Saturday, September 21, 2013

Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) celebration at Beit Yeshua

Machol Israeli Folk Dance Team




Sukkah



Paul Miles




Curtis Loftin

Doug Williams

















Curtis Loftin of Beit Yeshua



 









Menorah


Israel Ministries

Feasts of the Lord


Warren Marcus book


Warren Marcus video series production



Susan Kess

Laurie Martin

Susan Miles, Carolyn Loftin

Warren Marcus, Curtis Loftin





Cathy Hargett, Susan Kess, Patty Paquette



Celebrating Sukkot in Jerusalem 100 Years Ago

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


Posted: 20 Sep 2013

Bukharan family in their sukka (circa 1900). Note the man on the right holding the citron and palm branch. (Library of Congress collection) Compare this sukka to one photographed in Samarkand 40 years earlier.

As soon as the Yom Kippur fast day is over many Jews start preparations for the Sukkot (Tabernacles) holiday. It usually involves building a sukka, a temporary structure -- sometimes just a hut -- with a thatched roof, in which Jews eat and often sleep during the seven day holiday. 


Ashkenazi family (circa 1900) in the sukka
beneath the chandelier and picures


The photographers of the American Colony Photographic Department took photos of sukkot structures over a 40 year period, preserving pictures of Bukharan, Yemenite and Ashkenazi sukkot. 

Several photographs include the Jewish celebrants holding four species of plants traditionally held during prayers on the Sukkot holiday -- a citron fruit and willow, myrtle and palm branches.

Even though the sukka is a temporary structure, some families moved their furniture and finery into the sukka, as is evident in some of the pictures.


Portrait of the Bukhari family in the Sukka (1900)

Bukhari Jews, shown in pictures from around 1900, were part of an ancient community from what is today the Central Asian country Uzbekistan. They started moving to the Holy Land in the mid-1800s. 


A Yemenite Jew named Yehia
holding the 4 species in the sukka
(1939)


Yehia, the Yemenite Jew pictured here, was almost certainly part of a large migration of Jews who arrived in Jerusalem in the 1880s, well before the famous "Magic Carpet" operation that brought tens of thousands to the new state of Israel during 1949 and 1950.


A more elaborate sukka in the Goldsmidt house (1934)
in Jerusalem. Note the tapestry on the
walls with Arabic script




The Bassam family sukka in Rehavia, Jerusalem
neighborhood (1939)


Exterior of the Goldsmidt sukka in Jerusalem (1934)



A Sephardi Jew named Avram relaxing in
his Sukka with a friend (1939)


The picture of an elaborate dinner was taken in a very large Jerusalem sukka belonging to the Goldsmidt family. Tapestries and fabrics hang on the wall of the sukka. Close examination shows that the fabric contains Arabic words, even some hung upside down. Several experts were asked this week to comment on the Arabic. One senior Israeli Arab affairs correspondent wrote, "It is apparently some quotes that I can read but do not amount to anything coherent, written in Kufi style of Arabic... [I] would not be surprised if these are Kuranic verses."

Presumably the Goldsmidts and their guests didn't know about the Arabic phrases either. 

A reader helped identify the Goldsmidts' building. "The Goldsmidts were friends of ours who lived on Ben-Maimon Street [in Jerusalem]. They had a restaurant [and that explains the diners in the sukka]. Our wedding reception was there. There's a plaque on 54 King George Street that says "Goldsmidt Building." 

We invite readers to unravel the mystery of the tapestries, translate the phrases, and provide a contemporary picture of theGoldsmidts' building.

Click on the photos to enlarge. Click on the captions to see the originals.

Friday, September 20, 2013

Was Jesus born during Sukkot? Most likely.


More later...but the Roman Catholic Church tried to do away with the Feasts of the Lord in the early centuries, and substitute the Jewish roots feasts with other pagan days, i.e. Christmas on Dec. 25, Easter, etc.

Steve Martin

ICEJ Feast of Tabernacles - live broadcast




Click here for website:






Suzette Hattingh


The Lord commanded the people of Israel to bring their offerings to Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacles (Deut. 16). Therefore, many pilgrims bring a special offering from their church or family to the Feast. While we can support Israel anytime throughout the year, this is a special opportunity to prophetically join all the nations gathered in Jerusalem and make a special offering before the Lord.

From Ein Gedi, Judea, Israel

Click here for website:

Home for the Holidays.....from our friends in Jerusalem.

"I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be 
uprooted from the land I have given them," says the 
LORD your God. Amos 9:15

Friday, September 20, 2013

Home for the Holidays.....

This is a phrase that was used in a recent video we watched, which 
will be included in this blog.  It's referring to the holidays that God 
said in the Bible that people were supposed to make a pilgrimage 
to Jerusalem each year - to "come home for the holidays!"  We have 
been so very much enjoying the holidays, we wanted to offer a few 
links that have come our way with those of you who may have 
interest in learning more about Israel, the Jewish people, and 
the Feasts of the Bible. 

For anyone wanting to view the Western Wall (Kotel) Live, here 
is a link to do so.  Please remember that on Shabbats (both weekly 
and other Biblical Sabbaths) the link will not air.  Also be aware 
that Israel is 7 hours ahead of Eastern Standard timezone.  You 
can click on the TV-Set icon below the live feed to make the 
image become full screen on your computer - then ESC to escape.

http://english.thekotel.org/cameras.asp

Sukkot - The Feast of Tabernacles - is a big celebration for 
the Christian community to come to Israel and show their support.  
ICEJ - International Christian Embassy - has a conference each 
year which can be viewed live as well.  Keep in mind that Israel 
is 7 hours ahead of EST.  You will need to fill out a very simple 
registration to have a username and password to watch each 
event.  The first event is tonight - Friday, 20 September 
beginning at 7 pm Israel time.  We will be attending this 
evening's outdoor event located on the Dead Sea.

http://feast.icej.org/live?

For a really good explanation, there is a video about 1/2 hour 
long explaining the Biblical Feasts.  It is a program called Day 
of Discovery, and the show is called The Appointed Times: 
Jesus in the Feasts of Israel.  It is very well done and filmed 
here in Jerusalem showing some of the sights mentioned in 
the Bible pertaining to the Feasts.

https://dod.org/dod2355.html

Another excellent 1/2 hour program that was filmed recently 
in Israel, also is pertaining to the Biblical Fall Feasts and shows 
clips of life in Israel, especially Jerusalem.  We recommend 
this video as well, to learn more - "From Reverence to Rejoicing." 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkGd0DDoq70&feature=youtu.be

For a really good movie to watch, to enjoy and  also learn more 
about Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles), we recommend 
Ushpizin - meaning "Guests."  It is our favorite movie!  
It is in Hebrew, but has English subtitles.  It is a quality full 
length movie filmed in Jerusalem.  The husband and wife 
actors are married in real life.  This movie will make you 
laugh and cry, and touch your heart.  We highly recommend it.  
You can watch it below on YouTube, or rent it, or find it however
 else you find movies to watch. :)

Trailer    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I98QNhD8TQo

Full length movie   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgiCDDGdnv4

Here's a few pictures of the inside of our Sukkah.  Our new 
apartment is on the top floor, and has a closed in balcony - 
BUT - the roof retracts so you can build a Sukkah!!! :)





Chag Sameach!!!! ~ Happy Holidays!!!!