Happy Hanukkah to our Jewish Friends! (The Feast of Dedication, Festival of Lights starts Nov. 26 Wed. PM for 8 Days)

Blessings on ye heads!

Steve & Laurie Martin

Love For His People

Image Courtesy: wikiPedia

Hanukkah is known as the Festival of Lights and the Feast of Dedication celebrated by the Jewish community all over the world. This festival takes place in December every year right around the same time that Christmas is celebrated for non-Jewish Christians. The festival lasts for eight nights where a candle is lit every night on a menorah hence being given the name the festival of lights. The literal meaning of Hanukkah is to dedicate. The Jews regained control of Jerusalem and rededicated the Temple on that day.

There is series of rituals performed by the Jews during these eight days of the Hanukkah festival. Some of them are family based and some are collective. There are significant addends to the daily prayer and an additional prayer is added on to the blessing after a meal. It is different from other rituals because there is no special celebration where Jewish people are able to get off of work. Jewish people go to their work as usual but typically leave work early to light the candles before nightfall. Because of the fact that this is not considered as one of the primarily religious holidays schools typically don’t close. In Israel school remains closed from day two of the festival through to the last day of Hanukkah.

Over the course of this eight day festival many families give each family member and even friends one gift per night. Additionally, people eat an abundance of friend food during this time to celebrate the important role oil plays during Hanukkah celebration. There are three kinds of blessings which are recited throughout this eight day festival. There is a particular procedure of their recitation. On the first day all of three blessings are recited. On the next night they recite only two and so on.

There are other ways that Hanukkah is celebrated depending on what part of the world you live in. For some families, they may sing Hanukkah songs instead of lighting candles on the menorah. Other activities that families often do together for Hanukkah, are making baked goods such as pastries, cookies and other traditional Jewish food and playing games with a dreidle, which is a wooden octagon shaped “top” that has certain Jewish related symbols. Depending on the symbol that shows up when you spin it and it stops you have a specific action to do. This is a favourite amongst children in the Jewish faith.

Thanksgivukkah

Hanukkah and Thanksgiving overlap this week. The result: 'Thanksgivukkah'

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Nov. 23, 2013

The two are not expected to occur simultaneously again until 2070, then 2165, then in another 70,000 years. Both holidays pay tribute to national resilience and are celebrated around the family table with rich food, games and fellowship. They just usually don't take place at the same time.

No wonder people are finding Hanukkah and Thanksgiving to be a comfortable match, even if a rare one.

The first day of the eight-day Jewish holiday of Hanukkah begins on Thanksgiving this year (actually starting the evening before), and for many Jewish families locally and beyond, that provides a fitting opportunity to mash up traditions along with potatoes.

"This year really serves as a reminder to me of the idea of giving thanks and being grateful," said Katie Whitlatch of Highland Park. "There's no reason that can't be a focus for every Hanukkah. It's a good opportunity to reinvigorate the holiday."

Her family will be combining some food traditions as well. Normally she makes a sweet potato casserole for Thanksgiving, but this year will be making sweet potato latkes (potato pancakes, traditionally served during Hanukkah). Some people are also planning to use cranberry filling in the jelly doughnuts that are a Hanukkah staple.

"We actually for the last couple of years have been deep-frying turkey anyway" for Thanksgiving, Ms. Whitlatch added. "That has a dual meaning now because of the oil and the Hanukkah."

Hanukkah is rooted in an ancient war for Jewish independence from Greek-Syrian occupiers who had desecrated their temple in Jerusalem.

Tradition says that after Jews retook the temple, they only had enough oil to keep a ritual lamp lit for a single day, but miraculously the supply lasted eight days. In a nod to that tradition, Jews often serve foods in which oil is a featured part of the recipe.

Hanukkah is a minor religious holiday in Judaism, but has gained larger cultural significance in the United States as an alternative winter holiday for Jews during the Christmas season. Also, the ancient struggle for religious freedom resonates with the American narrative -- such as that of the English religious dissidents known as Pilgrims, who settled in New England to pursue their own religious liberty and survived against desperate odds.

Other traditions include lighting a menorah, or candelabra, each of the eight nights of Hanukkah, and playing games with a dreidel, or a square top with Hebrew lettering.

