Jerusalem tour

Memories of Our Jerusalem Tour in 1998

I have been privileged to go to Jerusalem two times in my life time.

I have a deep feeling for the land and its people. Truly this land has played a great part in the role in human history. It has always been a land of unrest because of its being the land of faith.

To the Jews, this is the land of the Bible and their past glories; to the Christians this is the land where Jesus lived and suffered and ascended to Heaven. From the most ancient times until today, pilgrims come from every land, enduring fatigue and discomfort, braving all kinds of perils, to see this land of great faiths.

Since very ancient times until today, war followed war, riot followed war, riot followed riot, saturating its holy ground with human blood. No country in the world has had a more dramatic history than the Holy Land.

For me it holds great memories for it was here

I was Baptized in the River Jordan-one of my most precious memories.

I enjoyed the city of Nazareth very much. Also the beautiful sea of Galilee and our boat ride across the lake. The most outstanding site was Jerusalem with all its beauty, and the Judean hills.

"Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbade him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him" (Matthew, 3, verses 13-15).

Israel Tree Planting

Our group planted a tree in memory of a loved one. Our trees are now getting pretty old.

And when you come into the land, and have planted all manner of trees..." - Leviticus 19: 23

As the years go by the sapling we planted will grow and flourish, beautifying the ancient vistas of the Land of the Bible.

Ever since its establishment in 1901, K K L has been revitalizing Israel's neglected countryside. To this end, over 200 million trees have been planted in this ancient land, turning barren, rocky hills into lush green forest. (1998)

The project is unique among afforestation efforts worldwide; trees in Israel have been lovingly planted by people from all corners of the globe to honor loved ones or to commemorate someone dear. Thus, the forests are living legacies populated by millions of trees dedicated to millions of Israel's many friends throughout the world.

Tree Planting Centers, P.O. Box 283, Jerusalem 91002 -- Email: plantatree@kkl.org.il

In 1998 we planted a tree in Israel ! The above is our flag which we brought home. The tree was planted in memory of our grandson who was to be born while we were over there.

Pray for the Jewish people facing scorn, ridicule and persecution
around the world.
Intercede for the Jews who are fleeing persecution right now in
the former Soviet Union and much of the Muslim world.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Ask God to protect the
Jewish people in their homeland.
Pray against terrorism.
Pray for strength and courage, for the people of Israel.
Ask God to equip His ministers as they proclaim God's love
and peace to the Jews immigrating to many nations.

Pray that God will open a door for the Gospel to the heart
of the Jews.
Watch ye therefore for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
Matthew 24: 42 K.J.V.

You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning;
my God turns my darkness into light.

Psalm 18:28

Shofar

The holiday Rosh Hashanah is characterized by the blowing of the shofar (as per Leviticus 23:24), a trumpet made from a ram's horn. In fact, the shofar is blown in traditional communities every morning for the entire month of Elul, the month preceding Rosh Hashanah. The sound of the shofar is intended to awaken the listener from his or her "slumber" and alert them to the coming judgment (Maimonides, Yad, Laws of Repentance

A shofar is a ram's horn that is used as a musical instrument for religious purposes. It is used on Judaism's high holy days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The shofar originated in Israel for Jewish callings

[so(und) f(ixing) a(nd) r(anging)

Menorah

One of the oldest symbols of the Jewish faith is the menorah, a seven-branched candelabrum used in the Temple. The kohanim lit the menorah in the Sanctuary every evening and cleaned it out every morning, replacing the wicks and putting fresh olive oil into the cups. The illustration at left is based on instructions for construction of the menorah found in Ex. 25:31-40.

It has been said that the menorah is a symbol of the nation of Israel and our mission to be "a light unto the nations." (Isaiah 42:6). The sages emphasize that light is not a violent force; Israel is to accomplish its mission by setting an example, not by using force. This idea is highlighted in the vision in Zechariah 4:1-6. Zechariah sees a menorah, and God explains: "Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit."

The lamp stand in today's synagogues, called the ner tamid (lit. the continual light, usually translated as the eternal flame), symbolizes the menorah.

The nine-branched menorah used on Chanukkah is commonly patterned after this menorah, because Chanukkah commemorates the miracle that a day's worth of oil for this menorah lasted eight days.

Prayer Shawl

Tzitzit and Tallit
The Torah also commands us to wear tzitzit (fringes) at the corners of our garments as a reminder of the mitzvot. Num. 15:37-41. There is a complex procedure for tying the knots of the tzitzit, filled with religious and numerological significance.

The mitzvah to wear tzitzit only applies to four-cornered garments, which were common in biblical times but are not common anymore. To fulfill this mitzvah, adult men wear a four-cornered shawl called a tallit (pictured above) during morning services, along with the tefillin. In some Orthodox congregations, only married men wear a tallit; in others, both married and unmarried men wear one. In Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist synagogues, both men and women may wear a tallit, but men are somewhat more likely than women to do so. A blessing is recited when you put on the tallit.

