Get to Heaven Keep the Seven

Everybody wants spirituality. To be a good person means to walk in G-d's ways. How does that translate to reality? The only guidebook to spirituality that has stood the test of time is the Hebrew Bible. The Bible says that the Jews will be a light onto the nations. But if you are not a born Jew, you have to convert, which is not so easy!! If you do convert, it is a lot of work to be a Jew (three times a day prayer, keeping kosher, observing the Sabbath).

This blog will show you how to be Jewish without the work!!

Thursday, May 10, 2018

The opening of the 1967 Academy Awards (51 years ago) and schedule for Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day) 2018 Sunday, May 13, 2018

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Yehuda Lave, Spiritual Advisor and Counselor

Recall Your Own Moments of Triumph

We all have experienced triumph and moments of joyful willpower. That is, we did things swiftly and right away. There are many instances when we felt motivated to do something positive that we strongly wanted to do and felt good about actually doing them.

When you recall a moment of triumph and joyful willpower, you can experience in the present how you felt then, and recall what actions this led you to do. See what you saw when you felt the feelings of triumph and joyful willpower. Hear what you heard when you felt the feelings of triumph and joyful willpower. Feel what you felt when you felt the feelings of triumph and joyful willpower.

Love Yehuda Lave

As part of the May 14 ceremony to mark the official opening of the U.S. Embassy, a mezuzah will be affixed to the embassy building

.According to a Channel 20 report, organizers decided on the unusual move of holding a religious ceremony to install the mezuzah as a gesture to Israel and following the recommendation of U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman.

At a special event to mark the 70th anniversary of Israel's founding at the Menachem Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem on Monday, Friedman said he sees Jerusalem as a religious place.

"I hope that young Jews, in particular children, will connect to their Jewish and Israeli roots," he said.

Meanwhile, preparations ahead of the May 14 transfer of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem are continuing apace. Work is being carried out on the site on David Flusser Street in Jerusalem's Arnona neighborhood that currently provides U.S. consular services. When the embassy first officially moves, the U.S. Embassy will be situated in what is now the U.S. Consulate building.  According to reports, the U.S. later intends to build a larger facility to serve as the embassy on an adjacent property.

Prior to the initial opening, the U.S. is paving an additional access road to the consulate building for Friedman and his staff, along with another escape route to be used in case of emergency. In addition, a new lighting system is being installed around the consulate to better illuminate the complex and make it easier to secure the site.

A large security team has been stationed on the roads leading to the consulate building to carefully surveil individuals and vehicles approaching the compound.

While most local residents say they are happy about the U.S. Embassy's transfer to Jerusalem, some fear that the move will negatively impact their quiet residential neighborhood. Some residents have complained about the plan to erect a tall wall around the entire compound, which presently is surrounded by a tall see-through fence only on three sides.  Yet while some residents have already filed their objections to the plan, those objections are expected to denied, as moving the embassy to Jerusalem is considered an issue of national importance.

The Jerusalem Municipality, along with Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, has been assisting the U.S. to make sure the move of the embassy to Jerusalem goes as smoothly as possible

Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day) 2018 Sunday, May 13, 2018

Jerusalem Day 2018

Jerusalem Day, or Yom Yerushalayim in Hebrew, commemorates the reunification of Jerusalem after the Six-Day War in 1967 and it is celebrated on the 28th of the Hebrew month of Iyar.

This year Jerusalem celebrates the 51st anniversary of Jerusalem's reunification. Special events, concerts, tours, live music, exhibitions, workshops, and many more surprises will be held throughout Israel during May.

Here is a quick guide to all of the most important and exciting events, ceremonies, concerts, parades, and all other celebrations in Jerusalem.

Accommodation during Jerusalem Day Events

Jerusalem Day events spread over several days,

For traffic arrangement and street closure updates, contact Jerusalem Municipality call center at 106.

Jerusalem Day 2018 Events Guided Tours at The National Library

Dream City: Guided Tours in honor of Jerusalem Day

The National Library invites you to explore the "imagined" Jerusalem through preserved ancient maps, books, and exciting archive materials from the Six-Day War.

Where: Givat Ram Campus, Jerusalem
When: May 7-8, 8:00 pm
Tickets: Regular – 20 ILS; Seniors – 15 ILS
Registration: Tel. 072-3932843

 

Musical Tours w/ Menachem Begin Heritage Center

Visit Gehenna, Mishkanot Sha'ananim neighborhood, and Teddy Park with a soundtrack! Menachen Begin Heritage Center is offering musical tours around the city. Tours will leave from the heritage center.

