May 24, 2017

Jaffa, the old cityBy: Michael Chua

If Tel Aviv has become a city of the future in the past few decades, featuring a skyline of lights and office blocks of tech companies, Jaffa is the city of the past. A small, thriving old city that has managed to retain its own unique style and charm in the face of rapidly encroaching modernity.

Walking the streets of Jaffa is like stepping into another world. An exclusive mix of Jewish, European, and Arab sensibilities not found anywhere else on the planet. Smell the air, breathe in the scents of hot spices and traditional cooking. Listen to the people, hear conversations taking place across three different languages. Look at the walls, decorated by artists, lonely travellers, and dreamers. Layer after layer of history on every surface, a different view into the past around every corner. That is Jaffa, the old city - a must-see location anyone travelling to the Holy land should make time to see for themselves.

The salt of the sea

The history of Jaffa is long, and the city remembers. The first seaport in the world was located on its beaches. The so-called "Bride of Sea,” Jaffa was a bustling shipping and trading spot. An essential stop for any sailor or merchant on their way to Jerusalem. The city still has that feel, the unique heartbeat of trade, and laughter, and cultures mixing together and creating something new and original.

The glory days of Jaffa's had faded over time. For years her famous Old Port had fallen into a state of decline. It became a place known more for vagabonds and dubious sailors than its history and culture. Thankfully, the city has recently reclaimed these ports. Renovation and re-investments in the area have brought new business to the Old Port, a collection of warehouses, unique one-of-a-kind shops, dotted with cozy cafes and trendy bookstores. The nightlife is back, with clubs and hip hang out spots trendy with Israel’s more adventurous youths.

Maybe this smells like gentrification to you. A thoughtless bulldozing of the past to make way for crass commercialism. In other places, maybe this would be the case, but not Jaffa. While the Old Port has been revitalized, it is still a seaport. While tourists shop and locals enjoy a fine meal, fishermen still ply their trade, casting nets, unloading supplies. It is a mix of the old and new in one concentrated spot.

A city of beauty

It's impossible to walk the streets of Jaffa without noticing how beautiful and storied every building seems to be. Jaffa is a city with a history of art, an appreciation for the beauty of life and the imagination. Many years ago there was a municipal effort to attract artists, painters and sculptors were awarded with small studios and modest grants. Since then, the momentum has just kept going, the city's reputation as a destination for artists attracting generation after generation of would-be Picassos.

This makes Jaffa a great place to visit when you want a truly unique souvenir of your time in Israel. The streets are lined with carts offering everything from tiny homemade ceramics, to murals, to jewellery and richly dyed clothing, and more exotic options than that. Stop in on some of the small galleries and shows tucked away in Jaffa's side streets and bustling neighbourhoods, discover something unique that nobody else has seen on your trip!

The Old City is also an architectural treat. Built and rebuilt over the centuries, the site of countless historic moments, battles, and triumphs, the city has been shaped by history. Steeples from Churches pop out above closely packed neighbourhoods. The arched domes of the older buildings give the skyline texture and character. You can find stairs that lead underground to shops, temples, and restaurants – who knows what is around the next corner?

Step into history

Any trip to Israel is an exercise in trying to do everything at once. There are so many precious sites and important spots to visit that it can be difficult to work anything else into your schedule. But, make time for Jaffa. Even a short trip just to see it for yourself is worth it. Come and see the culture of the Holy Land up close and personal and carry a part of it back with you in your heart.

[Comment]

May 17, 2017

Reach out to your neighborsBy: Michael Chua

A few years ago it occurred to me that I didn't know the name of a single one of my neighbors.

They weren't bad people, we weren't locking horns over noise complaints, or un-raked leaves. Everything was perfectly cordial. We'd exchange friendly nods if we happened to be getting in or out of our cars at the same time. Sometimes, there would even be a wave.

All the same, I only knew the people who lived near me by vague, lazy descriptions. "The lady with the hair” or "that guy who drives a jeep.” As someone who usually considers himself a fairly friendly person, I had to step back and wonder why that was. It's because our modern lives are designed to place partitions between us that those around us.

