Hamas War

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Eighth Day of Chanukah, Different Perspective


I love the reflections created by our "double windows." The lights go on forever. Looking at things from different angles give you different pictures and perspectives.


There's something very symbolic in it for sure. We think that our actions only affect us, but quite often they have an influence so far away.



I'm not from a religious family, though we were always involved in Jewish life, and my parents were always members of a synagogue. The basic daily mitzvot of Kashrut, keeping and observing Shabbat and the Jewish Holidays weren't parts of our lives. Yes, of course we had a Passover Seder, even changed the regular dishes to what could be called "Pesachdik treif" ones. And yes, the Chanukah menorah was lit, OK, at least once or twice during the eight days of the holiday.

I learned about Torah Judaism in NCSY, and a friend introduced me to Zionism and Betar. So here I am in Israel, in Shiloh, with my Chanukiyah which can be seen from "both sides of the Jordan."
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Here in Israel we're facing Knesset Elections again, and in America the Jews also have elections, for the World Zionist Congress. A friend sent me some information about it, and I'm glad to see that a number of the religious organizations are running together. I hope that our Right politicians will do the same here.
The Religious Zionist Slate is comprised of delegates from America's foundational religious Zionist organizations, including World Mizrachi, AMIT, Bnei Akiva, the Orthodox Union, the Rabbinical Council of America, the National Council of Young Israel, Torah Mitzion, Touro College, and Yeshiva University.
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It's important to unite. And the  platform is pretty good, too.
The Religious Zionist Slate is focused on:
  • Building bridges and increasing unity within Am Israel;
  • Preserving and enriching Torah values and Jewish life in Israel and around the world;
  • Providing a religious Zionist voice for world Jewry;
  • Securing a significant amount of the billion dollar programming budget for informal education and outreach programs worldwide that exemplify true Torah values;
  • Ensuring the future of religious Zionist ideals.
OUR CORE VALUESThe Religious Zionist Slate seeks to strengthen Israel's "Jewish soul" by:
  • Championing the continued growth and support of Torah and Zionist education worldwide;
  • Promoting Aliyah to Israel;
  • Developing religious Zionist outreach programming worldwide;
  • Ensuring the security of a united Jerusalem.
Of course, I'd rather they have aliyah higher on their list, but at least not only is it on the list, but they also support programs in Israel.

They've produced a cute little campaign movie. Watch it and vote for them if you can.


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