicture.com/2012/09/beneath-old-city-of-jerusalem-lies-huge.html

 

 

Solomon's Pools South of Jerusalem. 150 Years of Photos

Solomon's Pools South of Jerusalem. 150 Years of Photos

www.IsraelDailyPicture.com

 

Solomon's Pools. The photo from the Library of Congress archives is dated
between 1860 and 1880. No photographer is credited for the photo. The photo
and handwritten caption are similar to photos by Felix Bonfils (1831-1885).

Solomon seemed to have had a lot of property around Jerusalem. 

Solomon's Temple, of course, was located on the Temple Mount and was actually built by King Solomon. After its destruction at the hands of the Babylonians, it was covered by rubble, then two versions of the Second Jewish Temple, a Roman pagan shrine, a church and a Muslim shrine. 

Around Jerusalem one can see other ancient sites with Solomon's name

• Solomon's Quarries, 

  

  Solomon's pools, north of Efrat, south of Bethlehem and east of
  Route 60. (Google Earth)

  
• Solomon's Prayer Place,  
• Solomon's Stables,
• and Solomon's Pools 

Other than the First Temple, none of them had any real association with King Solomon.

By the time of the Second Temple in the Hasmonean/Roman period, the man-made reservoirs at "Solomon's Pools" south of Jerusalem were vital for providing water for the burgeoning population of Jerusalem and the many tens of thousands who made pilgrimages to Jerusalem on festivals.



Solomon's pools (circa 1900) in a rare
colored photochrom picture

The local springs and cisterns in Jerusalem could not possibly provide enough water for all their needs as well as for the sacrificial service and hygiene required in the Temple and the city. The springs to the south could provide a bountiful supply despite their location some 30-40 kilometers away, but a massive engineering project of aqueducts was required to convey the water from near what is today Efrat, south of Bethlehem. The water flowed from pools slightly higher than Jerusalem through the many kilometers of aqueduct built with a relatively tiny 0.08 degree angle of decline!

Click on pictures to enlarge.  Click on captions to view the original pictures.

Water from the Biyar Spring
flows into one of Solomon's
Pools (circa 1935)

Water flowing through the mountains via
ancient aqueduct to Solomon's Pools
(circa 1939)

The water aqueduct system begins some 10 km south of Solomon's Pools at the Arrub Spring, and included a collection pool at the Biyar Spring west of Efrat. From there the water in the aqueduct flowed north to the first of the pools 4.7 kilometers.

The pools are massive reservoirs built to hold water from the south and the Eitam spring to the east. The largest is 177 meters long, 60 meters wide, and 15 meters deep.  Parts of the ancient aqueduct system are still visible. 

http://www.israeldailypicture.com/2013/03/solomons-pools-south-of-jerusalem-150.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+IsraelsHistory-APictureADaybeta+%28Israel%27s+History+-+a+Picture+a+Day+%28Beta%29%29

Thanks to ALL of the countries who helped the United States following Hurricane Sandy.

Thanks to ALL of the countries who helped the United States following Hurricane Sandy.

I think it is highly appropriate that we send THANKS to all of the countries that have reciprocated for our help with their disasters, misgivings, social turmoil, & poverty by returning the favor, and sending the United States of America monetary and physical help when " Sandy " ravaged our East Coast leaving dead, homelessness, and destruction in its wake.

Listed below are a list of ALL the countries (from the Middle East and Europe) that gave us their gracious assistance.

Please join me in THANKING these nations by sharing this blog so people from all over America can join in and THANK all of our global neighbors to whom we have given billions of dollars --

1. ISRAEL

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Yes -- that is the complete list!!

Only Israel came to our aid.

So why do pressure Israel so much in their own country, and why do we continue to give so much of our oil dollars and aid to those other countries?

P.S. If we mistakenly omitted another country who did help, please advise. Thanks.

UK's Miliband declares himself a Zionist

Miliband declares himself a Zionist in Q&A with UK Jews

Riding high in the polls, Labour leader says he may not agree with every Israeli policy, but he owes the Jewish state a ‘debt’

By Miriam Shaviv March 8, 2013

Times of Israel

Labor leader David Miliband, flanked by Board of Deputies Vice President Laura Marks and Jewish News editor Richard Ferrer, shows off a seder plate he received at Thursday's Q&A. (Courtesy of Marc Morris)

LONDON — As he posed for the cameras at the end of an evening Q&A with Britain’s Jewish community, a beaming Ed Miliband was heckled by a member the audience. Glancing down, the Jewish leader of the UK’s Labour Party realized that the Haggadah he was holding, a gift from the organizers, was upside down. He quickly corrected course, grinning sheepishly.

