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Adar 5, 5770, 2/19/2010
The Jewish History and Heritage Trek
Take out the Bible and plan your heritage hike.
 There's lots more to read on my other blogs, Shiloh Musings and me-ander. You may also enjoy the comments there, since different readers participate. Shabbat Shalom uMevorach. Have a Peaceful and Blessed Sabbath.
Jewish-Israel Heritage Trail That's a great idea! That Israeli hiking trail should take the trekkers on a journey of Jewish History, the genuine article, not the post-Zionist abridged version. No history for dummies, please. I like the idea of a Jewish-Israel Heritage Trail. Shiloh should have a very central place in it. Ditto for Shechem, Hebron and Jerusalem. After the exodus from Egypt and the forty years of wandering, when Joshua finally brought Bnai Yisrael, the twelve tribes of the Children of Israel into the HolyLand, it was Shiloh where the capital was established and the Mishkan, Tabernacle rested for 369 three-hundred-sixty-nine years, yes, years. Shiloh is given a very specific location, south of Levana and east of Beit El, so this little triangle of a trail must be on the route. Search as much as you can, but you won't find Tel Aviv mentioned as an important historic, Biblical city with Jewish significance. Shechem is, and so is Beit El, Hebron, Jerusalem, Beersheva and Bethlehem. I can think of some great routes following the lives of our forefathers, Abraham, Issac and Jacob. Don't forget Joseph who hiked all alone to his brothers in Shechem. As a youth, King David hiked from Hebron to his soldier brothers and then embarrassed them and King Saul, because it was he, young David who killed the boasting philistine, Goliath. Take out the Bible and plan your heritage hike.
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Shevat 30, 5770, 2/14/2010
The United States, A Christian Country
There's lots more to read on my other blogs, Shiloh Musings and me-ander. Take a look at the weekly Jewish bloggers magazine, Havel Havelim. The United States, A Christian Country I grew up in mid-Twentieth Century United States. I always lived in areas which were mostly Jewish, but I never had a doubt, no doubt at all that the United States was at heart, mind and media a Christian country.
"Before the Jews came, we had such beautiful Christmas pageants."
As I remember, the early history and its stories of religious freedom were about various Christian groups, not full religious rights for all religions, Hindus, Muslims, Jews and any others. We lived with other Jews to feel more comfortable. The local New York City public schools were closed Rosh Hashannah and Yom Kippur. No other Jewish Holidays seemed to be known. We weren't religiously observant. In neighborhoods like ours, the schools kept the "winter holiday celebrations" pretty G-dless and sans Jesus, too. We sang about snow, Santa and dreidles. The only "religious" song was "Silent Night," which most of us Jews didn't quite understand. Easter, I associated with bonnets and decorated eggs. I never caught onto any religious message about it from the TV shows; it remains an enigma. Yes, television was the great educator and assimilation tool. May father learned English in school and both my parents learned American customs and values there. But I learned from the TV. As a teen I felt that I had to choose between being Jewish and being an American, Being American meant accepting christian customs and priorities. In Great Neck North, NY, I had a teacher who would complain that the Jews ruined things for Great Neck. I was amazed and asked what she had meant: "Before the Jews came, we had such beautiful Christmas pageants."
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Shevat 27, 5770, 2/11/2010
Rosh Chodesh Adar at Tel Shiloh
Please remember to visit my other blogs, Shiloh Musings and me-ander, where I post more frequently and on a wider variety of topics and genres, thanks. Tel Shiloh, Rosh Chodesh Adar תפילת נשים ראש חודש אדר תל שילה תפילת נשים ראש חודש אדר תל שילה בע"ה יום א' ל' שבט 14-2 9:30 כולן מוזמנות Women's Rosh Chodesh Adar Prayers Tel Shiloh Sunday 14-2 30th of Shvat 9:30am Everyone's Invited Tel Shiloh is open for visitors every day except Shabbat. There's a gift shop and snack bar. You can celebrate festive occasions there, too. For more information email telshilo@gmail.com |
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The Eye of the Storm
by Batya Medad
A Unique Perspective
by Batya Medad of Shiloh
Batya Medad made aliya from New York to Israel in 1970 and has been living in Shiloh since 1981. Recently she began organizing women's visits to Tel Shiloh for Psalms and prayers. (For more information, please email her.) Batya is a veteran jblogger and recently stopped EFL teaching. She's also a wife, mother, grandmother, photographer and HolyLand hitchhiker, always seeing things from her own very unique perspective. For more of Batya's writings and photos, check out: Shiloh Musings And: me-ander |
