Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on September 8, 2022

Posted In: UJE Initiatives, Outreach

The 18th quadrennial World Congress of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, 8-12 August 2022, included over 1700 presentations and participants from over 40 countries. Ukrainian representation was seriously limited by Russia's war on Ukraine, which prevented many scholars from participating. Nonetheless, the Congress featured several significant talks highlighting Ukrainian history and the distinctiveness of Ukrainian culture and identity.

A UJE panel on the Congress' opening day, chaired by UJE Co-Director Alti Rodal, focused on how historical and political dynamics, in particular the impact of Sovietization, shaped Yiddish and Ukrainian literature, theatre, and art in Soviet Ukraine.

Tetyana Batanova, Research Fellow and acting head of the Judaica Department of the Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine, discussed the burgeoning of literary translations from Ukrainian to Yiddish and Yiddish to Ukrainian in the 1920s1930s. She highlighted the interaction and contribution of the Jewish Kultur-Lige and Ukrainian avant-garde writers and translators, using evocative illustrations from the rich Yiddish book and periodical collection of the Vernadsky National Library.

In an animated talk, Mayhill Fowler, Associate Professor, History, Stetson University, Florida, described the theatre scene in Soviet Ukraine as a model of multiethnic societal dynamics. She drew attention to the remarkable networks and exchanges among artists of various ethnicities across the closely connected state-run Ukrainian, Russian, Yiddish, and Polish theatres. It is this networked infrastructure that enabled surviving Jewish artists to re-configure their art and careers following the war and after the closure of Yiddish theatres in the USSR.

Serhiy Kravtsov, Research Fellow, Center for Jewish Art, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, offered thought-provoking insights into the political, cultural, literary, and artistic interactions between Jews and Slavic peoples from the Middle Ages to the post-World War II period. The insights on this broad topic were inspired by a new volume of essays on Jewish history and art in Slavic Lands (volume 27 in the series Jews and Slavs). The volume also includes essays on recent projects to advance the protection of Jewish cultural heritage and memory.

Talks in other Congress sessions treating Ukrainian-Jewish themes included Evgeny Kotlyar, "Modernization of the Cultural Heritage of Hasidism: From the Wooden Synagogue in Tolna (Ukraine) to the New Synagogue of Tolna Hasidim in Jerusalem"; Lada Moskalets, "The Rural Jewish Population in the Carpathian Piedmont"; and Alla Marchenko, "The place of Hassidic pilgrimages in local frames of memory."

UJE also had a booth at this year's Congress, as it has in past years.

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Ukraine-related presentations at the 18th World Congress of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem - UJE - Ukrainian Jewish Encounter

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Posted By admin on September 8, 2022

Since its inception more than 30 years ago, the Jewish Healthcare Foundation (JHF) has disbursed more than $75 million to Jewish aging programs and partnerships within our community, vastly exceeding the original endowment of $45 million. More than $60 million has gone to activities of the Jewish Association on Aging. Above that, JHF has established itself as a national leader and even global leader in improved models for skilled nursing care; training the older adult workforce; advocacy for policies that support caregivers and quality at the end of life; and medical advances in the physical and mental health of seniors.

For our work with seniors, JHF received the 2008 Samuel K. McCune Award for Distinguished Service from Presbyterian SeniorCare; the 2011 Allegheny County Medical Society Benjamin Rush Individual Award; the 2017 UPMC Senior Champions, Community Champion, Creating Better Lives for Seniors Award; and the 2022 University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing Honorary Alumni Award.

COVID-19 took a devastating toll on older adults: those over 60 years old accounted for 24% of COVID cases but 95% of deaths. About 8% of people living in long-term care facilities in the United States died of COVID-19 nearly one in 12. The pandemic laid bare key deficiencies in the structural, operational and training realities of skilled nursing facilities.

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Putting expertise into actionJHF responded quickly to the crisis that COVID-19 brought to seniors by partnering with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to provide training, program development and new workforce models to support the frontlines of care.

As lead educator for the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) and Pennsylvania Department of Healths Regional Response Health Collaborative Program (RRHCP) during the height of the COVID outbreak, JHF provided critical education to healthcare providers across the Commonwealth. In 2021, JHF received the UPMC Senior Services Community Champion Award, given annually to recognize exceptional leadership to improve the lives of seniors, for the RRHCP programs impact in western Pennsylvania.

