Israel - Beyond the Conflict

The history and the productivity of the Jewish people

The Torah

• Torah in the narrowest sense refers to the first five books of the Bible
• In a broader sense, Torah includes all Jewish law and tradition
• Torah was given to Moses in written form (Ten Commandments) with oral commentary
• The oral component is now written in the Talmud
• There are additional important writings

Torah
The word "Torah" is a tricky one, because it can mean different things in different contexts. In its most limited sense, "Torah" refers to the Five Books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. But the word "torah" can also be used to refer to the entire Jewish bible (the body of scripture known to non-Jews as the Old Testament and to Jews as the Tanakh or Written Torah), or in its broadest sense, to the whole body of Jewish law and teachings.

Written Torah (Tanakh - Bible)
To Jews, there is no "Old Testament." The books that Christians call the New Testament are not part of Jewish scripture. The so-called Old Testament is known to us as Written Torah or the Tanakh.

This is a list of the books of Written Torah, in the order in which they appear in Jewish translations, with the Hebrew name of the book, a translation of the Hebrew name (where it is not the same as the English name), and English names of the books (where it is not the same as the Hebrew name). The Hebrew names of the first five books are derived from the first few words of the book. The text of each book is more or less the same in Jewish translations as what you see in Christian bibles, although there are some occasional, slight differences in the numbering of verses and there are some significant differences in the translations.

TORAH (The Law):
* Bereishith (In the beginning...) (Genesis)
* Shemoth (The names...) (Exodus)
* Vayiqra (And He called...) (Leviticus)
* Bamidbar (In the wilderness...) (Numbers)
* Devarim (The words...) (Deuteronomy)

NEVI'IM (The Prophets):
* Yehoshua (Joshua)
* Shoftim (Judges)
* Shmuel (I &II Samuel)
* Melakhim (I & II Kings)
* Yeshayah (Isaiah)
* Yirmyah (Jeremiah)
* Yechezqel (Ezekiel)
* The Twelve (treated as one book)
o Hoshea (Hosea)
o Yoel (Joel)
o Amos
o Ovadyah (Obadiah)
o Yonah (Jonah)
o Mikhah (Micah)
o Nachum
o Chavaqquq (Habbakkuk)
o Tzefanyah (Zephaniah)
o Chaggai
o Zekharyah (Zechariah)
o Malakhi

KETHUVIM (The Writings):
* Tehillim (Psalms)
* Mishlei (Proverbs)
* Iyov (Job)
* Shir Ha-Shirim (Song of Songs)
* Ruth
* Eikhah (Lamentations)
* Qoheleth (the author's name) (Ecclesiastes)
* Esther
* Daniel
* Ezra & Nechemyah (Nehemiah) (treated as one book)
* Divrei Ha-Yamim (The words of the days) (Chronicles)

Written Torah is often referred to as the Tanakh, which is an acrostic of Torah, Nevi'im and Ketuvim.

Torah Scrolls
The scriptures that we use in services are written on parchment scrolls. They are always hand-written, in attractive Hebrew calligraphy with "crowns" (crows-foot-like marks coming up from the upper points) on many of the letters. This style of writing is known as STA"M (an abbreviation for "Sifrei Torah, Tefillin and Mezuzot," which is where you will see that style of writing). For more information about the STA"M alphabet, including illustrations and relevant rules, see Hebrew Alphabet used in writing STA"M.

Yad
You are not supposed to touch the parchment on these scrolls; some say because they are too holy; some say because the parchment, made from animal skins, is a source of ritual defilement; others say because your fingers' sweat has acids that will damage the parchment over time. Instead, you follow the text with a pointer, called a Yad. "Yad" means "hand" in Hebrew, and the pointer usually is in the shape of a hand with a pointing index finger (I always find this incredibly amusing). The scrolls are kept covered with fabric, and often ornamented with silver crowns on the handles of the scrolls and a silver breastplate on the front.

Aron Kodesh
The scrolls are kept in a cabinet in the synagogue called an "ark," as in Ark of the Covenant, not as in Noah's Ark. The words are different and unrelated in Hebrew. Noah's ark (and also the ark that Moses was placed in) are called in Hebrew teyvat (ship). I was taught that the "Ark" of the Covenant and the ark in synagogue are an acrostic of "aron kodesh" (holy cabinet), but others have told me that it is merely an archaic English word derived from the Latin arca (cabinet).

