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| Week ending Shabbat, October 7, 2006 |
15 Tishrei, 5767 |
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US Increases Aid For Israeli Defense Systems:
Last Thursday the United States House of Representatives has passed a bill allocating five-hundred million dollars towards joint defense efforts with Israel, including a short-range ballistic anti-missile defense system. The approved package will be paid to Israel in addition to the annual Israeli military aid package from the U.S., totaling 2.36 billion dollars.
The congressional legislation doubled the amount initially requested by the Bush administration [$268 million] stressing the need for enhanced joint military efforts by the United States and Israel. Josh Block, spokesman for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), explained how the package reflected America's continued support for the development of its collaborative defense projects with Israel. Block stated, "Congress is continuing its strong support for cutting-edge defense programs, which benefit both the United States and Israel, and strengthen their strategic partnership."
The package is comprised of funding for a variety of joint Israeli-American security projects including the following:
- The Arrow anti-missile system, designed to provide Israel protection from medium and long-range missile attacks. [$135 million]
- LITENING airborne targeting pod, to be used by the I.A.F. and the U.S. A.F. for precision targeting. [$35.5 million]
- Upgrading the Hunter and Pioneer UAV. [$36 million]
Kidnapping Foiled in Kiryat Sefer:
On Wednesday a group of Arabs attempted to kidnap a Jewish man in the hareidi-religious Yesha town of Kiryat Sefer, near Modiin [about 30 miles northwest of Jerusalem]. The man [owner of a cement factory] was approached early in the morning by six Arab men, four of whom were armed. The man acted quickly and opened fire with his personal hand gun. One of the would-be kidnappers was hit and the rest fled in the direction of "Palestinian" Authority controlled villages in the region. IDF soldiers swept the area [just across the pre-1967 Green Line border] searching for the armed men. Police found several items dropped by the fleeing men along their escape route. A hole was found in the fence around the factory, along with a pistol, a trail of blood and plastic handcuffs.
We've Struck Oil!
Ginko Oil Exploration, says it has struck oil in the Dead Sea region, possibly worth up to $350 million. On Monday oil spurted out from a depth of 1,800 meters (1.12 miles), and that further tests will be carried out in the coming days. The oil, estimated at about 6.5 million barrels' worth, was found just north of the Dead Sea. About ten years ago, Ginko extracted about 120,000 barrels of crude oil from the site, but then gave up the initiative. The drilling has now been renewed, as it has in many places around the world, because of the steep increase in oil prices. Ginko has already acquired pipelines and containers for transporting the extracted fuel. In April 2004, Ginko discovered a seven-meter layer of natural gas in the same region. Israel has produced only 20 million barrels of oil in the last half-century, the Associated Press reports, which is less than what the Saudis produce every three days.
Hikes, Concerts and Festivities Planned For Sukkot
Concerts, hikes and other recreational activities, as well as gatherings marking the traditional pilgrimage to Jerusalem are planned. The Jewish Agency has arranged for all nature preserves and parks in northern Israel to be open to the public free of charge during the eight days of Sukkot. The initiative aims to encourage tourism to the north, which was devastated by the recent war with Hizbullah terrorists in Lebanon.
On Tuesday [October 10] a hike through the Judean Hills from one of the largest towns in the Hevron [Hebron] region to one of the smallest and youngest hilltop communities will take place. The hike, billed as "In the footsteps of our fathers" and organized by Youth for the Land of Israel, will depart from Kiryat Arba and reach Maaleh Hever in the Hevron Hills. The rugged hike will begin at 11:00 a.m. and leave from Kiryat Arba's Nir yeshiva. Motorists will meet behind the local municipality and tour local hilltop communities, traveling in a convoy along the route King David used to escape King Saul, and joining the festivities in Maaleh Hever as well. There will also be a shorter, downhill, hiking route available for families with strollers or small children.
Dozens of hikes and tours of the Gush Etzion region are being offered by the Kfar Etzion field school. Places like the flat-topped Herodian mountain fortress, caves and natural springs will be explored.
On October 9-11 the town of Sussia, in the Hevron hills, will be recreating life there 1,200 years ago, with performances, hikes, barefoot grape juicing and other activities.
On October 10-11 the "Dwelling in the Desert Festival" will take place at the Joe Alon Center in the northern Negev Desert. The festival includes models of sukkahs throughout Jewish history as well as desert tents, musical instruments and a photography exhibition about the development of the Negev.
The Gush Katif women's seminary, reestablished in the Lachish region, is hosting a "family wine and cave experience" on October 9. Wine will be hand-prepared in ancient presses and the network of caves used during the Bar Kokhba revolt against the Romans will be open to visitors and explored with the help of guides.
The fourth annual Judean Kite Festival will take place in the hilltop community of Pnei Kedem, located in southeast Gush Etzion Tuesday, October 10.