Earlier this year, DHS named JHF lead educator for the Pennsylvania Community HealthChoices Long-Term Care Learning Network for nursing facilities. This work advances the DHS strategic quality incentive program through weekly webinars and quarterly learning collaboratives in partnership with several managed care organizations.

As our population ages, the need for long-term care grows, but the skilled nursing workforce has not kept up. JHF addressed workforce challenges through the Revisiting the Teaching Nursing Home initiative, a pilot program to trial a better model of residential care for the commonwealths frailest residents. Through partnerships among skilled nursing facilities and schools of nursing, the program aims to improve the care of older adults in nursing homes, bolster the workforce and achieve better health status for residents.

During the height of pandemic, JHF convened a group of key experts and stakeholders to advance policy and practical solutions. JHF funded and guided the creation of an acclaimed documentary, What COVID-19 Exposed in Long-Term Care, and a study from LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston, The Case for Funding: What Is Happening to Pennsylvanias Nursing Homes? Armed with these resources, JHF joined with advocates and our partners in the Pennsylvania Health Funders Collaborative to advance proposals for additional funding in the commonwealth, ultimately influencing Pennsylvanias budget dedicated to long-term care. In July, the Pennsylvania Legislature and Governor Tom Wolf agreed to infuse funding to hire and train more staff at the Commonwealths nursing facilities, providing much-needed aid to an industry struggling with high staff turnover. This includes a roughly 20% increase in Medicaid reimbursement rates the first substantial increase in Medicaid rates in nearly a decade.Engaging and supporting seniors across the lifespanJHF demonstrates its commitment to supporting our aging population through all stages of life in our senior engagement initiatives, including caregiver support and education on quality at the end of life. JHF staff created and now leads the states efforts in training communities to support individuals living with dementia, their families, and care partners through Dementia Friends Pennsylvania. JHF established free programs such as Fit with a Physician and the Virtual Senior Academy as a safe way for older adults to incorporate physical activity and an online learning platform in their daily lives.

The future These commitments will continue into 2023. In addition, JHF has long supported the health issues facing older women, from breast cancer, to heart disease, to poverty, to physically and emotionally disabling conditions. JHF plans a 2023 campaign for greater equity in health care as women age. PJCKaren Wolk Feinstein, PhD, is president and CEO of the Jewish Healthcare Foundation.

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Seniors matter to us . . . now more than ever - thejewishchronicle.net

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Posted By admin on September 8, 2022

"Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant and sea-grant research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States:"

There is something special about a college town. While I attended a school in a pretty big city (Go Wolfpack!) there is still something special about a college town. And I do feel that in the immediate area of the school I still got that feel. That being said I think of a true college town as being a town built around a University. The school is a huge part of the economy and is the heartbeat of the town. The town should also be synonymous with the university. These schools often, though not always should have a major college sports presence that is evident in the town and makes for a unique gameday atmosphere. So when I saw that South Carolina had a town make the Best College Towns In America list I had a pretty good idea of which University it was.

And I was correct. While the North Carolina town left me surprised, South Carolinas makes perfect sense. While the vast majority of this list left me scratching my head, this town embodies what I believe a college town to be. Outside of three, maybe four towns, I wouldnt consider those on this list to fit my definition of a college town- at all. It was created by Preply and they ranked the cities based on three main metrics: wallet friendliness, social environment, and economic opportunities. So that does explain the rankings a little bit.

Wallet Friendliness Included:

Meal, inexpensive restaurant (1 person)Fitness club, monthly fee (1 person)Rent per month for apartment (1 bedroom) in city centerDomestic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

Social Environment (this is the one metric I most likely would have kept):

Diversity, percentage of foreign born residentsCafes per capitaParks per capitaNightlife per capitaCrime rate

Economic Opportunities:

Average monthly net salary (after tax)Unemployment rateEmployment rateBuy apartment price

Interested to see which South Carolina town is featured as one of the best college towns in America? Keep reading to see the 10 ten. Read the full study here.

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This South Carolina College Town Is Top 10 In The Nation - kiss951.com

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Posted By admin on September 6, 2022

A Montreal community member surprised a group of teenage terror victims from Israel on Shabbat, August 20, by offering to donate a pair of tefillin or Shabbat candlesticks for every youngster.