When: May 3, 10 & 17
Cost: 10 ILS
Registration: Tel. 072-3290724

Sponsored Content

 

"Flag Dance" Parade – Prayer & Assembly at the Western Wall

Tens of Thousands of people from all around the world come every year to Jerusalem to take part in this dancing, singing and flag-waving parade, produced by "Am Kalevia" association. The parade ends with a celebratory ceremony which includes a prayer and an assembly. Live music performances will be held at the Western Wall Plaza at the end of the parade.

Where: The parade will start at Betzalel Street & Independence Park, continue to Jaffa Street, and end at the Western Wall Plaza
When: May 13, 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm (Parade); 8:00 pm – 10:30 pm (Assembly)
Cost: Free

Visit Beit Plugat HaKotel

 

Beit Plugat HaKotel is a new museum that was reopened this Passover to the general public. This is the House of the Western Wall Platoon and it tells the heroic story of the Western Wall Squad – a group of young Betar members who fought to defy the British Mandate and to establish a Jewish presence in the Old City and Jerusalem.

Where: HaYehudim & Plugat HaKotel Street, Jewish Quarter, Jerusalem
Tickets: Adults – 20 ILS; Children/seniors/disabled/soldiers: 15 ILS

A Marathon of Guided Tours w/ Yad Ben Zvi

 

Go on a tour marathon with Yad Ben Zvi Institute! In honor of Jerusalem Day, the institute offers a variety of guided tours through the Old City and West Jerusalem: food tours, neighborhoods, folklore, and more. The tours are led by the best guides that will take you to the most fascinating locations in the city.

When: May 9-12
Register: Tel. 072-3281852

Jerusalem Day at the Hebrew Music Museum

 

The Hebrew Music Museum celebrates Jerusalem Day with a special discount – only 10 ILS for children (ages 10 and under) and soldiers in uniform! The museum showcases ancient musical instruments and has a host of interactive exhibits, a virtual reality station, and more.

Where: 12 Yoel Moshe Solomon, Jerusalem
When: May 13
Tickets: Tel. 072-3281976

White Night – Students' Day Celebrations

Students in Jerusalem will be celebrating 51 years of Jerusalem's reunification with live music performances by Hatikva 6, Eden Ben Zaken, Balkan Beat Box, and more!

Where: Sacher Park, Jerusalem
When: May 13, 8:00 pm
Buy tickets: Tel. *6226

Jewish Quarter Tours

The Company for the Reconstruction and Development of the Jewish Quarter is offering tours around the Jewish Quarter from mid-May through mid-June. The tours will feature top musicians, actors, and opinion leaders.

Visit the Hurva Synagogue and enjoy scenic views from the synagogue's dome. Hear the unusual story of this historic building, see the golden menorah, and admire the synagogue's captivating beauty.

Continue your time travel by visiting the ancient Cardo and learning about Jewish life in ancient times through nine large mosaics that depict life in the Jewish Quarter as it looked like tens of thousands of years ago. In addition, visitors will have a chance to see the Kohanim's House in Katros House and wander around the Davidson Center Archeological Park.

Celebrations at Tower of David Museum

Tower of David Museum celebrates Jerusalem Day with a host of activities, including learning stations, arts & crafts complex for children, acting performances, the Jerusalem Orchestra East West, and a special performance by singer Kobi Aflalo. Join the celebration and learn about Jerusalem's rich history, all the way from King David times to this very day! Mayor Nir Barkat will greet the visitors at 3:30 pm. A performance by the orchestra will follow.

Where: Tower of David Museum, Jaffa Gate
When: May 13, 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Cost: Free
Contact: Tel. 072-3290715

Safra Square – Free Jerusalem Day Tours

 

Jerusalem Municipality welcomes you to join a tour on the 1948-1967 City Line. The tour will discuss poetry, art projects, mayors, and parades associated with the city. In addition, participants will see a model of the city and enjoy a beautiful lookout from the Municipality building.

Tours are free of charge for both individuals and families.

Where: Safra Square
When: May 13. Hebrew: 10:00 am, 12:00 pm. English & French: 11:00 am
Cost: Free
Contact: Tel. 02-6295363

Enjoy Free Entrance to the Botanic Garden

 

The Botanic Garden celebrates Jerusalem Day and you get free entrance! Take advantage of this opportunity and visit the garden as it showcases its spring bloom at its peak. Children will enjoy outdoor activities and games at the Discovery Trail in the garden.

