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Last week we had the privilege of being invited out to a park in Jerusalem to celebrate Simchat Torah. We had heard a little about this Jewish holiday but, like a lot of our experiences so far, we did not know what to expect. Simchat Torah literally means “Rejoicing with the Torah.” The Torah is the first 5 books of the Bible and they literally celebrate with music, dancing and speeches. The celebration was on October 22nd this year and was the culmination of the 52 weeks of Torah readings done every week in the synagogues. Here is a little video from our rejoicing along with the Jewish people. It was so fun!
P.S. I danced as well but luckily that left no one to film so you will just have to miss out on my mad skillz 🙂
We’ve had wonderful roommates for the past two weeks! Rose, Bob, Bunny, Ana, Diane and us. They have all been here many many times and had lots of wisdom to share. It was great to have their love and encouragement these first few weeks here. We’re grateful for them.
Ana had a birthday last week, so we celebrated and surprised her with a cake, singing and some chocolates.
All have headed back home now (U.S., South Africa, Fiji)… here are a few pics from our time together:
We walked in part of the Jerusalem March, and Jon and Taylor (another staff person) interviewed marchers and observers along the way. It’s so inspiring to hear both sides regarding support of Israel, solidarity and friendship.
The opening ceremony of the ICEJ Feast celebration was in the Negev Desert at Ein Gedi… the lowest point you can stand on earth! Around 6,000 pilgrims attended that evening (including dinner… ahhhhhh). All the good pics and interesting footage is on the video Jon took, so that shall be posted at a later date. It was about a 14 hour day of work all together, but we were able to sneak away from the registration tables for a two hour shift to go float in the Dead Sea (you can’t sink b/c water is roughly 40% salt!), bathe in the mud, and swim in a fun outdoor pool.
Here are a few pics from the day:
Sukkot, also called the Feast of Tabernacles or the Feast of Booths, is officially over. The feast dates this year were October 13-20. Today is actually a holiday as well (called Simchat Torah), so we have the day off to rest. There were thousands of Sukkahs all around town as the Jewish people acknowledge the command to “live in booths.” It is a beautiful reminder of God’s provision for his people. (Leviticus 23) The Lord said to Moses:
39 ” ‘So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival to the LORD for seven days; the first day is a day of rest, and the eighth day also is a day of rest. 40 On the first day you are to take choice fruit from the trees, and palm fronds, leafy branches and poplars, and rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days. 41 Celebrate this as a festival to the LORD for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 Live in booths for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in booths 43 so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in booths when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.’ “
a few sukkahs at night:
Whew! Simply put, we have been busy. We have been part of the many volunteers helping to host the ICEJ’s Feast of Tabernacles 2008 Celebration. The theme this year was “The Lion of Judah,” and there were nearly 100 countries from around the world present and around 6,000 participants. There were record numbers of people this year and it was awesome to worship the King in the Holy city, Jerusalem. One of the primary goals is to bless Israel during this time and it was evident that this was the case with this year’s feast…. spiritually, financially, emotionally. Also, Saturday was Israeli night where 1500 locals were invited and joined in on mutual celebration and worship of our God!
Most of the pictures and video we have from the Feast will be available later on… it will take a while to edit the various videos and get pictures back from some of the photographers. So, we’ll post all that later on! You can check out one or two photos from one of the talented photographers, Heather Meyers.
Here are several of the girls I worked with in registration:
Peace out!
Jon & Kelsey
more coming soon…
Yom Kippur, also known as the Day of Atonement, was on October 9th this year. It’s the holiest of all the High Holy Days here in Israel and in all Judaism, the day that God would judge the sins of all Israel (Leviticus 16). It was a truly unique day. The entire country recognizes its importance and most people fast from sundown to sundown. Even in the midst of a quite secular culture, there was a poll that showed that 65% of Israelis would be fasting on that day. There were literally NO cars on the road at all… you could see children biking and families walking around town in the streets. Most observant Jews wear all white (as a symbol of purification) and attend synagogue in the late afternoon.
It was special to be able to go to the Western Wailing Wall just before sundown. As the sun went down, people began looking for stars. As soon as three stars were visible in the sky, they considered the day to have drawn to a close and the fast for Yom Kippur could be broken. The prayers and chants grew stronger and stronger just before sundown, and one Jewish group provided pastries and juice for everyone there to join in together in breaking the fast. There were really a myriad of emotions in it all… a tinge of sadness that their eyes have been blinded so far to see the Messiah (Jesus), yet beauty in the law, example and foreshadowing of what God designed in it all…
Hebrews 10:
1 Since the law has a shadow of the good things to come, and not the actual form of those realities, it can never perfect the worshipers by the same sacrifices they continually offer year after year. 2 Otherwise, wouldn’t they have stopped being offered, since the worshipers, once purified, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? 3 But in the sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 11 Now every priest stands day after day ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But this man (Jesus), after offering one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God. 13 He is now waiting until His enemies are made His footstool. 14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are sanctified.
Soon they will see Him… Romans 11:
25 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. 26And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:
“The deliverer will come from Zion;
he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
27And this is my covenant with them
when I take away their sins.”
A few snippets from the day:
post/photos/video/info from the Feast coming soon…
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