The teens came to Canada to participate in IVOW, Israeli Victims of War, a unique trip that brings Israeli teenseither wounded in a terror attack or closely related to someone who has beento Montreal for a month each summer. The teens represent a real cross-section of Israel, says Richard Dermer, who directs the thirty-year-old program. Some are religious; some are not, some are Ashkenazi, some are Sepharditerror doesnt discriminate.

After participating in local Jewish camps for three weeks, the teens spent a week together touring Canada. On their last Shabbat before flying back to Israel, the IVOW teens visited the Montreal Torah Center, where several of the organizations unpaid volunteer staff are members, for Shabbat services and a unique program honoring Israeli victims of terror.

After the Torah reading, Abie Moses shared his story. In 1987 his pregnant wife Ofra and five-year-old son Tal were murdered by a Palestinian terrorist. Today, Moses is the national chairman of the Organization for Victims of Terrorism in Israel.

Also on hand to share his story was Obie Ben-Chaim, a former Israeli soldier severely wounded in the head while serving in the first Lebanon War. In solidarity with the teens and the sorrow theyve experienced, the Israeli Consul General in Montreal, Paul Hirschson, also spoke with the group. Their remarks gave the community a strong sense for who these kids are and the grief they and their families have been through, Dermer says.

But after the speeches, the program went off script. Community member Jeremy Levy quietly told a rabbi he and his wife wanted to donate a pair of tefillin for every boy on the trip, and Shabbat candlesticks for every girl, provided they commit to using them regularly. When the rabbi relayed his offer to the teens, the vast majority raised their hands fifty-five girls and twenty boys.

But getting the promised tefillin and candlesticks to the teens before their return flight to Israel on Wednesday morning would prove no easy feat. To complicate matters, the teens were leaving for Toronto immediately after Shabbat for their trips finale.

Rabbi New and his staff shifted into high gear. They tracked down the appropriate number of tefillin in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, and FedEx expedited the package to Toronto. But the box ran into trouble at customs. By the time Rabbi New landed in Toronto on Tuesday afternoon to deliver them, he had to hail a taxi and track down the package at a massive FedEx warehouse outside Toronto. With the teens leaving in hours, he rushed to their hotel, tefillin in hand.

Fresh off a long day of roller-coasters at Canadas Wonderland amusement park, the group of nearly one hundred Israeli teens arrived at the conference room of their Toronto hotel, where Rabbi Moishe New waited with their new sets of tefillin and Shabbat candlesticks. We had just a forty-five-minute window, Rabbi New says.

Rabbi New helped teen after teen wrap their new tefillin. It was an incredibly emotional moment, he says. Witnessing the scene, Obie Ben-Chaim remarked he regretted not asking for a pair of tefillin. It turned out we had an extra pair for him! Rabbi New says.

Our generation thirsts for real Jewish connection; we just have to respond, Rabbi New reflected. The teens were ready to take on another mitzvah. All anyone had to do was respond to them.

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Israeli Terror Victim Teens Gifted Tefillin and Shabbat Candlesticks on Canadian Trip - Lubavitch.com

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Posted By admin on September 6, 2022

Whoever needs, come and eat.

Thats the quote from the Talmud the book of Jewish law that welcomes customers to Goldies Bagels in Columbia, Missouri, telling them that people who cannot afford to pay can get a coffee and a bagel, with cream cheese, free of charge.

The promise is core to the shops mission. Launched as a popup in 2020, Goldies aims to imbue Jewish values into its daily operations.

My whole thing in opening Goldies is were going to be so outwardly proud to be Jewish, founder Amanda Rainey told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency this week, after a sign about the Neighbours Account initiative went viral on social media.

Rainey, who previously worked as a Jewish educator, first opened Goldies inside Pizza Tree, a restaurant owned by her husband. It moved to its own location, bringing along a sourdough starter thats used in its bagels. Per baking tradition, the starter has a name Seymour.

In addition to bagels, Goldies serves traditional Ashkenazi desserts such as babka and rugelach. Its Instagram account showcases fluffy round challahs, egg sandwiches made with zhug, a spicy condiment that originated with Yemenite Jews, and tzitzel bagels, a rolled-in-semolina confection thats unique to St. Louis. The wifi password is MAZEL TOV and this year, the shop hosted a Pesach seder for its staff.

The seder inspired the sign. The principle of feeding the needy is so ingrained in Jewish tradition that the Talmud quote posted at the counter is traditionally recited in Aramaic at the seder, when the Israelites exodus from Egypt is recounted.