It's so easy to become isolated from your neighbors these days. To live next to someone for months or even years and not know a single thing about them. Thanks to urban sprawl and modern inventions like the sub-division, many of us are dedicated commuters these days. Don't walk down to the corner store, or meander about the sidewalks. We drive to work in the morning, we pull the car into the driveway at the end of the day. Everything in-between is just a blur of street signs and crosswalks, the other homes a collection of mysterious cyphers.

When we relax we do it inside, where the central air, TV, and computers are. Or we go out, destination hoping – a park several blocks away, the store, a mall. When we do hang out in our yards, its in the backyard with the barbeque, behind the fence. Or out front with the lawnmower – and it's difficult to hold a conversation with a roaring engine going.

This isn't a bad thing. Habits change from year to year and generation to generation. New technology changes how we live, and it is a little too easy to say it's always for the worse. Still, it's hard not to think that we're missing something in our daily lives now. That feeling of community, the friendly familiarity between neighbors who know each other. It doesn't feel right. It doesn't feel Christian.

I suppose that's because the Bible is filled with stories about communities and strangers reaching out to one another and becoming stronger for it. Jesus might have lived a traveling life for much of his adulthood, but that never stopped him from making connections with everyone he stayed with. He never settled for giving anyone a half-friendly nod, or pretended to be looking for his keys to avoid a conversation.

Jesus gave us an example of how to treat our neighbors. With kindness, love, and respect. He treated everyone with empathy and welcomed them with open arms. As Christians, we need to do the same.

When you don't know your neighbors, it's easy to always assume the worst. When the lawn is looking shaggy, you can just assume they're lazy, or take their home for granted. When they're dog is always barking, you can write it off as a poorly trained annoying little mutt.

But when you know people, you build empathy and understanding. Maybe the lawn hasn't been mowed not because they're lazy, but because the husband was recently in an accident and doesn't have the mobility or strength to keep up with his usual lawn care regime. Sure, that loud dog two doors down might be an annoyance, but it might also be an aging empty nester's only friend.

Next time you see your neighbor in the driveway, take the time to say hello. Reach out to those around you and build the community you want to live in.

[Comment]

May 11, 2017

‘WE MUST ESTABLISH OUR HOLD ON JERUSALEM’: By: Colleen Wells

Housing and Construction Minister Maj. Gen. (res.) Yoav Galant addressed the opening of the "Touching the Moment" exhibition at the Davidson Center in Jerusalem on 8 May 2017, to strengthen the city's status. "Jerusalem for the Jewish people is not 'another place.' The entire world looks to Jerusalem because the deepest and most fundamental values of justice and morality for all the nations of the world were formed here in Jerusalem," Galant said. "We must establish our hold on Jerusalem, from Ma'aleh Adumim in the east to Giv'at Ze'ev in the west, from Atarot in the north to the Bethlehem area and Rachel's Tomb, to the outskirts of Efrat and Gush Etzion.” Galant continued that, "Anything that can possibly be done relating to my area of responsibility will be done with an aim to strengthen Jerusalem, whether we are talking about the Western Wall elevator we are working to strengthen, the establishment of the Tiferet Israel synagogue, various commemoration projects, discovering antiquities and their connection to our heritage and history. It is important to explain to the world the rightness of our way, especially these days when there are Holocaust deniers and those who deny the Jewish connection to the Temple Mount, Jerusalem, and everything in it.” (Arutz-7) [Comment]

May 11, 2017

FRIEDMAN: HOPEFULLY I’LL BE WORKING IN JERUSALEM SOON:By: Colleen Wells

USA Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, who was sworn in 29 March 2017, will be arriving in Israel on 15 May 2017, to begin his service at the USA Embassy. After his arrival on Monday, Friedman will present his credentials to Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, who will officially receive him as America’s ambassador to the Jewish state. Friedman also fueled speculation in his tweet that the Trump administration may be preparing to relocate the USA Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to the Israeli capital, Jerusalem. "I hope to work out of Jerusalem very soon!” As a candidate in the 2016 presidential election, Trump pledged to implement the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Act and relocate the USA Embassy to Jerusalem and to formally recognize the city as the undivided capital of the State of Israel. (INN) [Comment]

