During the week covered by this review, we received 13 articles on the following subjects:
Jewish Attitudes Concerning Christians
Jewish-Christian Relations
Anti-Semitism
Political Issues
Status of Holy Places
Christian Tourism
Miscellaneous
Archaeology
Jewish Attitudes Concerning Christians
BeSheva–Mitchalef Yerushalayim, BeSheva-Bnei Brak, BeSheva-Tzafon, July 10, 2014
Rabbi Tzfania Drori writes a rebuttal to Rabbi Nachum Eliezer Rabinowitz and Rabbi David Stav’s published permission to use funds raised from Christians by the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, saying that Rabinwitz and Stav have misinterpreted the rabbinic writings they had used to explain their permission. Drori says that in fact these funds are still prohibited, as there has been no change in Christians’ way of relating to Jews, as evidenced by the 1980 Lausanne paper, which “focuses on missionary activity among the Jews” and expresses “hatred for our existence as a people.” Drori is also convinced that missionary activity is a primary goal of the International Christian Embassy. Drori goes on to quote Talmudic authorities to say that receiving money from Christians is still prohibited, and that accepting this money strengthens the church as well as enabling Messianic Jewish strongholds all over the country.
Mishpacha, July 17, 2014
The anti-missionary activist organization Yad L’Achim calls for the public to support the Ministry of Education’s decision to not use funds collected by the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. They quote the statement of the foundation’s president that “plaques on an air raid shelter stating that it was contributed with love by Christians to the Jewish people is a better way to spread the gospel that giving out flyers in the city center” as particularly disturbing. Yad L’Achim is jubilant over the success of the public campaign against the funding, and is very satisfied with the significant part it itself had in this campaign.
Jewish-Christian Relations
Makor Rishon, July 18, 2014
More than 400 people participated in a rally in support of Israel and her war against terror in Moscow this past Wednesday, July 16. The rally was organized by the Jewish organization Shachar, as well as by Christian organizations. Shachar Israel’s CEO, Eliyahu Lipsker, stressed that “Israel’s future is connected to the Jewish communities abroad,” and commended the many Russian Christians who were present for their attendance.
Anti-Semitism
HaMevaser, July 18, 2014
Dutch chief rabbi Benjamin Jacobs’ home was stoned for the second time in less than a week. The material damage is heavy but no one was injured. Both attacks lasted a few minutes, and the attackers accompanied their stones with shouted anti-Semitic slogans. Jacobs is a member of the Conference of European Rabbis, and recently attended a CER meeting dealing with ways to fight anti-Semitism and xenophobia. Rabbi Menachem Margolin, CEO of the Union of Jewish Organizations in the EU, has reiterated his organization’s demand that European governments institute state authorities to combat anti-Semitism both by education and by providing security for Jewish organizations and institutions.
Political Issues
Yediot Haifa, July 11, 2014
Victor Hajar, chairman of the Wadi Nisnas Committee, has announced that inhabitants of Haifa are determined to preserve their peaceful coexistence, in spite of the recent riots and demonstrations in the Arab communities over the IDF’s activities in the territories. Father Agavius Abu-Samra, who leads the Catholic church in the city, said that churches and mosques in Haifa are praying as one for peace. Dr. Suheil Asa’ad, vice-mayor of Haifa and leader of the Hadash political party, stressed that peace would only be possible by eradicating occupation; Jamal Hamis, leader of the Balad political party, also called for peace, saying that he “wants to see it everywhere, not just in Haifa.”
Status of Holy Places
HaPeles, July 11, 2014
MK Miri Regev, chairperson of the Knesset Interior and Environment Committee, has recently called on the Foreign Ministry to reveal the “secret negotiations” in process regarding the status of David’s Tomb. This comes as the result of a letter written to the foreign minister by the Western Wall rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, who had been told by Catholic representatives of the Cenacle on Mount Zion that such negotiations are in fact in process. The Knesset committee meeting revealed that although the current status quo permits no Christian prayer on the site at all, there have in fact been exceptions. Regev declared that the state must safeguard the holy sites, that the status quo must be reinstituted, and called for the negotiations to be made public during the committee’s upcoming tour of the site.