Goldies had already been handing out free bagels to unhoused people in downtown Columbia, just as Pizza Tree had been doing with slices. And it had already been subsidising that effort with donations that other customers made informally. Sometimes people would slip us some cash awkwardly, Rainey recalled.

But after the seder, a staff member suggested explaining the initiative and citing the quote from Talmud on a sign in the store. The sign explains that customers who cannot pay can ask the staff to charge their meal to the Neighbours Account.

After the sign went viral, people from around the country offered to donate, Rainey said. But she said Goldies is committed to keeping everything local.

We have so many generous people in our community, Rainey said. Those people should give money to somebody where they live; their own neighbours.

Rainey says the shop gets maybe two $5 donations a day, which help pay down the balance of the account, and the store doesnt take donations unless theres an outstanding balance. She hopes the initiative will encourage other restaurants in the area to take on something similar. During the pandemic, other businesses began offering free meals to families with children, and mutual aid groups serve people who are unhoused.

But the point of the Neighbours Account is to welcome people into the store and give them more than just a meal.

Its a bagel and a coffee but when youve slept on the street at 7am, a bagel and a coffee is really helpful, Rainey said. And also we learn peoples names, we check in on them. We treat them like people. And then other people in the community see that and hopefully are inspired to act better.

JTA

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Taking inspiration from the Talmud to feed the needy - Australian Jewish News

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Posted By admin on September 6, 2022

After the summer, a new edition of Modern Hebrew classes begins at the Three Cultures Foundation, the only institution in Seville that teaches this language. On this occasion, a full course format will be introduced from October to June with four levels: Hebrew 1, Hebrew 2, Hebrew 3 and Hebrew 4.

Since 2005, the Three Cultures Foundation has been the reference institution in the city for face-to-face classes in Modern Hebrew, with the conviction that one of the best ways to approach culture is through learning a new language. These classes are aimed at anyone interested in learning Hebrew, or who wants to improve the level they already have or who may be interested at a professional level.

Registration

Enrolment form and deadline: available on the Three Cultures Foundation website until Friday 23 September 2022. The timetable and calendar can also be consulted on the website.

There will be two weekly classes of 90 minutes each and the sessions will be face-to-face.

390 euros/academic year (370 euros with the discount applied for university students, unemployed and retired people with previous accreditation). The teacher will provide the necessary materials to follow the course.

Common European Framework of Reference for Languages

Given the characteristics of the Hebrew language itself, which is not Indo-European but Semitic, the equivalence of these levels with those of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is only approximate, and is distributed as follows:

HEBREW 1 CEFR A1 level

HEBREW 2 Transition from level A1 to A2 of the CEFR

HEBREW 3 Consolidation of level A2 of CEFR

HEBREW 4 CEFR Level B1

Certificate: the certificate issued by the Three Cultures Foundation is accredited but not official. The only institution in Spain that issues official Hebrew language certificates, in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, is the Escuela Oficial de Idiomas.

More information: by e-mail educa@tresculturas.org and by telephone 667.31.31.40.

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Three Cultures Foundation offers Modern Hebrew classes for the academic year 2022/2023 - Atalayar

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Posted By admin on September 6, 2022

Ken Ireland

(Ken was Ivy League and Jesuit trained, and for some years a member of the Society of Jesus. He currently lives in Dharamshala. Kens a long time Zen practitioner and a friend. Hes taken an interest in my current deep dive into the Psalms project, and it inspired a poem cycle. This is the second of the cycle, first published at Kens Buddha SJ blog and shared here by permission.)

Songs 8 10. It was a dark time and we stayed inside, repeating to ourselves as if we couldnt understand.

Song 8, On Being Mauled by a bear, a dirge

Song 9, Psalm 119:105: Thy word is like a heat seeking missile

Song 10, Psalm 84:5: The Highway to Zion was washed away last night

Song 11, Psalm 77: Hath God forgotten to be gracious?

On Being Mauled by a bear

Last winterThe bears came downBelow the snow line.They were hungry.Word got out that they were four,One with cubs.

What went through these womens mindswhen the bear lunged at their face.They also had a right to go about their business.I wonder.Astonished.I ask myself if I would be brave.

One who lived is a friend of my cooks wife.She was up at the well earlyTo pump water for the day.She claimed to have put up a fight.The village was proud.The strong survival reflex of these mountains.