The audience didn’t seem to mind. By then, Miliband, who according to polls is the UK’s first realistic prospect for a Jewish prime minister in the modern era, had charmed the room with his easy manner, and his frankest yet declarations of admiration for Israel and for his Jewish heritage. The fact that he did not seem to know too much about either was politely ignored.

Miliband, who was elected party leader in 2010 after defeating his older brother, David, has taken to discussing his family background with increasing frequency. Thursday night, he opened with the now-familiar story of how his Belgian father escaped the Nazis in 1940 on one of the last boats out of the country, seeking refuge in London, leaving behind a mother, sister and more than 20 other members of the family, all of whom were sheltered by a farmer for the duration of the war. His Polish mother was hidden in a convent by Catholic nuns.

He also recounted how he visited his maternal grandmother in Israel as a 7-year-old, and noticed a picture of his grandfather, who had been killed in the camps, on the mantelpiece.

“From that moment onward, I realized Israel was giving my grandmother an incredible sanctuary,” he said to applause. “I have respect, admiration and indeed a debt to Israel for the sanctuary it gave my grandmother.”

Growing up with a Marxist academic father in north London, he admitted that the family was “not very involved” in the Jewish community, but that politics was in his blood. Influenced by their own background as refugees, his parents taught him that injustice must be tackled.

‘I have respect, admiration and indeed a debt to Israel for the sanctuary it gave my grandmother’

“It was tikkun olam. I didn’t know it when I was growing up, but my upbringing was about caring about the world,” said Miliband, confessing that he had learned the Hebrew term for “repairing the world” only recently.

Answering questions from the 300-strong crowd, Miliband declared that he was a Zionist (adding the caveat that he does not always agree with the actions of the Israeli government), and that he would protect kosher animal slaughter and Jewish circumcisions, practices that have come under fire elsewhere in Europe.

Not only would he oppose boycotts of Israel, he was prepared to say so to trade union members who have been at the forefront of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign in the UK, but who were also largely responsible for his election as Labour leader.

Miliband declined to say what he would do if sanctions against Iran failed completely, saying only that it was “essential” to pursue a twin track of sanctions and negotiations regarding the country’s nuclear program. He also ducked a question on the Conservative-Liberal Democratic government’s proposals to make primary schools teach one of seven foreign languages, which has raised concern in the Jewish community because the list does not include Hebrew. Miliband later said that he was not aware of the plans, and would look into them.

He seemed on surer ground when responding to questions on general policy, including immigration, housing and bankers, which initially seemed to preoccupy the audience. Successive audience members preceded their questions by declaring that they were members of the Labour party; there was also a high representation from the Board of Deputies, Anglo Jewry’s representative organization, which sponsored the event together with the Jewish News freesheet.

Miliband was most animated, however, when asked by an American in the crowd whether he admired any American sports. Miliband, who briefly lived in Boston as a child and later studied at Harvard, excitedly declared his love for the Boston Red Sox, giving the bemused English audience a potted history of the baseball team and confessing that he had just ordered a poster featuring Dave Roberts’ stolen base in the 2004 American League Championship Series. He could talk about baseball all night, he mused, and wished for more baseball questions.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/miliband-declares-himself-a-zionist-in-qa-with-uk-jews/

Israel Producing Gold 'Ten Commandments' Medallions

Israel Producing Gold 'Ten Commandments' Medallions

For the first time, Israel will be producing a set of gold coins commemorating the Ten Commandments

 

By David Lev

Israel National News 

First Publish: 3/7/2013

 

Ten Commandments medallion

 

Israel Coins and Medals Corporation

 

For the first time, Israel will be producing a set of gold coins commemorating the Ten Commandments. The Israel Coins and Medals Corporation has released a set of ten medallions, with a very high gold content level - .999 pure – that will feature symbolic graphical renditions of the Ten Commandments.

Each of the ten medallions features a work of art that describes the particular Commandment, along with the relevant passage from the Biblical Book of Exodus, where the Ten Commandments are listed. The opposite side of each coin shows a renditions of the Tablets of the Law, upon which the Bible tells us G-d inscribed the Ten Commandments. The logo of the Corporation, as well as its gold content, is also inscribed.

For Jews, the entire Torah is seen as the Word of G-d, but the Ten Commandments have always held a higher status due to the fact that they were revealed directly by G-d Himself to the Jewish people, who had just left Egypt. The Ten Commandments have a special place in the heart of the Jewish people, and indeed in the hearts of religious and secular people around the world.

Only 10,000 sets will be produced. Each coin has a diameter of 13.92 millimeters and a weight of 1.244 grams. The set is priced at NIS 6,490 (about $1,750).

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/165977

Israel Thwarts Locust Swarms from Egypt

CBNNews.com

Wednesday, March 06, 2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JERUSALEM, Israel -- At daybreak Wednesday, Israel's Ministry of Agriculture continued spraying locust swarms that invaded from Egypt's Sinai Peninsula on Monday.