Where: 1 Burla Street, Jerusalem
When: May 13
Cost: Free
Contact: Tel. 02-6794012

Celebrate with Merkaz HaRav Kook Yeshiva

Join Merkaz HaRav Kook Yeshiva for 2 special activities in the Old City:

  • Mass prayer & dance event at the Western Wall – May 12, 8:15 pm
  •  Thanksgiving assembly with the participation of rabbis, ministers, members of parliament, public figures, and musical accompaniment by Lehava Orchestra – May 13

Nations' Parade in Sacher Park

Another parade that will take place in Jerusalem is the Nations' Parade. This event will close Jerusalem Day 2018 events with a festive march from Sacher Park to Sultan's Pool. Join residents and tourists as they celebrate the existence of our beautiful city!

Where: Gathering at Sacher Park – 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm; March toward Sultan's Pool – 5:00 pm
When: May 15

VIDEO: Facelift for Central Bus Station Underground Tunnel

I remember that the underground tunnel between Binyanei Hauma and the Central Bus Station used to be disgusting, with terrible graffiti everywhere. Nice to see that's been redone by street artist Lior Ben Tov as part of the ongoing construction there! Video by Sasson Tiram Photography.  

The Opening of the Academy Awards in 1967

Bob Hope opens the 39th Academy Awards in 1967, and Raquel Welch and Dean Jones present the Oscar® for Sound to the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio Sound Department (accepted by Franklin E. Milton, Sound Director) for "Grand Prix." Introduced by Arthur Freed with orchestra conducted by Johnny Green. Featuring red carpet arrivals and overture with James Stewart, Glenn Ford, Patricia Neal, Rock Hudson, Anouk Aimée, Ginger Rogers, Robert Mitchum, Dick Van Dyke, Jocelyne LaGarde, Andy Devine, Vanessa and Lynn Redgrave, Franco Nero, Claude Lelouch, Candice Bergen, Ida Kaminska, Pierre Barouh, John Clark, Wendy Hiller, Ronald and Nancy Regan, Alan Arkin, Steve McQueen, Walter Matthau, Mike Nichols, Joan Blondell and more.

The Opening of the Academy Awards in 1968

Bob Hope's opening monologue at the 40th Academy Awards®, held on April 10, 1968 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. Introduced by Gregory Peck with orchestra conducted by Elmer Bernstein. Featuring red carpet arrivals of Natalie Wood, Paul Newman, Audrey Hepburn, Sidney Poitier, Sonny and Cher, Shirley Jones, Jack Cassidy, Rosalind Russell, Raquel Welch, Greer Garson, Barbara Rush and more.

Daughter of Nazis Awarded for Services in Saving Lives in Israel

On Erev Yom Hashoah (Israel's Holocaust Memorial Day), at the commemoration ceremony held by the Regional Council of Hof HaCarmel, a volunteer first responder named Tina Berkovitz was awarded a citation for her continued dedication and devotion for saving the lives of her fellow Israelis. But Tina isn't a regular Sabra Israeli. The 67-year-old grandmother grew up in post World War II Germany and is the daughter of Nazis. For her, receiving the award on the eve of Yom HaShoah was an exceptionally emotional experience.

 

Berkovitz was born in the city of Bochum near Dusseldorf. In 1973 she began a 45-year-long career of lifesaving and working in the medical profession when she volunteered as part of the Action Reconciliation Service for Peace organization whose aim is to confront the legacy of Nazism.

 

Berkovitz came to Israel as part of one of the projects of the organization and took three months to learn Hebrew before she began volunteering as an EMR and nurse's assistant with the Red Cross. She began her volunteering just as the Yom Kippur War broke out. "I volunteered in Shmuel Harofe hospital that had been converted during the war to house and treat Arab POW's. I was working as a nurse as part of the Red Cross and we had an agreement with the Nurses Union in Tel Aviv which engaged her to serve in the local hospitals. I've always had a passion for helping others and for the field of health and I felt this was the perfect way to help others."

