"Happy" Hasidic

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 At the Western Wall, April 2012

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The funniest Pharrell Williams "Happy" video yet is one made in the spirit of Purim fun--with dancing Hasidim! 

Catch it on YouTube  or go to the original  Jewbellish website where it is called "Happy (Purim) Pharrell Style . . . a little remix from your local Jewbellish crew."

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And of course don't miss the nice Jerusalem "Happy"  which I blogged about here.
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(Linking to Our World Tuesday.)

Celebration for a kids' Torah

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Never have I seen chairs set up at the Western Wall Plaza.
But on Wednesday there were THOUSANDS of them!
Little plastic "handcuffs" tied the chairs together and ensured orderly rows.

The sign at the stage revealed the reason: in a few hours the writing of a children's Torah scroll would be completed and dedicated, all with much joy and fanfare.

Apparently Chabad has a program in which a child, or an infant's parents, can pay one dollar and have one letter of a Torah written for him or her.

I learn in this article about Wednesday's event that

Three decades ago on his birthday, the Rebbe spoke of the special power children have to make the world a better place. All over the globe, their “very breath free of sin,” could fuel a dramatic demonstration of unity that could change the planet. In order to accomplish this, he urged that every Jewish child possess a letter in a Torah scroll written specifically for them. All it would cost is the symbolic amount of one dollar, ideally coming from the child’s own funds or sponsored by parents and family members. Each letter would link Jewish children the world over to the foundation of their heritage.

To read all about it, please see http://www.kidstorah.org/.

Shabbat shalom.
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Shtreimel time

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You know it is Passover week when you see haredi (ultra orthodox) men walking around (like these two in the Old City) in their finest clothes and a shtreimel (fur hat).
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Don't worry. Wiki says that synthetic fur is more common in Israel, because a real fur shtreimel costs thousands of dollars.

It is a week of freedom from normal work or study and many fathers have their children in tow.

At the crowded Western Wall Plaza yesterday I saw a security guard holding a little boy who had got separated from his family.
It was evening and I had to start toward the bus home, so I couldn't wait and see the happy reunion.
Hopefully it happened soon.
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Tonight and tomorrow is the 7th day of Pesach, a holiday; that will be followed by Friday evening and Saturday, the Sabbath. A real weekend!
Chag sameach, happy holiday!
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Everybody clap and sing

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For PsalmChallenge, hosted by Robert Geiss in Athens, here is Psalm 47.
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For the leader. Of the Korahites. A psalm.

2. All peoples, clap hands, shout to God with the sound of joyous praise.

3. For the LORD is Most High, awesome, a great king above all the earth.

4. He subjects peoples beneath us, setting nations beneath our feet.

5. He chooses for us our heritage, the Splendor-of-Jacob, whom He loved. Selah.

6. God has risen high, amidst shouting; the LORD, amidst the blasts of the horn.

7. Sing, to God, sing; sing, to our king, sing;

8. for the king of all the earth is God; sing a hymn.

9. God has become king above the nations; God has sat upon His holy throne.

10. The princes of the peoples have gathered, the people of Abraham’s God; for God’s are the guardians of the earth. He has been raised very high.

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Rabbi Benjamin Segal's translation is literal, he says, "to allow readers to appreciate repeated metaphors."
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Photos:
1. A Christian group from abroad in praise at the Western Wall Plaza.
2. A busker playing the didgeridoo, Mamilla Mall, Jerusalem.
3. Sunday's hymn numbers (for the Arabic-speaking congregation), St. George's Cathedral.
4. From the Psalms series of windows at Hechal Shlomo.
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Rabbis vs. swine flu

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Looks like a boring job. But somebody has to do it, . . . right . . . ?

Behind the glass doors, you put your bag through the X-ray machine and then walk through the metal detector. Then you're free to enter the Western Wall Plaza and approach the Wall.
Well, unless you are wearing pants or skirt or sleeves that are too short. Then this [what I call] "prayer police" woman will nab you and have you put a "modesty scarf" over the offending bare skin. Orders of the Rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Places.
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Some other rabbis in Israel have been busy coming up with highly interesting ways to fight swine flu before it reaches biblical proportions. We already have over 2,100 verified cases and nine have died.
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1. The top Sephardic rabbis urge us to start a 24-hour fast tomorrow at sunset. If you can't last a whole summer day without water or food, they say half a day is OK.
And if that is too hard, you should a ta'anit dibur. I had never even heard this term before. Literally translated, "a fasting from talking." Jews taking a vow of silence??
More about it here.
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2. Some fifty rabbis and "kabbalists" armed with ceremonial trumpets took to the skies over Israel a week ago to battle the swine flu virus . They circled Israel chanting prayers and blowing shofars ( rams' horns) in an Arkia airplane.
Full story here.
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3. Many people touch the mezuzah on the doorpost when they enter a building (even a hospital) and then kiss their fingers. (See my earlier post for more about mezuzot.)
Doctors are being asked if this is wise right now. Sephardic Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar said "If a specific order is given in the matter, the mezuzah must be kissed from the air, to ensure that the custom is not forgotten."
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4. The Alter Rebbe of Ger has told his Hassidim to stop their old custom of toasting from one communal cup. Anything to discourage the spread of what rabbis prefer to call H1N1 (swine--feh!).
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Sei gesund! Be well!
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Believe it or not, this is the state of my world these past few weeks and I dare to share it at That's My World Tuesday.
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Joyful at the Western Wall

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Shalom, welcome to the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City!
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(Photos enlarge with a click.)