 

Teams of ministry workers saturated the swarms with pesticide from the air and ground after aerial mapping pinpointed their locations.

The ministry instructed farmers to seal their greenhouses and keep authorities alerted to any infestation.

Negev residents were advised to stay indoors with their windows closed and blinds down.

Crops maturing in protected environments were unharmed by the invasion, but some potato farmers in the Negev reported serious losses. Small numbers of the insects were spotted in other parts of the country.

Arab farmers in the Gaza Strip also reported damage to their crops. Hamas, the Palestinian faction

controlling Gaza, advised residents Wednesday to keep their windows closed.

Authorities say a shift in the wind that brought the locusts from Egypt, coupled with a cold front, will deter more swarms from invading Israel.

A statement issued by the Ministry of Agriculture said it had the situation under "full control" and the locusts did not represent "danger or harm to people and plants."

In anticipation of a possible invasion, the ministry issued a "locust alert" Monday, asking farmers and citizens to be on the lookout for the insects and report any infestations immediately.

http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/insideisrael/2013/March/Israel-Thwarts-Locust-Swarms-from-Egypt-/

Are the Locusts Returning? The Plague of Locusts of 1915 Was of Biblical Proportions

Are the Locusts Returning?
The Plague of Locusts of 1915 Was of Biblical Proportions

Israel Daily Picture

 

 

A fig tree before the locust plague hit (Library of Congress)

The same fig tree after the locust plague hit

News accounts today report a plague of locusts in Egypt and sightings of locusts along Israel's border. 

The photographers of the American Colony in Jerusalem conducted an extensive photographic study of the locust plague of 1915 including the life cycle of the insects, the devastation, and attempts to eradicate. 

A year ago we presented here a photo essay on the photo collection.  Click here to view the whole article.


The aftermath of the plague



 Team waving flags tries to push a swarm of locusts into a
trap dug into the ground.  The Turkish governor demanded
that every man deliver 20 kilo (44 pounds) of locusts

The pictures presented here were hand colored by the American Colony Photographic Dept.

http://www.israeldailypicture.com/2013/03/are-locusts-returning-plague-of-locusts.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+IsraelsHistory-APictureADaybeta+%28Israel%27s+History+-+a+Picture+a+Day+%28Beta%29%29

Israel's Hula Valley: A Bird Watcher's Paradise

By Julie Stahl and Chris Mitchell

CBN News Jerusalem Bureau

Friday, March 01, 2013

 

 

 

AGAMON HAHULA, Israel -- About half a billion birds migrate through Israel's Hula Valley twice each year. It's a paradise for bird watchers, who come by the thousands to one of the world's major migration routes.

 

"This is one of the richest sites in the world for bird-watching," Omri Boneh, with the Jewish National Fund, told CBN News.

"Israel is a sort of junction between three continents and birds that are essentially trying to avoid high mountains [and] great expanses of water, they funnel through very specific flyways," Ben-Gurion University Prof. Reuven Yosef said.

Some of these migrating birds fly 2,000 miles in just three to five days without a meal. They fly from Europe to Asia to Africa. For some, Israel is the halfway point -- part of a 3,700-mile stretch from Syria to Mozambique.

The Bible mentions the bird migration as part of a metaphor:

Even the stork in the sky knows her seasons; and the turtledove and the swift and the thrush (crane) observe the time of their migration. (Jeremiah 8:7 NASV)

Some 400 species of birds stop for refueling, and a fraction even winter here, including 30,000 to 45,000 cranes.

Listening to them talk, one can understand why King Hezekiah said he "chattered like a crane." In fact, it's not just noise. Experts say crane parents and chicks can actually recognize each other's voices.

Twenty years ago, there were hardly any cranes here because the natural swamps were drained for farmland. The ground didn't work well for agriculture, so experts restored part of the lake.

"And the answer was essentially to give it back to nature and so the project has gone sort of in a circle and we're back to trying to renovate, trying to sort of reproduce what existed here in the past," Prof. Yosef said.

That and a special feeding project brought the cranes back, along with the visitors.

"This is a wonderful opportunity for us to educate people about birds, about nature," Boneh explained. "I think that you don't need to be a bird lover when you are coming here, but you are definitely a bird lover when you are going out of this site."

Visitors to the Agamon Hahula Reserve can ride the safari wagon into the midst of the cranes. Guides say there's no place else in the world to see so many cranes in such a small area.

Bird watchers come from all over the world to see the phenomenon.

"I don't even care if you like birds, you have to experience this and come and see thousands and thousands and thousands of cranes," Joan Goodman, from Washington, D.C., said.

