TO EVERYTHING THERE IS A SEASON....

To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.  A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.  Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4



Well, what can we say...it's been 2 months since the last posting....but as most of you know from our recent email updates we've been quite busy since our belongings were stolen.  With replacing documents and much needed items.  

Also, the night it happened, the Holiday season in Israel had literally just begun.  We had a 4 day weekend off from work with Rosh Hashana on Monday and Tuesday (the civil New Year when the Hebrew calendar start a new year).  We had been looking forward to some much needed rest, and made sure that wasn't stolen from us too.  Since we couldn't accomplish anything these days with everything closed, we just stayed home and rested our bodies and tried to rest our minds as well.

The next week on the 26th of September was Yom Kippur.  As we did last year we wanted to break the day of fasting corporately at the Kotel (Western Wall) with the Jewish people.  There is NO transportation on this day, even the airport is closed, so we began our walk on a warm, but beautiful day.  We've sent this picture before, but it is not far from where we live.

It's also harvest season for olives. YUM!!!

There are only a few cars that would dare drive down the road on the most holy day, so the people walk in the streets and the children ride their bikes freely.

Several of the streets leading to (and from) the Arab neighborhoods were 

blocked to try and prevent people from driving.

This road leads to the Old City and is blocked to traffic as well.

Many were praying when we arrived.  Polls show that about 64% of Jews in Israel fast for Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement).  Can you imagine if 64% of Christians were to corporately fast and pray seeking God on a specific day?

At sundown, the shofars blew, announcing the end of the day and the fast.  Together we ate chocolate croissants and juice provided at no charge.  Soon a group of yeshiva boys came singing and dancing, making their way down to the Wall.

As soon as Yom Kippur ends, people begin putting up their sukkot (plural for sukkah - temporary dwellings).  Even that very evening all through the neighborhoods could be heard the "tap, tap, tap" of the assembling going on.  

We had been looking for materials to build our first sukkah in Israel.  What we found out is that it's not cheap!  For the material for the sides and a bamboo roof it would have cost $200 USD!!  We decided to improvise instead, like many others do - you use what you have.  The original roofs have palm branches, but where do you come by these?  They are very tall, so it's not like you can just go harvest your own.  We must admit, Linda was getting a little stressed, as she was really looking forward to having our very own sukkah in Jerusalem, last year we didn't have a space to put one.

On the Friday before Sukkot was to begin (as a week long festival) we were dropping off supplies at a co-volunteer's apartment on our way home.  We were running out of time to find materials, Shabbat was in a few hours, and that left only 24 hours to put the sukkah up before the holiday began (and another Shabbat!)

In the courtyard where our friends live, there was a sukkah (no surprise of course), BUT laying next to this sukkah was a pile of palm branches!!  Linda wanted them, and bad!  We had no idea who they belonged to, the building has many apartments, and they were very long.  Sadly, we drove away.  By the time we got home, Jim was asking what the plan was going to be, he was open to whatever....So we decided to go back to where we saw the palm branches.  We prayed for Chutzpah (guts, nerve), for favor, and to know who to ask about them.

When we arrived, as Linda walked up to the sukkah - Jim waited in the double parked car on the curb :)  There was a woman hanging out her laundry on the balcony next to this sukkah!  Linda asked if it was possible to have just 4 branches, explaining that it was our first time building a sukkah in Jerusalem, and we couldn't find any.  She found the owner and asked him, and he said as long as there were 20 leftover, we were welcome to them!  We ended up being blessed with 5 - and he wouldn't accept any money for them - it's a mitzvah (good deed).  So, beaming from ear to ear, Linda dragged the heavy and very long branches to where Jim was waiting in the car.  You can see how we got them home....all the way to the front of the car.....

through the back seat with it pulled down.....

and hanging out the back!!!

On Saturday evening, when Shabbat had ended (sundown) we began the joy of assembling our sukkah.  And as we wrote, it began to rain as we were putting up the last sheet for a wall.  Yes, we improvised and used sheets :)  Some people even use large throw rugs...Here's the moon as we were putting up our palm branches for a roof.  It's not supposed to be a solid roof - you need to be able to see the moon and stars.

Our finished sukkah!

The wind kept blowing the bottom out....

As the palm branches dried, they drooped - that's probably why they usually have more than we did.  We also had more chairs and a table for when we were in the sukkah with friends for dinner.  It is the walkway to our home, so we put them away when not using them.  During the week of Sukkot, when you are supposed to do as much in the sukkah as possible, we had guests over 3 times for meals, and went to 2 other sukkot for meals.  An Israeli believer that we've met since we came invited us for erev Shabbat meal during Sukkot in his sukkah - there were 11 of us!!  It was great fun, and we stayed singing and rejoicing until after midnight.  We'd been there a few times before, and he has since invited us to come once a month!  He invites people that are new to celebrating Shabbat, and wanted us to be a part in helping him create the experience for them, what a great blessing for us!