It's been at least a century since the start of Hanukkah -- which is determined by lunar calculations -- coincided with Thanksgiving, always the fourth Thursday of November. The JTA news service said the two are not expected to occur simultaneously again until 2070, then 2165, then in another 70,000 years.

So when Pittsburgh native Dana Reichman Gitell thought about the rare confluence last year, she coined and trademarked the term "Thanksgivukkah." A marketing specialist who lives in suburban Boston, Ms. Gitell pushed all the right buttons and the concept went viral, both on social media and elsewhere. The mayor of Boston recently proclaimed Nov. 28 to be "Thanksgivukkah."

"I was driving to work and came up with the word, and I thought 'this should be a Facebook page,' " Ms. Gitell said.

"Both are festivals of gratitude, so there are a lot of layers and a lot of things in common," she said. "This is an opportunity to celebrate the Jewish American experience and celebrate this country."

Ms. Gitell credits her childhood in Squirrel Hill with establishing her firm footing in Jewish religion and culture.

"I had an incredible childhood in one of the most vibrant Jewish communities in the country," she said.

Some have taken up the Thanksgivukkah theme with other word blends, such as planning to use a "menurky" -- a turkey-shaped menorah.

While Hanukkah is a family celebration, it is "usually not the excuse to travel and get together" with extended family, Ms. Whitlatch said. So as she, her husband and son travel to see relatives in New Jersey for Thanksgiving, "this year we have the opportunity to celebrate it and make more of a foodfest."

Lauren Bartholomae, director of the Family Life Department at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh, will be traveling to visit her husband's uncle's farm in Ohio, a Thanksgiving tradition they have begun in recent years. Since he and his family are not Jewish, it's a chance to bring "Hanukkah to people who don't know about Hanukkah and have never celebrated it before."

She plans to introduce the menorah lighting, a dreidel game and other activities. "Hanukkah is all about miracles," she said. "You can think about Thanksgiving in the same way."

Ms. Gitell said the overall response to the Thanksgivukkah celebration has been positive. "I think that's because there is some depth to it, and some legitimate religious ties between the two holidays."

She plans to celebrate the once-in-a-lifetime event, but will put it to rest after this year. "I felt in my heart like this was a love letter to America, and an opportunity for American Jews to celebrate both holidays and enjoy them together."

Peter Smith: petersmith@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1416, Twitter @PG_PeterSmith. Kim Lyons: klyons@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1241.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/life/holidays/2013/11/24/These-holidays-go-well-together/stories/201311240159#ixzz2lbdJitYl

Prime Minister Netanyahu: Iran Agreement a 'Historic Mistake'

Prime Minister Netanyahu:  Iran Agreement a 'Historic Mistake' Click here to watch: Prime Minister Netanyahu: Iran Agreement an 'Historic Mistake' Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu opened Sunday's weekly cabinet meeting by mounting a  sharp attack on the agreement reached Saturday night between Iran and Western powers over the nuclear issue. Netanyahu stated, "For the first time, the world's  leading powers have agreed to uranium enrichment in Iran while ignoring the UN Security Council decisions that they themselves led. Sanctions that required many years to put in place contain the best chance for a peaceful solution. These sanctions have been given up in exchange for cosmetic Iranian concessions that can be cancelled in weeks." "Implications of this agreement threaten many countries - including, of course, Israel. Israel is not bound by this agreement," Netanyahu affirmed. "What we achieved last night in Geneva is not a historic agreement; it is a historic mistake." He continued, "Today the world has become a more dangerous place, because the most dangerous regime in the world took another step towards achieving the most dangerous weapon in the world."

More European Jews Consider Escaping to Israel

Sunday, November 24, 2013 |  Miriam Kuhlmann  

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• Germany's Merkel: Forever responsible for Nazi crimes
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Topics:

Anti-Semitism

Many European Jews no longer feel safe in their home countries. This is evident from a recent survey conducted by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights.

On average, 76 percent of Jews surveyed across the continent reported a rise in anti-Semitism in recent years, and 29 percent said they are considering emigrating to Israel as a result.

Nearly 90 percent of respondents said they had encountered people who did not consider Jews to be their fellow countrymen. The problem appeared to be most acute in Hungary, France and Belgium, where the number of Jews who had thought about emigration was much higher.