"I'm an amateur birder," Phil Waldman from Southern California, said. "If you're a birder, I don't think there's a better place you could find to come to see the variety of species, as well as the atmosphere and the beauty of the place; [it] is unrivaled in any place in the world."

For now, these cranes are getting ready for the long flight back to Russia or Finland for the summer. But they'll be back next year, along with the bird lovers.

http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/insideisrael/2013/March/Israels-Hula-Valley-A-Bird-Watchers-Paradise/

Locust swarm of biblical proportions plagues Egypt

Monday, March 04, 2013 |  Israel Today Staff  

 

 

 

 

An estimated 30 million locusts are currently plaguing southern Cairo, as Egyptian official struggle to find a way to dispose of a swarm the size of which they could not have predicted.

 

Locusts swarm Egypt every year, but typically in manageable numbers. The size of this year's swarm came as a complete surprise, and is reportedly causing enormous damage.

Egypt's military is deploying whatever means at its disposal to deal with the problem, but the country might have to wait until predicted strong winds later this week carry the swarm away toward Saudi Arabia.

News of the swarm comes just weeks before the biblical festival of Passover, when Jews and many Christians commemorate the divinely-guided exodus of the Children of Israel from Egypt.

A major component of the Exodus story is God's afflicting of Egypt with 10 plagues, one of which was a locust swarm of exaggerated size.

http://www.israeltoday.co.il/NewsItem/tabid/178/nid/23707/Default.aspx?hp=readmore

US senators to Israel: We have your back

By JPOST.COM STAFF

03/01/2013 15:05

Jerusalem Post

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham announces resolution to support Israel's right to defend itself against a nuclear Iran.

US Senator Lindsey Graham Photo: REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

 

A bipartisan group of United States senators are introducing a resolution to support Israel's right to defend itself when it comes to a nuclear-capable Iran, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said at a press conference Friday.

"No one wants another conflict in the world, militarily, but we also do not want a nuclear-capable Iran. It would create an arms race in the Middle East and would put Israel and our own nation in great peril," said Graham.

Graham acknowledged US President Barack Obama's initiative to put a stop to Iran's nuclear ambitions, and said "the people who want to destroy Israel very much have us in their cross-hairs too... since America has no better friend in the Middle East than Israel."

Ahead of Obama's visit to Israel this month, Graham labeled the initiative as an effort by republicans and democrats to tell Israel "we have your back."



Graham presented the resolution as a statement of support in the event that Israel acts in self defense against Iran. "This is not a green light for Israel to do anything other than defend itself. If the Israeli people have to act in self defense against existential threat of nuclear capable iran, we will be there," stated Graham.

"Every senator that votes for this resolution is telling the world, Iranians, Israelis, that in the event this day comes, we are going to be with the state of Israel, politically, economically, militarily to help them defend themselves against a threat that presents great danger not only to Israel but to the world, and to the US," he added.

Graham concluded his remarks with a message to the international community, saying "when it comes to the concept of standing with Israel in times of great peril, when we say we have your back we mean it, and when you [Obama] say it to Israel, you have our blessing."

http://www.jpost.com/IranianThreat/News/Article.aspx?id=305028

 

 

'The Bible' TV show headed to History Channel

Published February 28, 2013

FoxNews.com

It’s a story that’s been told many times before. But Mark Burnett and his wife Roma Downey hope special effects and epic story lines will bring their series “The Bible” to life.

In a 10-part miniseries, airing on The History Channel beginning March 3, the couple told Fox they aimed to retell the stories of the Bible in a way that appeals to a young audience.

“It really is family programming,” Burnett said. “It’s for young. It’s for old. And equally importantly it’s for teenagers.”

He said their three teenage children advised them not to “make the special effects lame.” The “Survivor” producer added he hopes the effects for the series will be comparable to those seen in films like “The Hobbit,” and “Lord of the Rings.”

Downey explained that the series would contain five episodes that focus on the Old Testament and five episodes about the New Testament.

Burnett said he expects the series will be the first of many upcoming biblical-themed projects to hit Hollywood.

“I think we’re ahead of the game,” he said. “Next year, the Bible will be really popular in Hollywood. I mean, the first one that’s coming out is ‘Noah,’ with Russell Crowe, [and] Spielberg is working on ‘Moses.’”

But the power couple said regardless, they felt it was important to do the series to combat the “biblical illiteracy” they feel plagues the U.S.

“I think people are hungry for hope,” Downey said. “People are hungry for God, and this series presents the Bible in fresh, visual ways, but I think ultimately it will really connect in their hearts.”

“The Bible” premieres Sunday, March 3, at 8 p.m. ET on The History Channel.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2013/02/28/bible-tv-show-headed-to-history-channel/?intcmp=features#ixzz2MDOY38XT

Randy Spencer playing the Shofar - Song 2 - Savannah, Georgia