Strictly observant Jewish men commonly wear a special four-cornered garment, similar to a poncho, called a tallit katan ("little tallit"), so that they will have the opportunity to fulfill this important mitzvah all day long. The tallit katan is worn under the shirt, with the tzitzit hanging out so they can be seen.

The tallit must be long enough to be worn over the shoulders (as a shawl), not just around the neck (as a scarf), to fulfill the requirement that the tzitzis be on a "garment." It may be made of any material, but must not be made of a combination of wool and linen, because that combination is forbidden on any clothing. (Lev. 19:19; Deut. 22:11). Most tallitot are white with navy or black stripes along the shorter ends, as in the illustration above. They also commonly have an artistic motif of some kind along the top long end (the part that goes against your neck). This motif is referred to as an atarah (crown). There is no particular religious significance to the atarah; it simply tells you which end is up! It is quite common, however, to write the words of the blessing for putting on the tallit on the atarah, so you can read the blessing while you are putting the tallit on.

Money - Shekels

It most commonly refers to an ancient Hebrew unit of weight. As with many ancient units, the shekel represented a variety of values depending on date, domain and region. Sources quote weights between 9 and 17 grams and values of 11, 14, and 17 grams are common. It can be a gold or silver coin equal in weight to one of these units, especially the chief silver coin of the Hebrews.

The shekel was commonly used among other western Semitic peoples as well. Moabites, Edomites and Canaanites (also known as Phoenicians) all used the shekel, the latter as coinage as well as for a unit of weight. Punic coinage was based on the shekel, a heritage from their Canaanite ancestors.

Silver Tyrian shekels are thought to be the infamous "30 pieces of silver" in the New Testament.

Since 1980, the sheqel has been the currency of the modern state of Israel, first the Israeli sheqel, then (since 1985) the Israeli new sheqel. As of May 3, 2006, 1 US Dollar equals approximately 4.49 NIS (New Israeli Shekel, also referred to as ILS), 1 Euro equals approximately 5.66 NIS, and 1 pound sterling equals approximately 8.22 NIS. There are 100 agorot to a shekel

I enjoyed the city of Nazareth very much. Also the beautiful sea of Galilee and our boat ride across the lake. The most outstanding site was Jerusalem with all its beauty, and the Judean hills. We enjoyed many scenes here and a wonderful dinner.

~THE LORD SHALL RETURN TO JERUSALEM~

The Lord shall return to Jerusalem,

And over all the earth shall reign.

Then peace shall be found in Jerusalem,

As the lion lies in peace with the lamb.

As the waters flow where the desert stood,

As the heart of man seeks the others' good,

They shall know a new day is dawning

In Jerusalem!

And my heart cries out, "Even so, Lord, come!"

Bring Your peace and Truth; make each heart Your home,

Enter through the Gate with new rejoicing

Into Jerusalem!

-Elton Smith

Notes of Interest:

The Jewish People: Another name for the Children of Israel. It is a reference to the Jews as a nation in the classical sense, meaning a group of people with a shared history and a sense of a group identity rather than a territorial and political entity.

Signs and Symbols Basic
A description of various Jewish signs and symbols, including the mezuzah, tefillin, tzitzit and tallit, yarmulke, menorah, Star of David, and chai.

Blessing: A prayer beginning with the phrase "barukh atah..." (blessed art Thou...)

Torah (TOH-ruh): In its narrowest sense, Torah the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, sometimes called the Pentateuch. In its broadest sense, Torah is the entire body of Jewish teachings.

The word "Torah" is a tricky one, because it can mean different things in different contexts. In its most limited sense, "Torah" refers to the Five Books of Moses. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. But the word "torah" can also be used to refer to the entire Jewish bible (the body of scripture known to non-Jews as the Old Testament and to Jews as the Tanakh or Written Torah), or in its broadest sense, to the whole body of Jewish law and teachings.

Synagogue (SIN-uh-gahg)

From a Greek root meaning "assembly." The most widely accepted term for a Jewish house of worship. The Jewish equivalent of a church, mosque or temple.

Shema: One of the basic Jewish prayers.

Bar Mitzvah (BAHR MITS-vuh)
Lit. son of the commandment. A boy who has achieved the age of 13 and is consequently obligated to observe the commandments. Also, a ceremony marking the fact that a boy has achieved this age.

Mitzvah (MITS-vuh); pl: Mitzvot (mits-VOHT)
Lit. commandment. Any of the 613 commandments that Jews are obligated to observe. It can also refer to any Jewish religious obligation, or more generally to any good deed.

Some of the information came from-Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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