And just because the Wall is the only remnant of the Temple complex does not mean it is holy only to Jews. Look at all these Evangelical Christians singing and shouting for joy!

Hands high in praise!

Hallelujah -- הללויה

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Just behind the Western Wall is the Temple Mount or in Arabic, al-Haram al-Sharif الحرم الشريف (the Noble Sanctuary), home to Al-Aksa Mosque and the golden Dome of the Rock. The whole mount there on top is administered by the Muslim Wakf.

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So there you have it! In one small space the three great monotheistic religions.

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That's My World Tuesday is a nice meme where bloggers offer you a guided tour of their nice places. Free! Click and go, enjoy!

"Be prepared!"

Like the badge says, you're invited to go visit the newest meme on the planet. Just click on it and you will be taken to other photo bloggers' worlds.
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We posted yesterday about the fight that broke out at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City. Fortunately none of the police or the agitated Armenian and Greek Orthodox monks and priests was hurt bad.

And fortunately the violence did not reach the stage of necessitating use of this ugly thing that sits in the courtyard of the church. It is meant for bomb disposal if, God forbid, one should be found.

Here is another one at the Western Wall Plaza.

Yep, that too is my world. The threat of terrorism is part of everyone's life in Israel.

More common than the big metal containers are these "safety pits" which are prevalent in public places. The Hebrew sign says bor bitachon, literally, a "security hole."

A suspicious object, an abandoned bag or whatever, could be put there, at least until the bomb disposal unit arrived.

I always wondered how the lid would stay on if a bomb exploded inside. Well, a few weeks after this picture was taken at Hadassah Hospital, the security guards had put four sandbags around it. And today I noticed they were all split open. Oh well, someday we may find the perfect method.

Does your city have anything similar? Or is this just an Israeli thing?
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Hoshana Rabba

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Big day in Jerusalem today! The seventh day of Sukkot is called Hoshana Rabba.
So three friends and I took the early bus to town and got to the Western Wall early, before the tourists woke up. Only the devout worshippers were at the Wall.


Just inside the Old City wall's Dung Gate, the separation started. The sign says "Men's section//Women's section."
This walkway leads to the security checkpoint: your bag is searched and you walk through a metal detector.


We were well protected.  See all the men in uniform? 



Hoshanah Rabbah is also know as "the day of the beating of the arava [willow branches]."
As you see, several men were selling them.


Almost 2,000 years ago the Mishnah (the first part of the Talmud) said, in tractate Sukkah 4:2,
 "How was the mitzvah of aravah fulfilled? There was a place below Jerusalem called Motza. They would go down there and pick branches of willows and would then come and place them alongside the altar with the heads (of the willow branches) bent over the altar. They then sounded the shofar . . . . Each day they would circle the altar once and say, 'Ana Hashem hoshiah na (Please, God, bring us salvation), Ana Hashem hatzlichah na (Please, God, bring us success)' . . . . On that day [Hoshana Rabbah] they circled the altar seven times. When they had finished they would say, "Beauty is yours, O altar, beauty is yours."


And till today, the men still circle the Torah scrolls seven times, holding the Four Species. The man shown above holds the etrog, myrtle, willow, and palm together, near the heart.


The man in the center is doing the shaking of the lulav left, right, forward, backward, up, and down, to show that God is present everywhere.


See the aravah or willows the men have thrown on top of the holy ark where the Torah is? 
Just like the Talmud said to do!


And we heard the call of the shofar!

The male-female divider was thankfully moved a bit more to the left today, to give women more room near the Wall.



The Four Species are often transported in a transparent, flexible plastic carrying case. I think a white stick is included in the set to prevent too much bending. 
These boys were having a sword fight with those sticks.


A little boy was playing at beating a willow on the ground.

Prayers for water and divine blessing throughout the year are very fervently said today.

It is said that during the Festival of Sukkot, the entire world is judged concerning water, fruit, and produce. The seventh day of the Festival, Hoshana Rabbah, is the day on which this judgment is sealed.

At the end of the prayers, in an ancient rite of deep mystical significance, five willows bound together are beaten five times on the ground, symbolically "sweetening" God's judgment.
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A new weekly bloggers' meme, "That's My World Tuesday," starts today, conceived by the folks who brought you SkyWatch Friday. Have a look at MyWorld to enjoy guided mini-tours.