The Tibetan woman on the kora was not so lucky.The Dalai Lama should have sent a representative to her cremation.Her holy work was his.

Psalm 119:105: Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Thy word is like a heat seeking missile

Are words paintbrushes or missiles?In the hands of a poet, scientist, warlord or propagandistThe same word can kill or be a lullaby.

Take the word love,Misuse it at your peril.Count bodies on the battlefieldMyriads

Thy words

Hold words with careKnowing that they can be weaponsKnowing that they will be weaponsWhen you cross swordsAs you willIts certain

Cradle wordsThat will flyInto the heart of someoneYou loveSling them

Croon wordsInto a babys earWith your own voiceDont wait for angels

Chant wordsWith your own breath while you canAt least one wordIt will cease

Ponder wordsEven in a nasty wrapping

Leave words aloneTo do their own workWithout you

Rip up words thatProp open a doorOnto some landscapeThat now needs to fade away

Erase wordsSpoken in angerOr remember themUntil they lose their sting

Check words

That have many translationsWhich may very slightlyOr even a lotEven for you

Be generous.

Psalm 84:5

Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion.

The Highway to Zion washed away last night

There are two roads to my house,But only one that people take.In 12 years Ive takenThe road that loops through the army baseOn the other side of the ridge,12 times.

I dont even think about the roadThat winds straight up the hill.Its just there.

Then it wasnt.

I woke up yesterday when Parveen called me to say that it had washed down the hillAll of it.No more buses with kids coming back from schoolNo more taxis packing weekenders from the bus stationNo trips to bank & groceryFor a few western items

We wonder how long before it willBe repaired. Rebuilt actually.A tall retaining wallTo support the weight of concrete against theSteep ravine.

My Tibetan painter friend saysTwo months.His Holiness rides the roadHe is old and cant die while they waitFor the concrete forms to setAnd dryIt is the Road to Zion.

He might die. He knows he will..

I say six monthsEven working through the cold of winter.Even for the Road to Zion.

It was there.Now its not.Hath God forgotten to be gracious?

Sonam Rinchen sprinkledStories of his flight into exileWhen he lectured on ShantidevaFreedom is freedom

Geshe-la told us about his extreme acrophobiaHanging from the cliffs as they crossed the Himalayas.Knowing that the Chinese were close behindThey had to keep goingHe closed his eyesAnd with his fingersFelt for the stoneBeyond the bridge

He said matter of factlyAfter long months in TenzingangSeveral Tibetans took their own livesTibetans never commit suicideBut they did

The High God retires just the moment I need him.It makes no difference that your mother or your lama hasTaught you to smile and be graciousThe favor is not necessarily returned

Ruth didnt want to translate fire and brimstone storiesGeshe-la insistedHed tread a treacherous mountain pathTo the camp in AssamHe felt competent to talk about hellHed tasted freedomPsalms 77:7-10 The Message (MSG)

Will the Lord walk off and leave us for good? Will he never smile again? Is his love worn threadbare? Has his salvation promise burned out? Has God forgotten his manners? Has he angrily stomped off and left us? Just my luck, I said. The High God retires just the moment I need him.

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Buddhist Reflections on the Hebrew Psalms: The McLeod Ganj Psalter RSV, Week 2 - Patheos

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Posted By admin on September 6, 2022

(JNS) The Qumran caves in the Judean Desert have continued to yield amazing and unexpected treasures. To date, the following have been discovered: 1) The Dead Sea Scrolls, 2,000-year-old parchments containing most of the Hebrew Bible, 2) spices used in the making of Temple incense, 3) a jar of congealed but still viscous oil and 4) scrolls that describe the rules of a Jewish community that lived in the area, along with a great deal more.

Hundreds of caves in the area have been surveyed. At least one of them appears to have been intentionally sealed. There are also four unusual man-made tunnels in the surrounding wilderness that were hewn from solid rock with great effort. What were people doing here and how did they survive? Why were they sealing caves and digging tunnels? What else might be hidden there? Could items from the Temple be in these caves?

The Qumran caves first came to the publics attention in the pre-state Land of Israel. In 1947, a Bedouin shepherd tossed a stone into a cave and heard a clunk as one of the stones hit a clay jar. The contents of the jar proved to be animal skin parchments, which were taken to a local shoemaker in the hope he could make sandals from them. The shoemaker, seeing the potential value of the parchments, sent them to an antiquities dealer by the name of Khalil Kando. Mr. Kando realized that the parchments were something special and so began the story of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Among the scrolls were portions of 23 of the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible with only the Scroll of Esther missing. The entire book of Isaiah is part of the collection and is an almost identical match to the Hebrew version we have today.