One in five respondents said that they purposely avoid wearing anything in public that would identify them as a Jew. That particular problem was more acute in Sweden, where 34 percent don't want others to know they are Jewish.

Moshe Kantor, president of the European Jewish Congress, emphasized the importance of this study. The fact that "Jews are no longer able to express their faith because they are afraid should be a turning point for Europe," he said, calling on European governments to take seriously the results of the survey.

Israel Today will cover the problematic rise of anti-Semitism in Europe, as well as a bold new Christian response in our January issue.

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Amy Grant - Saved By Love [live]

• MUSIC
 
• CAREER BIO
 
• FACT SHEET

ALBUM FACTS:

• Over 30 million albums sold worldwide, including 1 Quintuple Platinum album, 1 Triple Platinum, and 1 Double Platinum album, as well as additional 4 Platinum and 6 Gold albums.
  • (2013) How Mercy Looks From Here
  • (2010) Somewhere Down The Road
  • (2008) The Christmas Collection
  • (2008) Lead Me On 20th Anniversary Edition
  • (2007) Greatest Hits
  • (2006) Time Again…Amy Grant Live
  • (2005) Rock of Ages…Hymns & Faith
  • (2004) Greatest Hits 1986 — 2004
  • (2003) Simple Things
  • (2002) (GOLD) Legacy…Hymns & Faith
  • (1999) (GOLD) A Christmas To Remember
  • (1997) (GOLD) Behind the Eyes
  • (1994) (2xs PLATINUM) House of Love
  • (1992) (3xs PLATINUM) Home For Christmas
  • (1991) (5xs PLATINUM) Heart In Motion
  • (1988) (GOLD) Lead Me On
  • (1986) (PLATINUM) The Collection
  • (1985) (PLATINUM) Unguarded
  • (1984) (GOLD) Straight Ahead
  • (1983) (PLATINUM) A Christmas Album
  • (1982) (PLATINUM) Age To Age
  • (1981) Amy Grant “In Concert. Vol. II”
  • (1981) Amy Grant “In Concert”
  • (198O) Never Alone
  • (1979) (GOLD)  Father’s Eyes
  • (1977) (GOLD) Amy Grant

VIDEOS:

• “Simple Things” (2003)
• “Takes a Little Time” (1997)
• “Things We Do For Love” (1996)
• “Say You’ll Be Mine” (1994)
• “House of Love” (1994)
• “House of Love” (With footage from the motion picture, Speechless) (1994)
• “Big Yellow Taxi” (1994)
• “Lucky One” (1994)
• “Grown-Up Christmas List” (1992)
• “I Will Remember You” (1992)
• “Good For Me” (1992)
• “That’s What Love Is For” (1991)
• “Every Heartbeat” (1991)
• “Baby Baby” (1991)
• “Lead Me On” (1989)
• “Stay For Awhile” (1989)
• “Next Time I Fall” (1988)
• “Wise Up” (1986)
• “Find A Way” (1986)
• “It’s Not A Song” (1985)
• “Angels” (1985)

TELEVISION APPEARANCES: (partial list only)

• Three Wishes on NBC (Host)
• Oprah
• Good Morning America
• The Today Show
• CBS This Morning
• The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
• Late Night with David Letterman
• Late Night with Bob Costas
• Larry King Live
• Live With Regis and Kathie Lee
• The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson
• The Phil Donahue Show
• Arsenio Hall
• The Grammy Awards
• The American Music Awards
• Entertainment Tonight
• Christmas In Washington
• The Patti LaBelle Special
• The Prince’s Trust Concert
• Tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr.
• Amy Grant: Headin’ Home for the Holidays
• CBS: A Christmas To Remember
• ABC: Christmas with the Stars
• Lifetime Television Special
• “Women Rock!: Girls & Guitars”

FULL LENGTH VIDEOS & DVDs:

• Time Again…Amy Grant Live DVD (2006)
• Building the House of Love (1994)
• Amy Grant’s Old Fashioned Christmas (1992) (GOLD)
• Heart In Motion (1992) (GOLD)
• Find A Way Video (1986)
• “In Concert” The Age to Age Tour (1983)