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Super-sukkah

Today was the last day for eating and dwelling in the sukkah.

These two what I dubbed "super-sukkahs" were at the Western Wall Plaza when I visited there this morning.
Very classy, no?
Top view of the skhakh roofing of the sukkah in the second photo.
 LOTS of palm branches!
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Xs around Jerusalem

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ABC Wednesday is here again. To see what other bloggers are coming up with, X marks the spot at Mrs. Nesbitts Place.

Looks like an X to me. But truth be told, this is a stylized alef, the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Alef is the first letter of Egged, the huge bus company whose lines reach every corner of Israel.


X-ray machine at the entrance to Jerusalem's Central Bus Station.
Anything bigger than a small purse has to go through the machine.
Even before you get to this point you have walked through a metal detector.
Normally there is a big crowd there trying to get their stuff X-rayed quickly and run up the stairs to catch their bus on the top departures floor.
If you are shy you will never get through.
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Buses arriving to Jerusalem from other cities drive into the basement of the Central Bus Station. The arriving passengers have their own lines and guards and X-ray machines.

X-ray machine that lets you into the Western Wall Plaza.

Here it is less chaotic than at the bus station.

But here you might also be wanded or asked a few questions by the guards if they have any suspicions.

X is the Greek letter with which the name of Christ begins. So for many centuries X has been a short form of his name.

Xmas = Christmas. Xian = Christian. Xity = Christianity.

If you enlarge the photo above, you'll see Greek letters IC and XC on each side of the halo.

In this "Pantocrator" icon the fingers of Jesus are forming these letters.

Wikipedia explains that
"In Eastern Orthodoxy, the most widely used Christogram is a four-letter abbreviation ICXC--a traditional abbreviation of the Greek words for 'Jesus Christ' (i.e. the first and last letters of each of the words ΙΗΣΟΥΣ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ — written 'IHCOYC XPICTOC' with a transliteration of the lunate sigma common in medieval Greek as 'C'). "

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Walls of Jerusalem and of the hills

Welcome to the fun we bloggers have at ABC Wednesday. Today's letter is W.

Western Wall, formerly known as the Wailing Wall.
With the beginnings of the excavation where I worked last year.
Watchtower known as David's Tower and Jerusalem's Old City city wall.
One of the old terrace walls which dot the Jerusalem Hills. Some date from First Temple period.
Wedges in a wall: how to build a straight wall.

V mishmash

Vatican flags next to Franciscan flags near the Latin Patriarchate in the Christian Quarter of the Old City.
~~ Vibes.~~ Do you believe certain places and things have a special energy? Like this old baptismal font? Like places much prayed in?
Victims. -- Powerful art at Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum.

Visitors should know.

Vampire repellent? Na, just kidding! But Israel does have vampire bats.

Uncovering our past

My dig! Be sure to click on the photo to see it in all its full-size grandeur!

A year ago I had the privilege of working here, at the salvage excavations at the Western Wall Plaza. Last night I was watching the news [via Internet since I have no television]. Suddenly my dear former (and future) boss, archaeologist Shlomit Weksler-Bdolah, appeared on the screen, announcing important and exciting new discoveries! Yay!

A rich sealed layer of finds was revealed from the latter part of the First Temple period, i.e. the end of the 8th century BCE up to the destruction of the Temple in 586 BCE. Artifacts such as a seal bearing the name Netanyahu ben Yaush; animal and fertility figurines; and

a vast amount of pottery vessels, including three jar handles that bear LMLK stamped impressions. An inscription written in ancient Hebrew script is preserved on one these impressions and it reads: למלך חברון ([belonging] to the king of Hebron).

Furthermore, and maybe more importantly, quoting the Israel Antiquities Authority,

"This is actually the first time in the history of the archaeological research of Jerusalem that building remains from the First Temple period were exposed so close to the Temple Mount - on the eastern slopes of the Upper City. The walls of the buildings are preserved to a height of more than 2 meters."

Click here http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/History/Early+History+-+Archaeology/Building+remains+from+First+Temple+period+exposed+west+of+Temple+Mount+13-Mar-2008.htm?DisplayMode=print to read the exciting IAA press release.

I love doing archaeological fieldwork, working hard with a good team, and I dearly love Jerusalem and the Kotel! So maybe it's time to get back to my job already.

Here in my picture you can also see the Western Wall, the other salvage dig behind the old ramp up to the Mughrabi Gate, and Al-Aqsa mosque up on the Temple Mount.

UPDATE: A video from the site at http://www.infolive.tv/en/infolive.tv-19840-israelnews-remains-first-temple-found-underneath-planned-walkway-leading-temple but with a caveat: this is not where the walkway is planned. That is a different dig, nearby. And no one ever said the walls found were of the Temple itself. I wish the news media would get things right.