Powerful Days in Israel

Yesterday, Irma and I joined a community bus tour to Masada – a 2000 year old mountaintop fortress that has become a symbol of Jewish survival. Since we are celebrating the holiday of Chanukah, another symbol of Jewish survival, the tour was especially meaningful.


For me, the high point of the tour came near the end of the tour guide’s presentation. We were in the mountaintop synagogue and she was explaining how the zealots committed communal suicide rather than die at the hands of the Romans or become their slaves. It was time for Mincha (afternoon prayers) and another tour group arrived at the synagogue and began Mincha. I joined them in prayer. It was a very powerful experience for me.

On another occasion, Tisha B’Av, a day commemorating several tragic happenings in Jewish history, we joined a group bus tour to visit Machpela, the burial place of our ancestors, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, and Jacob and Leah. For me, it was very emotional, feeling that after 3000 years I was finally visiting my ancestors’ graves.

Every day I look out my window at the road between Jerusalem and the southern part of the country, where the Torah records that our ancestors traveled: to Beer Sheva, Hebron, Bethlehem, Ephrata (Efrat), and more.

All around us are reminders of our history in this land – this land that G-d has given us. There are reminders of our connection to the land, but there are also reminders of times when people tried to separate us from the land and destroy us: Babylonians, Greeks, Syrians, Romans and others. Today, in our fight for survival, we are facing Arabs, the UN, the CFR and others, including some of our own people.

Recently the Amish Church reversed a long-held position and announced their support for Israel and the Jewish people. We are thankful for their support and the support and well-wishes of others, including many other Christian and non-Christian groups. In reality, many of us are under attack by the same enemies.

When push comes to shove, though, we need to remember that G-d is still in charge and still sets the agenda. We, however, still get to choose our own responses and are ultimately responsible for those responses. We all need to pray for the wisdom to make the correct responses.

Be well, Y’all,
Mel

Israel's Flag at Masada