MOVIES

• A Song From the Heart (1999) CBS “Movie of the Week” (Starring Amy Grant, Keith Carradine, and D.W. Moffett)

GRAMMY AWARDS & NOMINATIONS

• 1994 — Nomination — Children Spoken Word — Lion & the Lamb
• 1992 — Nomination — Album of the Year — Heart in Motion
• 1992 — Nomination — Song of the Year — Baby Baby
• 1992 — Nomination — Record of the Year — Baby Baby
• 1992 — Nomination — Pop Performance Female — Baby Baby
• 2006 — Award — Best Southern, Country, or Bluegrass Gospel Album — Rock of Ages…Hymns & Faith
• 1988 — Award — Best Contemporary Album — Lead Me On
• 1986 — Award — Best Gospel Performance – Unguarded
• 1985 — Award — Best Gospel Performance – Angels
• 1984 — Award — Best Gospel Performance — Ageless Medley
• 1983 — Award — Best Contemporary Album — Age to Age

OTHER SPECIAL AWARDS & ACHIEVEMENTS:

• 26 Dove Awards — Including 4 Time Artist of the Year
• 2007    Authored and published the book Mosaic: Pieces of My Life So Far (Random House)
• 2006    Inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame — Hollywood, CA
• 2003    Inducted into the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame
• 2003    Seminar in the Rockies Summit Award
• 2001    ”Nashvillian of the Year”
• 1999    The Nashville Chamber of Commerce, Nashville Symphony and Tennessee Performing Arts Center: “An Evening with the Arts” Honoring Grant’s Contributions to the Nashville Performing Arts Community
• 1999    The Target House — The Amy Grant Rose
• 1996    TNN Awards — Sarah Cannon Humanitarian Award
• 1996    Columbia Hospital — Minnie Pearl Humanitarian Award
• 1996 ASCAP Award — Voice of America
• 1996    Academy of Achievement — Golden Plate Award
• 1994    St. John University — Pax Christi Award
• 1994    Nashville Symphony — Harmony Award
• 1992    Junior Chamber of Commerce — Outstanding Tennessean
• 1992    Nomination — American Music Awards — Best Rock/Pop Performance by a Female
• 1992    Nomination — MTV Awards — “Baby Baby” Video

RADIO HISTORY

• # 1 “Baby Baby”
• # 1 “Every Heartbeat”
• # 1 “That’s What Love Is For”
• # 1 “I Will Remember You”
• # 1 “Lucky One”
• # 1 “Next Time I Fall”

TOP 5

• “Good For Me”
• Top 5 “House of Love”
• Top 5 “Takes A Little Time”
• Top 5 “Like I Love You”
• Top 10 “Big Yellow Taxi”
• Top 10 “I Will Be Your Friend” On the
• 1991 Year End

A Blessed Man, 'Tis I

I am a blessed man...

To have two fathers in heaven who love me 

- my heavenly Father and my Dad.

To have a Savior who has forgiven me of my sins, 

and loves all as no other can.

For having my Mom for over 59 years now, 

who cheers me on. And with Bill too.

To have a good wife for 36 years, and counting.

My helpmate through and through.

For my four adult children, their spouses, 

and our six grandchildren... 

whom they are now raising

 in a godly manner.

For having many brothers and sisters too. 

One right after another!

Giving thanks for Laurie's Mom Lorraine, 

and good sister Linda.

And remembering Otto, my father-in-law, 

a godly man, what a wonder.

I am a blessed man, 

to have faithful friends 

who stand with you, 

while others have 
come and gone.

Such as these, Peter & Joy Wyns,

who held us up in transition times, 

when ministry desires seemed thin.

For worldwide bonds 

in Israel, 

Canada, the UK; 

and even far beyond.

Daily I see His 

purposes and plans 

being worked out here. 

Accomplished they are!

For these I give thanks 

to the Lord on High;

A blessed man, 'tis I.

Ahava,

Steve Martin
Nov. 23, 2013

And for our pet Dachshund Zoe, 

who loves her daddy too!