 

Following the war, Berkovitz was transferred from Shmuel Harofeh to Assuta in Tel Aviv. There she met the then Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv-Jaffa Rabbi Yitzchak Yedidya Frankel, who heard her story. "Rabbi Frankel invited me to learn about Judaism, not to convert per se, but just to learn and understand it better. In the end, I converted and we learned together for a time before he found me a tutor to study with. It was just him and me in the lessons and it is because of him and his approach that I converted. He told me: "It doesn't matter how you look or what you wear, but if you are a good person and you honor your parents then you should join us". He didn't come from a place of forcing me to do anything but rather from a place of love and from the value of human life, and that is something that I really connected with.

 

Since then, Berkovitz built a family of her own and settled down in the Artist's Colony of Ein Hod. She has three children and two grandchildren, most of whom live in Tel Aviv. Berkovitz currently volunteers as a First Responder and EMT with United Hatzalah, Israel's national community-based volunteer EMS organization.

 

"I provide EMS coverage as a volunteer for United Hatzalah for all of the events in Ein Hod and many others events for the Regional Council of Hof HaCarmel. I have the honor of working 24/7 as an EMT since my passion also turned into a profession and I work as an EMT in local establishments that require medical security such as the Dor Habonim beach," Berkovitz said.  

 

But that is just the most recent example of Berkovitz's medical background and training. She is also a doula, a naturopath, and even started an emergency medical clinic for Israeli tourists and travelers in the Goa province of India. "I've always felt that it is a great honor to be able to work and volunteer around the clock in a position that saves lives all the time. That is one of the things that pushes me to continually volunteer and serve my community. It is thanks to organizations such as United Hatzalah that allow and inspire me to keep helping others no matter what," said the EMT who also currently volunteers in the Emergency Room of Rambam Medical Center in Haifa. "As an EMT, I see every type of scenario in the field, but as a volunteer, in the E.R. I see everything on the other side in the hospital as well.

 

Explaining why she has always felt connected to the field of medicine and first response, in particular, Berkovitz said:"I have always believed that when a person knows what to do and has the tools to make a difference, it is simply a waste to not do everything he or she can to help others."

 

Adding to her accolades, Berkovitz also worked at Kfar Izun psychological and drug rehab center. "I began helping the patients there with natural medicine and now it is one of the few places in the world where natural medicine and traditional medicine are used hand in hand to treat patients who are suffering psychological conditions due to drug use.

 

Shortly after the award ceremony on the eve of Israel's Holocaust Memorial Day, Berkovitz praised the organization, that over the past decade has given her so much and enabled her to treat and save the lives of those around her. "I have really found a home in United Hatzalah. I've taken all the courses and training classes that I can and I am currently waiting for a paramedic training class. I don't look at my life and think, "Wow I'm doing a lot. I think that I was given talents and if I don't use them then it is a crime. I was given the opportunity to give to others and that is what I do. Anyone who has been involved in EMS knows this. I believe that everyone should learn medicine and that in every town or neighborhood there should be ten or twenty EMS personnel, however many are needed and more so."

 

Berkovitz concluded by saying: "I come from Germany, the land that the Nazis once called home. My parents were Nazis. Here, in Israel, I get an award of recognition on the eve of Yom HaShoah,  from the regional council where I live, for saving the lives of Israelis. I don't think of this award and say to myself that now I can now sit back and relax, rather it pushes me forward to do more and to help more people and that is what I want to do. While my parents were not happy with my choice to come to Israel and with my conversion, the one thing that they couldn't argue about was the importance of saving lives."  

Are You Successful? By Mendel Kalmenson

 

The place was the Holy of Holies in the Temple; the person was the high priest; the time was Yom Kippur.

The epitome of holiness in Jewish tradition, where the holiest time, space and soul met, touched and merged.

The moment was awesome; it glowed and radiated, then burst and blazed. It would sustain the world an entire year.

Where and when did it pass? How was the moment seen off?

A Holy Party

The A few escorts somehow evolved into a nation of escortsMishnaic description of Yom Kippur's final moments:

. . . The high priest sanctified [washed] his hands and feet, undressed, immersed in the ritual bath, and got dressed in the "golden clothing." He sanctified his hands and feet again, and entered the sanctuary to burn the holy incense and to light the menorah. After sanctifying his hands and feet again, he undressed and was given his own clothing. He was escorted home, where a festival was prepared for those he held dear, celebrating his peaceful departure from the Temple.1

Maimonides, in relating the same account in his halachic code, adjusts two details:

[After] he got dressed in his own clothing, he headed to his home, and was escorted by the entire nation until he reached his home, where a festival was prepared to celebrate his peaceful departure.2

According to Maimonides, a few escorts somehow evolved into a nation of escorts.