May 11, 2017

JERUSALEM DAY: EXPECT ‘A SPECTACULAR’ OPENING EVENT:By: Colleen Wells

Jerusalem Day celebrations are to open this year with a central event commemorating 50 years since the liberation and unification of Jerusalem. The ceremony, the initiative of Culture Minister Miri Regev, will take place along the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem on 21 May 2017. It will see the presence of PM Netanyahu, President Rivlin, Minister of Jerusalem Affairs Zeev Elkin, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, and Regev herself. The ceremony will entail an artistic presentation, the first of its kind that will be projected onto the walls of the Old City and will tell the story of Jerusalem, from the period of the Bible through the battles and stories of heroism, until the present time. The breathtaking audiovisual presentation will be projected along 250 meters of the Old City walls. In addition, some 100 drones will fly over Jerusalem to create a presentation the likes have which have not yet been seen in Israel. The event will also include performances by well-known Israeli artists, who will perform new arrangements of well-known songs about Jerusalem. Minister Regev said Tues. 9 May 2017, "There is no other nation in the world that has such a deep and old connection with its capital city as the Jewish people has with Jerusalem. Jerusalem has never been more built-up, prosperous and flowering as she is today, and there never has been such a spectacular multimedia presentation on the walls of the city. Come, everybody, and celebrate with Jerusalem in the jubilee of her liberation and unification.” (Arutz-7) "Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice greatly with her.” Isa 66:10 [Comment]

May 10, 2017

Coins more than a 1000 years old found off the side of an Israeli highwayBy: Michael Chua

Another piece of history has surfaced in Israel! A small collection of nine bronze coins have been discovered and retrieved by archaeologists conducting a routine dig in preparation for a highway extension and maintenance operation. The coins, dating from 7th century C.E may have belonged to Christians fleeing Persian forces.

Israel is a land of history and artifacts. As one of the most historically important and holy sites in the world, the discovery of slices of history, remnants of those who have gone before, are comparatively common in Israel. This is why archaeologists are often called in to scout and dig areas marked for large construction or excavation – you never know what might lie just beneath the ground. As the team discovered for themselves as they unearthed an ancient two story building and a wine press just off the side of Highway 1 near Ein Hemed, a place only a short 10 minutes jaunt west of Jerusalem.

The former two-story building and wine press are interesting historical finds on their own. For whatever reason, the building was abandoned centuries ago and reclaimed by the land. The slow erosion of years of wind, occasional rain, and the grinding of time eventually reducing the building to just another odd bump alongside one of Israel's highway. History faded into the earth, but never completely erased. It stirs the imagination of how much else is out there to be discovered, what other secrets lie forgotten next to off-ramps, under park benches, just under the water of a sandy bay.

The coins were found tucked away inside the building and date to an interesting period of history. While authenticating and determining the origin of an artifact is always an involved process, placing these coins in historical context was easy for researchers, thanks to clear evidence of the dates involved emblazoned on every coin. The purse was a grab bag of currencies and denominations, with coins struck in different mints and bearing different images. Byzantine emperors Justinian, Murice, and Phocas all grace the coins with their visages, dating the coins as old as 483 AD and as recent as 610 AD) given the span of their respective reigns.

The coins, found underneath large stones piled up inside and in a small nook of the collapsed structure seemed intentionally hidden. Unlike other historic finds that seem to be concealed by chance or fluke, some ancient person secreted these coins away and successfully kept them hidden for more than a millenia.

It is suspected that the former owner placed the coins in a safe place to protect them during a conflict. The date and location suggests the conflict may have been the 641 invasion of the Persians. It is possible that the owner was a Christian fleeing the conflict area, hiding his or her treasure to protect against ransacking and potentially being accosted. Unfortunately, it seems like they never made it back to their little treasure pile.

In light of the find, the site will be preserved as a historic landmark, perhaps hinting at more discoveries to be made nearby. Just another reminder of Israel's long and storied past and it's position as one of the most consistently important locations in the world.

[Comment]

May 5, 2017

Celebrating Israeli Icons: Natalie PortmanBy: Michael Chua

Well known as one of the brightest stars in Hollywood, Natalie Portman needs no introduction. However, her heritage as an Israeli tends to be overlooked in typical conversations about the actress. More than just a bankable starlet, Portman is a highly educated Harvard graduate, an outspoken humanitarian, and a supporter of various anti-poverty programs around the world. Portman's story is a classic example of Israeli immigrants succeeding and thriving in the US.