Christian Tourism
Esra, July 7, 2014
Amy Avgar describes her recent three-day trip around the Dead Sea. She begins by describing the landscape, which was a haven for rebels and zealots 2,000 years ago and still is a place of solitude for monks. She goes on to describe sites in the vicinity; of particular interest is Kasr al-Yahud on the banks of the Jordan, believed to be the site of Jesus’ baptism, and the synagogue of the ancient Jewish community at Ein Gedi, who made their living from the production of balsam.
Esra, July 7, 2014
Eli Libenson describes a recent trip to Manchester and the unexpected sites of interest to be found there, such as the John Rylands Library, home to the earliest known fragment of the New Testament, as well as an original copy of the Magna Carta, a Gutenberg Bible, and a first edition of Chaucer’sCanterbury Tales; the Gorton Monastery; the Manchester Jewish Museum, originally the Spanish and Portuguese synagogue, with its intriguing architectural innovations; the Lowry art gallery and theater campus, with L.S. Lowry’s (1887-1976) haunting depictions of industrial North England; and the Manchester reform synagogue.
Esra, July 7, 2014
Mike Porter describes his two-week trip to Ethiopia. Of particular interest is St. George’s Church in Addis Ababa, its spacious grounds and the extreme devotion it inspires in the visitors; the island monasteries at Bar Dahar on Lake Tana; the palace, church ,and castle complex from the 16th-17th centuries in Gondar; the varied landscape of the Simien Mountains, with their deep valleys; Walaka, once a Jewish village; Saint Mary’s Church in Axum, with its wall frescoes and colored glass windows; the great temple in Yeha from the 7th century BCE; and the 11 churches at Lalibela, meticulously excavated into the rock and decorated with frescoes (however, be advised that admission to the churches is $100 per person). Transportation between sites varied from buses to flights to jeeps, and the landscape to be seen on the way was typical African farmland.
Miscellaneous
The Jerusalem Post, July 17, 2014
A poll conducted from July 8 to July 14 by the Pew Research Center on a sample of 1,805 non-Jewish adults showed that Americans’ support of Israel is at its second highest point since 1978. This is despite some critics’ claim that support for Israel is waning among Americans. The poll registered a 2:1 ratio in favor of Israel among African Americans and Hispanics, although other results revealed that white evangelicals are the most likely to support Israel; Republicans are more likely to support Israel than Democrats, although even among Democrats support for Israel is “far higher” than for the Palestinians; and that the 65+ age bracket was most likely to support Israel, while support for the Palestinians was highest in the 18-29 age bracket.
Archaeology
Esra, July 7, 2014
Tzachi Dvira tells the story of the beginnings of the Temple Mount sifting project, which began when the Waqf, managers of the Temple Mount, wanted to create an entrance to Solomon’s Stables (which had been turned into a mosque) and excavated the site with heavy machinery, contrary to Israel’s antiquities law. At the time, Dvira was a student of archeology at Bar-Ilan University, and he began to survey the rubble with some of his friends, to determine its archaeological value. Although Dvira was initially charged with antiquities theft, the charge was dismissed and the project received wide support from the public. After four years Dvira and one of his university professors received permission to systematically sift the debris, and the project began after sufficient funds had been raised. However, the work was far too great for one group to tackle, so many volunteer groups from the public have been assisting as well. Shortly after the project began operating it was “adopted” by the City of David Foundation, and operates as an educational site. The artifacts salvaged date mainly from the First Temple period till today, and consist of pottery, glass, bones, beads, weaponry, mosaic stones, tools, architectural fragments, and much more. Of particular interest is a clay seal which may be impressed with the name of Hatzalyahu son of Immer – Immer having been a prominent First Temple period priestly house; and some 5,000 coins, one of which was a rare silver half shekel minted during the Great Revolt (66/67 CE).
After the artifacts are removed from the rubble they are sent for analysis and quantification. Although to date less than half of the rubble has been sifted, the project continues with a good momentum. Dvira is convinced that when “the puzzle is complete,” the results will offer “a new point of view on the history of the Temple Mount and Jerusalem.”