"“Expectations & Hope” - Ahava Love Letter (Steve Martin)

                  

       “Expectations & Hope” 

 “It all accords with my earnest expectation and hope that I will have nothing to be ashamed of; but rather, now, as always, the Messiah will be honored by my body, whether it is alive or dead. For to me, life is the Messiah…” (Phil. 1:20-21, CJB Complete Jewish Bible)

Dear family of friends,

On the early morning during my time with the Lord, on my 59th birthday Nov. 23, 2013, I was again thinking of the enormous thanksgiving that was welling up in my heart the past few days. It was the same sense I get when the Lord is wanting to use me to express a prophetic word - that moment when my heart beats faster, my stomach starts to whirl, and I know His Holy Spirit, Ruach HaKodesh (Hebrew) is moving. Usually I just get a word or two, and know He wants me to step out in faith, trusting He will give me more as I obey His prompting.

It is when He says to my spirit, “Speak, for I am giving you something to say right now.” Or in this case, to write now.

This time He again just gave me two words - expectations and hope. And so I started to write this Ahava Love Letter, believing more would come as I wrote.

Expectations can really give us hope, for something exciting to happen, or believing a turn is coming in the road ahead that will bring a better situation in our life. Expectations can last a day, or even a lifetime. They can give us something good to look forward to, as we walk through the daily life we have.

Or they can result in a crash when the event or desire we are seeking to bring fulfillment doesn’t come about as we had hoped. That particular thing we were looking to falls below our anticipated expectation, and disappointment results. By God’s grace we can get over it quickly and move on. Other times it will cripple us and wound our spirit more than we even realize, even for the long term.

You and I both know that there have been many times when we were expecting someone to do something on our behalf, or a big event was to occur, but the end result was far short of what we had thought it would be. We had “high hopes”, but then felt the sting of another “it happened again as I really thought it would” which we had secretly considered.

I can look back at previous expectations and hopes, and believe I have learned a thing or two to share with you. When I stop and think about what my hope and expectation was founded on, there is indeed a lesson taught. I realized that when my hope was on something temporary, or in someone who really didn’t have the capacity to fulfill it, the glitter and glory was just a shadow. We experienced the failure, because the capacity to fulfill the hope wasn’t there to begin with. When that which we hope in is less then what it could be, then disappointment always happens.

By this time you may know where I am going with this.

It is great to dream, to expect, to hope for a better future. We are meant to be that type of people, who look forward to a better tomorrow. That is something the Lord puts in our hearts, to help in our motivations, to keep us pushing forward, to reach the mark set before us by our Father.

I have come to the point now that I regularly declare, “My times are in Your hands.” (Psalm 31:15) Putting my trust in His purposes and plans has given me a strong foundation on which to place my expectations and hopes. He is strong. He is able. He is the One who will never fail us or lack in His ability to fulfill His promises. Because He is God, and because only He can.

Days are ahead, and actually here now, when our need to depend on Him for all things will greatly be tested. If our hopes and expectations are put on that which can and will crumble, our faith will fail us and we will lose our way. IF we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus (Yeshua), the Author and Finisher of our faith, we will be able to stand, have our hopes fulfilled, and see desired expectations completed.

My trust is in Him. I hope yours is today also, and grows stronger in each forth coming day.

Ahava to my family of friends,

Steve Martin

Founder

Love For His People

Love For His People, Inc. is a charitable, not-for-profit USA organization. Fed. ID#27-1633858.

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You can also order both books, The Promise (on Amazon.com for $7.19 plus $3.95 S/H) and Ahava Love Letters Xulon Press for $14.90, plus $3.80) or you can get both from our office for $29. Send check to the address above. I will autograph all copies ordered through our office. (Hey, and please include a contribution for Israel too!)

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Ahava Love Letter #88   “Expectations & Hope”  ©2013 Steve Martin 

Date: In the year of our Lord 2013 (11/23/13 Saturday at 7:30 am in Charlotte, NC). The day of my 59^th birthday!!!

All previous editions of Ahava Love Letter can be found on this Blog, and our newest website: Ahava Love Letters

Jerusalem Old City streets at night...

Published on Nov 16, 2013

As part of our Love For His People "Ahava Adventrures" trip, my son Ben and I walked to the Western Wall on a Monday night on Nov. 4, 2013.Beautiful night! And safe!

Come along, as we head to the Kotel (Western Wall) and record along the way.

Videos filmed and shared by Steve Martin - to give appreciation to and love for those we support, through Love For His People, Inc.