Regarding items from the Temple, David Yehuda, an author involved in historical research on the subject, has been involved for decades with the work at Qumran. He cited several ancient documents that cross-reference each other, noting that all seem to point to Qumran as an area that may contain items of great significance, possibly from the Temple.

As an example, the Copper Scroll, which sits in a museum in Amman, Jordan, lists many locationsa number of which seem to point to the Qumran areawhere certain items from the First Temple were supposedly hidden before the exile. Yehuda also notes that the Kabbalistic book Emek HaMelech, written by R. Naftali Ben Yaakov Elchanan in 1648, lists hidden items from the First Temple. Yehuda points out that, according to the text, the location where these items were hidden was inscribed on a copper plate.

The Copper Scroll was evidently flat when it was first made, but then coated with clay and rolled like a scroll. The clay was presumably added to seal the surface to prevent oxidation. The care that its authors took to preserve it for the future is remarkable in and of itself. Further, Yehuda says, according to Revue Biblique there were two marble tablets found in the basement of a museum in Lebanon that contain the same text as that written in Emek HaMelech.

Finally, the apocryphal book of Maccabees describes the prophet Jeremiahs efforts to hide the most important items from the Temple in a cave somewhere on the way from Jerusalem to Har Nevo (Mount Nebo). Qumran is coincidentally located halfway between these two sites. As a result of all this, Yehuda is optimistic that the caves will ultimately yield more secrets and perhaps even some of the items secured at the end of the First Temple period some 2,500 years ago.

A jar of ceremonial oil found in the Qumran caves. Photo: courtesy of Gary Schiff.

Yehuda also posits an alternative theory about those who were living in this area during the Second Temple period. Most assume that it was a group called the Essenes, a devout Jewish sect with a large following in the area that left Jerusalem at a tumultuous time to establish a separate society. The ancient historian Josephus described the group as a breakaway sect focused on communal living and support for each other, as well as controlling anger and using the mikvah for frequent ritual immersions.

Yehuda believes there may be another possibility: The records would seem to indicate that the people working in the Qumran facility were Kohanim who fled there after Syrian Greek Emperor Antiochus, of Hanukkah fame, murdered the last high priest among the descendants of Zadokthe Kohen Gadol.

He added, When the ruins were excavated, archaeologists were surprised to find that there were no living quarters among the ruins. The floor plan looks more like a school for Kohanim, a university of sorts for those initiated into the priesthood.

Yehuda believes that these student Kohanim may actually have lived with their families close to freshwater springs along the road to the south, and likely commuted to their place of work at Qumran where they were learning proper procedures for service as priests in the Temple. He added, We know, for example, that some had already served in the Temple but fled to Qumran to escape the Zeus worship in the Temple under Antiochus.

Yehuda noted, The Dead Sea Scrolls talk about a teacher of righteousness that provides his students with guidance, regularly assesses them and then ranks them to determine their merit in performing priestly duties.

While the Gemara in tractate Yoma seems to indicate that, at one point in time, the holy items from the First Temple were hidden under the Temple Mount, Yehuda pointed out that there are also sources indicating they were later moved from that location by order of King Yoshiyahu. Could there be a sequel to the story? There are reportedly tunnels that stretch from Jerusalem all the way to the area of Qumran. Yehuda notes that there are other tractates such as Horayot and Shekalim that indicate the intention of Yoshiyahu was to hide the Temple items and there is the possibility they were sealed in a chamber at the end of one of these tunnels.

Currently, there are two groups that regularly excavate in Qumran. One is the Israel Department of Antiquities and the other is the Hebrew University. There is also a group that helps to fund the work undertaken by the university, the Qumran Cave Organization (qumrancave.org). While the archaeologists are not necessarily looking for anything in particular, they are keenly aware of what might be hidden in the area.

Yehuda noted, I hope to be part of an excavation later this year. While we may find artifacts from later periods, we may also find artifacts from the First and Second Temple period. And who knows? Imagine if we find something like the Klal, the vessel that contained the Para Aduma [the ashes of a pure red heifer needed to purify the priests]. One can only dream of the possibilities.