Born in Israel in 1981, Portman was only a toddler when her parents immigrated to the US. Growing up in Long Island, New York, Portman showed promise from a young age, maintaining an A-average through middle-school and gaining a reputation as some of a gifted youth. Her parents saw a future of science degrees, proofs, and academics laid out in front of her. They weren't wrong, but they didn't see the full scope of her talents yet.

At the age of 11, a young Natalie was scouted by a talent agent for the makeup company Revlon who thought she would be perfect for modelling. Intrigued, Natalie gave modelling a shot but soon found it stiffing, boring, and bland. There was something vaguely insulting about being told to stand in place while photographers busied themselves, positioning her like a prop. Natalie wanted to contribute her own voice, her own ideas to the process. She wanted to act.

She'd get her chance in the Luc Besson cult classic The Professional in 1994. Debuting in a lead role in a major film alongside Jean Renault and Gary Oldman, Portman quickly established herself as a young actress to watch. She'd jump from role to role in the years to follow, becoming a larger name in the process.

For a lot of one celebrities, this is usually the part of the story where things turn dark. When you hear about the meddling stage parents, the corrupt manager, and the slow descent into the kind of Hollywood excess that has ruined countless would-be stars in the past. But, that's not Portman's story.

While maintaining a burgeoning film career, Portman never stopped also being a normal teen. She still took class at Syosset High School in Long Island, still maintained the A-average she hadn't let slip since middle school, and still kept her feet on the ground.

And before you think this might have been favouritism or the result of expensive tutors, you should know that Portman's academic prowess took her all the way to the semifinal rounds of the Intel competition, an annual nationwide competition among the smartest minds in America's schools. Her entry, an environmentally friendly method of re-purposing waste into usable energy hinted at the social conscious that would develop as she matured.

As her career progressed, Portman sought out other challenges. Not wanting to be limited to film, Portman played the lead role in a Broadway production of The Diary of Anne Frank where she brought her own interpretation to the tragic story. The play was of special importance to the Jewish actress. Portman had read the book while she was 12 and it left a profound impact on her, helping her to understand the horrors or war, the importance of compassion, and understand what her own grandparents, who were murdered by the Nazis during the holocaust, experienced.

This is all while still pursuing an academic track at Harvard studying psychology. She actually had to miss the gala premier event of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace because the film conflicted with her exam schedule!

From blockbuster to art film, Portman remained both a critical favourite, and a reliable box office earner. She won an both a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for her performance in the 2011 film Black Swan, and another Academy nomination for her protrayal of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy in 2016's Jackie

Outside of film though, Portman is busy promoting various social causes near and dear to her. An advocate for animal rights, Portman subscribes to a vegan diet and boasts that all her footware is from are the cheap, animal friendly kind you can buy at Target. In 2007, she would launch her own line of cruelty-free vegan shoes.

Concerned with global poverty, Portman has become involved in a number of anti-poverty campaigns and initiatives. She was named the Ambassador of Hope for FINCA International, an organization that promotes micro-lending to help finance women-owned businesses in developing countries. The goal being to reduce poverty not through on-going aid, but by providing the women of those regions with the means to build functional businesses of their own, to establish a foundation from which to prosper.

She also became an ambassador for the Free the Children international charity. Taking a leading role in their "Power of a Girl” campaign, Portman ran fundraisers around North America to support an all-girls schools in Kenya. The proceeds from the sales of a lipstick Portman designed with Chritian Dior were also contributed to the campaign.

Any aspect of Portman's career would be impressive on its own. A successful academic graduating from one of the most prestigious schools in the US. A string of blockbuster films and Academy Award worthy performances. A tour on Broadway playing the lead role in one of the most important Jewish plays ever produced. A list of non-profit and humanitarian accomplishments across the globe. Any one of those would be a fine legacy, all of them together is unbelievable.

All this from a little Israeli girl who grew up in Long Island.