Additionally, Maimonides opens up the festival to everyone, not limiting it only to "those he held dear."

These tweaks are significant:

Firstly, they transform an act of Temple protocol carried out by a few into a religious ceremony performed by all. Secondly, they turn the high priest's personal celebration into a national one.

Moreover, as Maimonides was not a historian but a codifier, choosing to note these changes must somehow relate to the law.

It has thus been suggested that, in the view of Maimonides, accompanying the high priest to his quarters after dark wasn't merely a safety precaution or an act of Temple etiquette; it was part of the Yom Kippur service. It was a sacred duty, which is why every Jew joined the convoy.

But why extend a day of prayer and fasting into the night? (Indeed, due to the huge throngs of people that surrounded him, the high priest would often get home well after midnight!3) What could possibly be so important about the priest's homebound walk?What could possibly be so important about the priest's homebound walk?

And why, according to Maimonides, was the high priest's private party opened to the public?

Beyond the halachic reasoning,4 the symbolism here is absolutely profound.

Home Run

Various religious doctrines see marriage as a concession to human weakness. It also serves as the outlet for certain bodily needs perceived as inherently mundane. Celibacy is thus worshipped as an ideal.

Nothing could be further from Jewish thought, which maintains that family is at the center of religion. Far from being a sin, procreation in Judaism is a "great mitzvah," a sacred act.5

This revolutionary idea comes to full expression in a puzzling Yom Kippur law.

"Aaron [and all future high priests] shall bring near his sin-offering bull, and atone for himself and his household."6

Our sages interpret "his household" to mean "his wife."7 This verse teaches that in order to perform the Yom Kippur service in the Temple, the high priest had to be married.

A priest whose worldview and lifestyle excluded family was unfit to be high priest.

He could be holy, but not the holiest. He could do holy acts, but not the holiest.

For true holiness cannot be fully realized in the Sanctuary, but at home.

As such, the holiest service of the year did not end at the gates of the Holy Temple, but began at the gates to the high priest's home!

Indeed, according to some,8 before donning his weekday clothes after concluding his Temple duties, the high priest would immerse in the mikvah one last time, in preparation for the culminating Yom Kippur act, and indeed the climax and finale of the three holiest—his homecoming.

Crossing his doorstep was like crossing home plate. It was then that he scored.

What followed then, according to Maimonides, was not a family celebration, but a celebration of family.

Is it any wonder then that the festival was open to all?

What's in It for Me?

"At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict, or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child or a parent"—Barbara Bush.A societal paradigm shift is in order: the home must be repositioned to the center our lives

We live in an age when success is largely measured by one's accomplishments at the office, not at home.

A beautiful home, not a stable one, garners respect.

With family, people once sought fulfillment and satisfaction, while the workplace was associated with responsibility and duty. Today, in growing numbers, the opposite is true.

Is it any wonder, then, that failed relationships and dysfunctional homes have become the norm?

A societal paradigm shift is in order: the home must be repositioned to the center our lives.

Successful people caught singing their own praises should be saying: "You should see how good a mom I am!" "My wife and children are so happy." "You should have seen the time we had together last night."

The Fortune 500 should list the greatest marriages!

As we stand on the threshold of our homes each night after a long day of work, like the high priest of old, we should view entering not as the day's end, but as its beginning.9

Footnotes 1.

Mishnah, Yoma 7:4.

2.

Mishneh Torah, Laws of Yom Kippur, end of chapter 4.

3.

See Siddur Yaavetz, beginning of the laws of the Ten Days of Repentance.

4.

Discussed at length in the Rebbe's talk upon which this essay is based.

5.

Indeed, according to the Midrash (Vayikra Rabbah 20:8), one of the reasons for the death of Aaron's two sons Nadav and Avihu (see Leviticus ch. 10) was their "crime" in remaining single!

6.

Leviticus 16:6.

7.

See Yoma 1:1.

8.

See Babylonian Talmud, Yoma 70a (version of the mishnah in parentheses), and Jerusalem Talmud, ibid. 7:2.

9.

Based on a talk by the Rebbe, recorded in Likkutei Sichot, vol. 32, pp. 106–111.

By Mendel Kalmenson

See you tomorrow, Yom Yershalim on Sunday May 13, 2018

Love Yehuda Lave

Rabbi Yehuda Lave

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