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What Other Secrets Are Hidden in the Qumran Caves? - Israel Today

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Posted By admin on September 6, 2022

Shalev Levi fears heaven more than he fears Earth. He is a Haredi one of the God-fearing, as strictly Orthodox Jews are called in Hebrew and he has just checked in at Tel Avivs Ben Gurion airport, en route to Moldova, to then cross by road to Uman, in central Ukraine. There he will join more than a thousand ultra-Orthodox Jews who are already in the city to fulfill the annual tradition, started two centuries ago, of celebrating the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, at the grave of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, the founder of the Breslov Hasidic movement. The celebration is not for another three weeks, but Levi fears that repeated calls by the Israeli and Ukrainian governments to forgo this years pilgrimage could turn into an outright ban at some point.

Asked if he is not afraid of going to a country at war, Levi points out that there is also a war going on in Israel, and that in any case the authority that he listens to is his rabbi, not the Israeli government. The 50 charter flights from Tel Aviv to Chisinau (the capital of Moldova) until the celebration, which begins on September 25, are already fully booked, according to Israels Keshet 12 TV channel. It is too soon to speculate about how many will finally make the pilgrimage, although no estimate exceeds 15,000. Other years the number is usually close to 30,000, most from Israel and, to a lesser extent, from the United States.

Levi whose white embroidered yarmulke and wide smile reveal him to be part of the Breslov Hasidic movement founded in the 18th century by the rabbi who is buried in Uman, and to which most of those who make the pilgrimage belong explains that more than the war, what is keeping many from going this year is the trip: an almost three-hour flight, followed by another three hours by bus to the border and then three more to Uman. Im flying now because I cant risk them closing [the border], he explains. And the longer I wait, the more money it would cost me, and I cant afford it. There are only seats left on flights to Romania [which also shares a border with Ukraine]. My wife is staying behind to take care of our five kids.

Nachman, who considered it a commandment to always be happy (some of his followers are known for dancing a kind of religious techno-pop in the streets), asked that none of his disciples miss the meetings he organized on the occasion of the Jewish New Year. He died in 1810 without having appointed a successor, and the following year the new leader of the movement organized the first gathering before the tomb. The tradition endured (even clandestinely during Stalinism) and after the 1991 disintegration of the Soviet Union which Ukraine was part of the pilgrimage became a mass phenomenon that is also attended by a minority of devotees from other currents, spiritual seekers and even opportunists, some of whom commit criminal acts, explains Benjamin Brown, professor of Jewish Thought at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Frictions between pilgrims and locals, even fistfights, are common.

On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid called on his fellow citizens not to travel to Uman in light of the danger to life posed by entering the combat zone, according to a statement reporting a telephone conversation he held with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. That same day, the Israeli Foreign Ministry issued a new travel alert (it had already issued one in February) mentioning how missiles had been fired at the Uman area just a few days earlier, killing one person and wounding several more. It also urged its citizens to leave the country immediately and stressed that Israel lacks a permanent diplomatic presence in Ukraine.

In early July, Ukraines ambassador to Tel Aviv, Yevgen Korniichuk, noted on Facebook that Kyiv does not allow entry to tourists and visitors, nor can it guarantee the safety of pilgrims. He added: Imagine that there is a crowd of 50,000 or even more praying in Uman and [Russia] decides to fire missiles. Can you guarantee that it will not happen, after they have bombed shopping malls, kindergartens and schools? Korniichuk even granted interviews on the subject to the strictly Orthodox press, as this group, which represents about 13% of Israels population, ignores the general media.

Daniel Cohen claims to be unaware of the travel alert. As he prepares to check in four huge bags full of disposable plates and cutlery for a group of 120 pilgrims at Tel Aviv airport, he states that he does not have time to keep up with the news; he has more important things in his mind.

His discourse revolves around two ideas. First, while Israel is a very small country, Ukraine is so big that a war that is being waged mainly in the south and east is not even being felt in Uman. The second, more spiritual, is that this is not an act that can be explained in words; it is a feeling. To him, it is not a question of courage, but of faith.