[Comment]

May 4, 2017

‘HAMAS INVESTS ALL ITS RESOURCES IN DESTROYING ISRAEL’:By: Colleen Wells

Israel responded with skepticism to reports that Hamas intends to remove the call for the destruction of Israel from the new policy document it is formulating. "We see that Hamas continues to invest all its resources not only in preparations for war against Israel, but also in educating the children of Gaza to annihilate Israel," the prime minister's office said Monday evening 1 May 2017. "The day Hamas stops digging tunnels and diverts its resources to civilian infrastructure and stops educating to kill Israelis, it will be a real change," Netanyahu's office said in response to the reports that Hamas is seeking a new direction. Internal Security Minister Gilad Erdan added that "the political platform” published by Hamas is a false representation and a public relations exercise whose only purpose is to enlist international legitimacy. In practice, Hamas continues to promote terrorist attacks and wild incitement calling for the murder of Israelis and continues to refuse to recognize Israel's right to exist. The international community must not treat the Hamas platform as a change in the policy of the movement, Erdan said.

Arab media reported Monday afternoon that Hamas would remove the call to destroy Israel from the movement's policy, in order to improve relations with the Gulf states and Egypt. In addition, Hamas will reportedly declare support for a Palestinian Arab state along the 1967 lines without recognizing Israel's right to exist. Observers say that Hamas’ acceptance of a Palestinian state along pre-1967 borders as "a national consensus” indicates that Hamas is positioning itself to make territorial compromises with Israel. However, Hamas makes clear throughout the document that it is not prepared to make such a compromise. "Hamas rejects any alternative to the full and complete liberation of Palestine, from the river to the sea,” the document states. It also says that Hamas refuses to recognize Israel. "There shall be no recognition of the legitimacy of the Zionist entity,” the document reads. Taken together, Hamas’ rejection of territorial compromise and recognizing Israel leaves no room to believe it is moving in the direction of making concessions to Israel. (J.Post) [Comment]

May 4, 2017

ABBAS: WE WILL NOT ACCEPT ANY SOLUTION THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE STATE ON ’67 LINES: By: Michael Chua

On the eve of his first meeting with USA President Donald Trump, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said on Tues. 2 May 2017 that the Palestinian leadership "will not accept any solution” that does not include a state along 1967 lines and east Jerusalem as its capital. Abbas made the remarks at an event in Washington, D.C., where he spoke before members of the Palestinian diaspora, who reside in the USA. Abbas has long stated that he supports the establishment of a Palestinian state along 1967 borders with east Jerusalem as its capital, but also proposed minor land swaps in previous negotiations. Abbas and a team of his advisers on Wed. 3 May 2017, were slated to meet with Trump, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and a number of American-Jewish leaders. (Jerusalem Post) Pray that Palestinian, USA and global leaders, will understand there is absolutely zero chance Israel is going to comply with any plan for a future Palestinian state based on pre-1967 lines. It is a ludicrous objective, one which a long line of Israeli government and military leaders have considered to be "suicidal,” for the Jewish state. [Comment]

May 4, 2017

ISRAEL CONDEMNS UNESCO VOTE: By: Colleen Wells

Israeli leaders from across the political spectrum slammed the UNESCO vote to deny Israel's right to sovereignty over its capital city of Jerusalem on Tues. 2 May 2017. Israeli PM Binyamin Netanyahu said that fewer nations supported Tuesday's resolution than had supported similar anti-Israel UNESCO resolutions last year. "Over the last two days I’ve had numerous conversations with various heads of state and foreign ministers about the absurd vote at the UN. The result is that a number of countries that support this absurd proposal is shrinking,” he says. "A year ago it was 32, six months ago it dropped to 26, and now it’s down to 22 countries,” Netanyahu said. "I still want to make a systematic and consistent effort to reduce this even further, because these kinds of votes have no place at the UN,” Netanyahu added. "Today there are more countries that support Israel or abstain than countries that oppose Israel,” he adds. "It’s a change, for the first time.”

Opposition leader Yizthak Herzog called the resolution anti-Semitic. "This UNESCO resolution is an anti-Semitic and anti-Israel disgrace that distorts the history of the Jewish people and their unshakable connection to their capital, Jerusalem,” Herzog said. "This is a miserable, baseless and aggressive decision that will find itself in the garbage can of history, just like the accusation that Zionism is racism," Herzog added. Israeli President Reuvin Rivlin told foreign ambassadors gathered at his residence to celebrate Israel's Independence Day that their governments should respond to the resolution by recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moving their embassies there. "It is time to recognize Jerusalem, as the official capital of the State of Israel. It is time to move all the official embassies here, to Jerusalem,” Rivlin said. (Arutz-7)

[Comment]

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