On erev Sukkot (the evening Sukkot begins), we attended a celebration at the Dead Sea in En Gedi.  There were a few thousand people from all different nations.  Behind the stage is the Dead Sea.

And behind us are these amazing mountains.

It was a very hot day at the Dead Sea, around 100 degrees!!  And not much of a breeze to help either.  But when the key speaker started to share - Angus Buchan from South Africa - he began to read from the book of Acts, chapter 2 in the Bible about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and I kid you not, 40-50 mph winds kicked up - AND it began to rain!!!  In the desert!! 

This video isn't very good, but we had to try to capture what was happening.  You can see the screens coming off and blowing in the wind.  Also, all the musicians equipment was blowing down, they had to come get it all off the stage.  Angus wanted to have people come forward for prayer, and they told him no - they were afraid the stage was going to come down.  So he had everyone kneel where they were - in the dirt and stones, thousands of people kneeling in prayer before the Lord.  I wish we had that on video, but it was a holy moment, and we were participating....It was certainly a night we will never forget.

On the Wednesday morning during Sukkot, they had the priestly blessing at the Kotel.  We had never seen this before.  Here is the sukkah at the Kotel - pretty amazing!!!

Beautiful sukkot on the surrounding buildings.

Many in prayer before the official blessing will be given.

Singing and dancing around the Torah scrolls (Word of God).

Worshipping with the Lulav:

"And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of beautiful trees, branches of palm trees, the boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days." Leviticus 23:40

Many of the children of a family will have matching clothes.

The IDF's presence was well known during the holidays.

This man was singing a blessing.

Wow!  Look at the case he had for the lulav and the etrog (citron)!

As the blessings began, this man encompassed his family under his tallit.

There were thousands and thousands of people.

and to the side towards the Dung Gate.....

and behind us with the entrances to the Old City.

We left a bit too early - after making it through the crowds to leave via the Jewish Quarter, the men began to sing!  How beautiful!!  At least we got it on video...

The next day, Thursday, was the Jerusalem March.  Many know this as the march where Christians show their solidarity with Israel and the Jewish people.  What was strange and quite neat, was the way the parade started - with a large mass of Harley Davidson motorcycles!!

  

Then came the military...

You'll often see these officers in black riding around Jerusalem on patrol.

A women's unit.

The morning after the parade, we discussed it at our devotional time at work.  What we were told by those who have been here for many years, is that only a few years ago, some of the Jewish people were trying to get others to not even attend the parade, Christians were not their friends!  But the tide is turning, and they are learning the truth.  Now, not only do they watch the parade, but they march in it with the Christians of the nations.  What a beautiful picture of Jew and Gentile marching together!!  Even businesses as the one below marched (Bezeq - the phone/internet company).

Even these religious men joined with their lulavs.

We wish we could say that America had a larger delegation present - it was even smaller than last year...

And then came Brazil......who always has the largest delegation - up to 4 thousand!!

The next day, Friday, we walked through Mea She'arim, a ultra orthodox neighborhood near our office building.  We did this last year as well, and really enjoyed looking at all the sukkot.

Here are three different kinds of sukkot.

One of the sad things about the ultra orthodox is that many of them are against Israel being a political nation - they believe they shouldn't have their nation until Messiah comes and brings peace and His kingdom.  See banner below (you can click on any picture to make it larger, then hit the back button to return to the blog).

Sukkot ended at Sundown on Sunday night.  Then began Simchat Torah (Joy of the Torah) and Shmini Atzeret (the 8th day) simultaneously.  In the diaspora, they are 2 different days. Therefore, on Monday night, when the Shabbat and holiday is over in Israel, they celebrate what is called Hakafot Shniyot (2nd dancing).  At Liberty Bell Park (a park in Jerusalem with a replica of the Liberty Bell from Philadelphia), there is a large gathering to celebrate with the diaspora with a live band.  We couldn't get the zoom to work for this picture, so we took it of the screen - it's the Chief Rabbi of Israel.

They called important leaders and Rabbis on stage to dance with the Torah scrolls.

In the back, on the basketball court where we were, everyone was having a great time singing and dancing - rejoicing in the Torah.

At one point, a some men came up and grabbed Jim to join in with the dancing!!  In Israel (and with most Jews) it's the men who dance.

Yerushalayim....Yerushalayim.....(Jerusalem...Jerusalem....)

We had the best, most amazing, busiest Holiday season ever!!  We are so grateful that we didn't allow one moment to be stolen from us.  God is truly a redeemer of everything in His own way.  And as this season ends, we look forward to the next - Hanukkah!!  The Dedication of Lights!

REJOICE - REJOICE - IN EVERYTHING REJOICE!!!