Layers of color decorated the predawn Jerusalem sky: Baby blue, pastels of pink, yellow and green, deep mandarin orange, velvety red, rising from the indigo night sky. As Jerusalem slumbered, swallows sang a joyful chorus for me this morning. In the distance to the south lies the little town of Bethlehem. Allow me to share the moment from my eighth story window…
In my opinion, dawn or daybreak is the best part of the day, no matter where you are. It’s the gift of a clean slate, a new beginning, the opportunity to make this day whatever you wish. The sky’s the limit- pun intended.
As the sun begins its ascent, it illuminates the issues and problems that have plagued this tiny nation the size and population of New Jersey, for too many years. Beyond the external threats of enemies sworn to hatred and annihilation of Israel, Jerusalem faces her own internal friction between various religious and secular factions.
I took this photograph at the Western Wall of the Old City last year. It was Saturday evening, and the weekly sabbath observation was nearly finished. As darkness fell on Jerusalem, Jews and tourists from around the world gathered here to pray and place notes between the ancient stones of the Wall. Whereas the Western Wall, aka the Kotel, is the most significant site in the world for the Jewish people, it is not the opinion of the author that it is the last remnant of the Temple. However, I am happy to entertain your comments and theories. Please reply below the post.
FYI- this is the bible verse I primarily base my opinion on:
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+24%3A1-2&version=KJV
A group of young boys in kippahs learn their lessons in Torah under the watchful eyes of their rabbis and teachers.
Statistically, the Ultra-Orthodox Jews (Haredi and Hasidic) account for approximately 20% of the Jewish population. The remaining percentage is split nearly evenly between the Traditional (moderate) and Secular (non-observant). These numbers vary somewhat when applied to Jews elsewhere in the world, so for this example, I am referring to Israeli Jews. Whereas the traditional and secular Jewish population serve mandatory time in the national service (Army or Israeli Defense Forces), work and pay taxes, their Ultra-Orthodox counterparts (largely) do none of the above. Without getting into the minutiae, the Haredi and Hasidic Jew devotes himself to learning the Torah, the Talmud, (comprised of the Mishnah and Gemara), and 613 written and oral Rabbinical and Halachic laws. Relying upon stipends and other public assistance, their wives are usually called on to support the family, as well. Family size is very large, and ten or twelve children is not unheard of.
Orthodox dress may include black frock coats and black hats for men, and long-sleeved, modest clothing for women. In some Hasidic groups, the women wear thick black stockings all year long, even in summer. Married women wear a variety of hair coverings, from wigs to scarves and snoods. The men have beards, and many grow long sidecurls, called peyot. Many residents speak Yiddish in their daily lives, and use Hebrew only for prayer and religious study, as they believe Hebrew to be a sacred language only to be used for religious purposes.
Because modesty is such a central tenet of the ultra-Orthodox lifestyle, signs are posted by the entrances to Mea Shearim demanding that entrants to the neighborhood adhere to modest dress. While Mea Shearim’s residents by and large tolerate the presence of outsiders and their inevitable curiosity, it would be unwise for those visiting the neighborhood to not adhere to these standards – visitors flouting Mea Shearim’s norms have sparked altercations in the past.
My research, in preparing to write this post, revealed some concerns regarding the future of Israel’s demographics. Without getting into boring statistics, let it suffice to say, that with the current birth rate of the Orthodox Jews, coupled with their exemption from military service and their perpetual drain on the welfare system, Israel will look very different in the next 15-20 years. How do you feed and clothe all of those children with no disposable income?
Jerusalem is facing serious infrastructure problems: housing, taxes, sanitation, education to name a few…
Make Jerusalem a Priority
I had the privilege of spending last Shabbat in the holy city to celebrate Jerusalem Liberation Day. It was thrilling to walk the streets of downtown Jerusalem and the Old City with tens of thousands of revelers and especially so many youth. But in every public square and alleyway the garbage overflowed. Even before Shabbat entered and pilgrims ascended to the city, and even in areas less traveled by tourists, the filth was evident. It didn’t surprise me that outgoing State Comptroller Yosef Shapira, a Jerusalemite, this week focused his very last report on the neglect in Jerusalem.
“In prominent tourist areas,” he wrote, “like Christians St., Hagai St. and adjacent alleyways in the vicinity of the Damascus and Lions’ Gate, we found piles of rubbish, trash bags hanging on the gate, overflowing waste bins and debris floating in the fountains. In addition, large litter containers near the Tower of David and at Mount Zion were open and surrounded by filth.”
BUTTRESSING JERUSALEM is a herculean task that goes beyond spring-cleaning. The Comptroller’s report points to gaps in heritage site preservation, security, and social services along with three additional critical challenges: building, countering hostile forces, and good governance in eastern Jerusalem. According to the comptroller, Jerusalem needs a minimum of 6,000 new apartments a year just to keep up with natural growth, never mind effectuating a renewed Zionist conquest of the city with young families – and we’re nowhere near that. Urban renewal and downtown high-rise projects constitute a drop in the bucket.
(Final note from author, Marie Hanna):
Obviously, these problems plaguing Israel, and specifically Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, where half the Jewish population lives, are troubling. The Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics forecasts that the Haredi population of Israel will number 1.1 million in 2019. It is also projected that the number of Haredim in 2059 may be between 2.73 and 5.84 million, of an estimated total number of Israeli Jews between 6.09 and 9.95 million.
Read more on Haredi Judaism: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haredi_Judaism
Please refer to the post from May 28 entitled “What are the Noahide Laws?” for a further clarification of my issues with all of this. The fact is, the Ultra-Orthodox population are driving the Chabad-Lubovitch movement which seeks to eradicate Jesus worshippers. Their power is commensurate with their population.
Chabad-Lubavitch masquerades as a peace-loving, charitable organization, emphasizing the need to spread awareness and provide strong education for every child, Jew and non-Jew alike. This includes preparing for the coming of the Jewish messiah, consistent with their philosophy. They argue that redemption is predicated on Jews doing good deeds, and that gentiles should be educated about the Noahide Laws.
The problem is their Messiah is not Jesus Christ (or Yeshua Ha’Mashiach). They are taught to hate Him from a very young age. Furthermore, when their one-world order is implemented, they will seek to annihilate followers of Jesus Christ. Based on the first of the Noahide Laws, Idolatry is forbidden and punishable by death, because G-d is the only One deemed worthy of worship.
Learn more about Chabad-Lubavitch: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chabad
As always, feel free to ask questions or comment below.
Thank you so much for your interest and attentiveness to the Jewish people Marie! May God fulfill His Word in and through you where He says, “Blessed are you who hunger after righteousness for you shall be filled”. Your posts are most helpful and informative. The challenge to the ecclesia (church) is for them to love their older brothers back to that which they were called to originally. To be a light to the nations. Keep it coming. You’re a blessing. By the way, have your heard of and/or read Grant Berry’s book, “Romans 911”? If not, it’s a “must read”. I think you’ll glean much from it. Thanks again,
Charles
Your work is beautifully written. What a blessing it is for you to be able to spend so much time there! I agree with you about the Temple location. There’s a lot of compelling informative regarding it having been been just to the south in “the City of David.”