Both among the pilgrims at the airport and at the entrance of the religious school of the Breslov community in the historic Orthodox heart of Jerusalem, the Mea Shearim neighborhood, the general feeling is one of weariness, after three consecutive years of obstacles set by earthly authorities whom they distrust. In September 2020, in the midst of a resurgence of Covid-19, Ukraine closed the border and some 2,000 pilgrims slept for days at the Belarusian border, in tents or in the open, until they lost all hope of crossing. Others tried to sneak in from Poland, Hungary or Romania. Only the 2,000 who had traveled well in advance were able to celebrate the Jewish New Year in Uman.

The following year the pilgrimage was allowed, but the return to Israel was marked by the suspicion of the health authorities that close to 200 people held false negative PCR certificates and by the images of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews a group that refuses to be vaccinated without facemasks.

When Russia invaded Ukraine last February, only a few dozen Jews stayed in Uman, and the synagogue was used as a bomb shelter. According to the Israeli press, dozens of Ukrainians descended to the mikveh, the underground ritual bath, every time the air raid sirens sounded.

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God over war: Thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews are making a pilgrimage to Ukraine - EL PAS USA

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Posted By admin on September 6, 2022

Governor Tom Wolf announced today that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, has awarded $4.2 million in Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) funding to dozens of nonprofits located in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvanias diverse bounty of cultures are too often the targets of hate crimes, said Gov. Wolf. This $4.2 million federal investment builds on the more than $15 million Ive invested at the state level to protect our people. It is my hope that one day the goodness of humanity will suffice, but until then we will continue supporting and investing in those who face unfair prejudice solely because of their race, religion, disability, or sexual orientation.

Nationwide for fiscal year 2022, more than $250 million was available through NSGP. Gov. Wolf has invested more than $15 million in similar projects through the states Nonprofit Security Grant Program and has committed another $5 million to be available this fall.

The following organizations received awards from the $4.2 million allocation:

Allegheny County

Beth Hamedrash Hagodol-Beth Jacob Congregation, $145,900

Chabad Young Professionals Pittsburgh, Inc., $150,000

Rodef Shalom Congregation, $125,000

Blair County

Chabad of Altoona, $150,000

Berks County

Christ Episcopal Church Reading, $56,895

Bucks County

Bensalem Kollel, Synagogue and Outreach Center, $91,366

Centre County

Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life at the Pennsylvania State University, $125,395

Dauphin County

Kesher Israel Congregation, $108,000

Pennsylvania Council of Churches, $19,891

Erie County

Chabad Lubavitch of Erie County Inc., $150,000

Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, $46,000

Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, $49,000

Lackawanna County

Chabad of the Abingtons Inc, $150,000

Yeshivath Beth Moshe The Milton Eisner Yeshiva High School, Inc., $150,000

Lancaster County

Congregation Shaarai Shomayim, $13,732

Temple Beth El, $64,875

Lehigh County

Chabad Lubavitch of the Lehigh Valley Inc., $150,000

Luzerne County

Cheder Menachem Inc, $150,000

Lycoming County

First Baptist Church of Elimpsort, $24,999

Monroe County

Camp Dina, $150,000

Camp Dora Golding, $150,000

Congregation Bais Menachem Inc., $150,000

Jewish Resource Center of the Poconos Inc., $150,000

Rose Garden Retreats Inc., $150,000

Northampton County

El Shaddai Assembly of God, $17,920

St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church, $61,400

Perry County

Talmudic Properties Penn, Inc., $150,000

Philadelphia County

Congregation Rodeph Shalom, $147,450

Pike County

Camp Gan Israel Northeast, $150,000

Federation of Young Mens Hebrew Association and Young Womens Hebrew Association, $150,000

Wayne County

ANPLR, $150,000

Beber Camp Property Inc., $150,000

Camp Ramah in the Poconos, $150,000

Chevra of Jewish War Heroes, $150,000

Federation of Young Mens Hebrew Association and Young Womens Hebrew Association, $150,000

Wyoming County

Mesivta Chazak Inc., $150,000

The federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program works to provide funding to eligible nonprofit organizations, generally limited to target hardening and physical security enhancements. The focus is on organizations that are at high risk of a potential terrorist attack.

The program further seeks the integration of preparedness activities of the nonprofit sector with the local and state preparedness efforts, while promoting emergency preparedness collaboration and coordination.

Every year, FEMA issues grant guidance for this and a wide variety of other grant programs. More information is available on the FEMA NSGP website.

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Gov. Wolf Announces $4.2 Million in Federal Funding to Protect Diverse Communities Targeted by Hate Crimes - pa.gov

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