Western Wall and Temple Mount
Each day of the festival (as well as Friday night), prayers will take place at the Western Wall with lengthy singing and dancing in the tradition of the late Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach. The daily morning prayers, which include the Hallel prayer and marching with the four species, will begin each day except Monday and be held up against the middle divider between the men's and women's sections. Visits for Jewish men and women who wish to ascend the Temple Mount in accordance with Jewish law are being offered over the course of the Sukkot Festival. All tours begin at 7:30 a.m., beginning at the Mughrabi Gate, adjacent to the main entrance to the Western Wall plaza. Participants must undergo physical preparations and immerse in a ritual bath beforehand, as well as arrive dressed in non-leather shoes. Police currently require a passport to ascend the mount and forbid the carrying up of religious articles aside from tzitzit and head coverings.
Jerusalem's Municipality has erected Israel's largest sukkah. The temporary structure is constructed by each Jewish family and is a staple of the festival, which entails dwelling in sukkot. The municipal "Sukkah of Stars" is decorated with light fixtures from France and is located in Safra Square, just outside the Old City. It has an area of 500 square meters, measures six meters tall, and will be open to the public all through the week.
On Sunday, October 8 a joyous Simchat Beit HaShoeva, which commemorates the water libation performed in the Holy Temple, will take place in Jerusalem's City of David, just below the Old City's Dung Gate. Hassidic singers Yaakov Shweky and Chaim Yisrael will be performing.
Several other City of David hikes and tours will be offered, including the Pilgrims' Route, ancient aqueducts tour, the newly established Jerusalem Trail and a survey of the sifting Temple Mount remnants in the Emek Tzurim valley.
Several tours are being offered of the Jewish sites and residences in Jerusalem's eastern half, liberated in 1967 and developed ever since. Half-day tours, offered by the Jerusalem Capital Development Fund will visit historical sites including the huge Jewish cemetery on the Mt.of Olives and Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem. Jewish homes in the Shimon Hatzadik, Maaleh Hazeitim and other eastern Jerusalem neighborhoods will be visited as well.
Beit Orot will also be offering a 3 1 hour tour of the area, visiting the same sites and following in the footsteps of the IDF soldiers who liberated the eastern half of the capital in 1967.
Lectures, Film Screenings and Conferences
A new documentary about the expulsion of Jews from Gush Katif will be screened each night of the intermediate days of the festival in downtown Jerusalem. The movie, Home Game, uses the metaphor of Gaza's Jewish basketball competition to portray the pain of the Disengagement and determination of the evicted residents. The screenings will take place at the OU Israel Center in Jerusalem (22 Keren HaYesod, diagonally opposite the Dan Panorama Hotel) on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at 8:00 p.m. during the holiday.
The 27th annual Christian Feast of the Tabernacles will also take place in Jerusalem over the festival, attended by more than 4,000 Christians from more than 80 nations who will arrive in Jerusalem. The event is sponsored by the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem. Israel's Ministry of Tourism bills the Feast of Tabernacles as "the largest annual tourism event in Israel."
Concerts
On Sunday and Monday, October 8-9, the entire Cave of the Patriarchs in Hevron will be open to the public, including the Tomb of Isaac, which is usually used as a mosque by local Arabs. Guided tours of the city will be given and large musical morning prayers will take place at 9:15 a.m. each day. Klezmer sensation Moussa Berlin will accompany the Hallel prayer and hassidic singer Mordechai Ben David will perform in the afternoon on the second day. Other performers include Adi Ran, Daklon, Shlomo Katz, Chaim Dovid Saracek, Shira Hadasha, Udi Davidi, Yoni Shlomo and Mendy Jerufy.
The annual three-day free Beit Shemesh music festival will take place from October 8-10, featuring The Andalusi Orchestra, Rockia, Para Aduma, Haakevot, Shlock Rock, Aaron Razel, Adi Ran, Moshav Band and Shai Gabso and Udi Davidi, Naftali Abramson, Pey Dalid, Chaim Dovid, Shlomo Katz, Shlomo Gronich and Reva L'Sheva.
Tuesday night October 10 a cantorial concert will take place at Jerusalem's Menachem Begin Heritage Center, entitled "And they came to Zion in Song." Performing with the Tel Aviv Cantorial Institute will be Chazan Naftali Hershtik.
The eight days of Sukkot begin at sundown this evening. Notice the beautiful fall full moon. Chag Sameach!
Tour Israel for Hanukkah:
Join us as we explore Israel from a genuine Biblical Zionists perspective. Meet the people who are continuing the Biblical narrative in the Land today. See for yourself how ancient prophesies are being fulfilled. Discover how you too can participate in the ongoing process of Biblical Redemption. Join us for an opportunity of a lifetime, to see the real Israel from the viewpoint of those who are living the Bible today. The experience will change your life.
The tour has been coordinated and will be guided by Associate Pastor Jon Klein [pictured left].
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