I opened the front door this morning and it was hard to breathe. Instead of feeling the fresh morning country air, my eyes and lungs were assaulted by gritty sand. While walking to synagogue I had to cover my mouth with my talit (prayer shawl). About fifty days out of Read more…
Yom HaAtzmaut (Israel Independence Day) is one big national party in Israel. However each year, the previous day is commemorated as Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers (Yom HaZikaron). It helps us remember the terrible sacrifice we had to pay, and continue to pay to live in our small country. A Read more…
Why were these soldiers in Jerusalem for Pesach over 100 years ago? During WWI the British captured Jerusalem from the Ottoman Turks on December 9 of 1917 (picture on right is the Turks surrendering the Holy City which they had occupied for 400 years). This began a year-long campaign by Read more…
The Switzerland Forest provides beautiful hiking opportunities and breathtaking views of Tiberias and the Sea of Galilee. It’s a park that was created by Keren Kayemet (Jewish National Fund) through donations from the Jewish community in Switzerland beginning in 1927 to prevent soil erosion and landslides on the steep slopes Read more…
The Jewish community lived adjacent to, and just north of the city walls of Caesarea. This is the remains of the synagogue. Note the Greek inscription on the floor mosaic. Usually and inscription honoring donors would be made in Greek (or Aramaic) which was the commonly spoken language in the Read more…
Jacob’s brother Esau was also called Edom… and the Sages tell us that Edom is Rome. No wonder so much of our Jewish history is intertwined with a love/hate relationship with Rome and its descendants who try to take control of the Land of Israel without living by Torah values. Read more…
Archeologists Restoring the Synagogue in Korazim. This building was used at the time that the Mishna was complete and the Talmud was being redacted in nearby Tiberias. The basalt village is perched on a hill high above the Kinneret and in addition to the synagogue, features a public square, wine Read more…
The rain this week cleared the air in the Galilee and you could see all the way to Mount Hermon on the Syrian border. I snapped this photo across the street from our apartment in Tiberias. That is the mystical city of Tsfat (Safed) on the top of the mountain Read more…
A while ago, after doing some shopping in Tiberias on gorgeous sunny Wednesday, I decided to take an impromptu trip to the Agamon Hula Nature Reserve about one hour north of us. Located north of Tiberias and Lake Kinneret in the Hula Valley, this is one of the world’s foremost Read more…
This is a vintage photo of one of the most popular gates entering the Old City of Jerusalem. Which is it? When pilgrims came to Jerusalem for the festivals (or any other reason) and they were ready to return home, they would ask the local people, “Which gate do I exit Read more…
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