The Torah scrolls that we read from in synagogue are unpointed text, with no vowels or musical notes, so the ability to read a passage from a scroll is a valuable skill, and usually requires substantial advance preparation (reviewing the passage in a text with points). See Hebrew Alphabet for more on pointed and unpointed texts.

Chumash
Jewish scriptures are sometimes bound in a form that corresponds to the division into weekly readings (called parshiyot in Hebrew). Scriptures bound in this way are generally referred to as a chumash. The word "chumash" comes from the Hebrew word meaning five, and refers to the five books of the Torah. Sometimes, a chumash is simply refers to a collection of the five books of the Torah. But often, a chumash contains the entire first five books, divided up by the weekly parshiyot, with the haftarah portion inserted after each week's parshah.
Oral Torah: The Talmud

A Page of TalmudIn addition to the written scriptures we have an "Oral Torah," a tradition explaining what the above scriptures mean and how to interpret them and apply the Laws. Orthodox Jews believe G-d taught the Oral Torah to Moses, and he taught it to others, down to the present day. This tradition was maintained only in oral form until about the 2d century C.E., when the oral law was compiled and written down in a document called the Mishnah.

Over the next few centuries, additional commentaries elaborating on the Mishnah were written down in Jerusalem and Babylon. These additional commentaries are known as the Gemara. The Gemara and the Mishnah together are known as the Talmud. This was completed in the 5th century C.E.

There are actually two Talmuds: the Jerusalem Talmud and the Babylonian Talmud. The Babylonian Talmud is more comprehensive, and is the one most people mean if they just say "the Talmud" without specifying which one.

There have been additional commentaries on the Talmud by such noted Jewish scholars as Rashi and Rambam. Adin Steinsaltz is currently preparing a new edition of the Talmud, with his own commentary supplementing the Mishnah, Gemara, and Rashi commentaries.

The Talmud is not easy to read. It reminds me of someone else's class notes for a college lecture you never attended. There are often gaps in the reasoning where it is assumed that you already know what they are talking about, and concepts are often expressed in a sort of shorthand. Biblical verses that support a teaching are often referenced by only two or three words. The Talmud preserves a variety of views on every issue, and does not always clearly identify which view is the accepted one.

The Mishnah is divided into six sections called sedarim (in English, orders). Each seder contains one or more divisions called masekhtot (in English, tractates). There are 63 masekhtot in the Mishnah. Approximately half of these masekhtot have been addressed in the Talmud. Although these divisions seem to indicate subject matter, it is important to note that the Mishnah and the Talmud engage in quite a bit of free-association, thus widely diverse subjects may be discussed in a seder or masekhtah. Below is the division of the Mishnah into sedarim and masekhtot:

* Zera'im (Seeds), dealing with agricultural laws
o Berakhot
o Peah
o Demai
o Kilayim
o Shebiit
o Terumot
o Maaserot
o Maaser Sheni
o Challah
o Orlah
o Bikkurim

* Mo'ed (Festival), dealing with Shabbat and festivals
o Shabbat
o Erubin
o Pesachim
o Sheqalim
o Yoma
o Sukkah
o Besah
o Rosh Hashanah
o Taanit
o Megillah
o Moed Qatan
o Hagigah

* Nashim (Women), dealing with marriage, divorce and contracts
o Yebamot
o Ketubot
o Nedarim
o Nazir
o Sotah
o Gittin
o Qiddushin

* Nezikin (Damages), dealing with tort laws and other financial laws
o Baba Qamma
o Baba Mesia
o Baba Batra
o Sanhedrin
o Makkot
o Shabuot
o Eduyyot
o Avodah Zarah
o Avot (also known as Pirkei Avot, Ethics of the Fathers)
o Horayot

* Kodashim (Holy Things), dealing with sacrifices and the Temple
o Zevachim
o Menachot
o Chullin
o Bekhorot
o Arakhin
o Temurah
o Keritot
o Meilah
o Tamid
o Middot
o Qinnim

* Toharot (Purities), dealing with laws of ritual purity and impurity
o Kelim
o Ohalot
o Negaim
o Parah
o Tohorot
o Miqvaot
o Niddah
o Makhshirin
o Zabim
o Tebul-Yom
o Yadayim
o Uqsin

In recent times, many observant Jews have taken up the practice of studying a page of Talmud every day. This practice, referred to as daf yomi, was started at the First International Congress of the Agudath Yisrael World Movement in August, 1923. Rav Meir Shapiro, the rav of Lublin, Poland, proposed uniting people worldwide through the daily study of a page of Talmud. Daf Yomi is currently in its 11th cycle. A calendar of the cycle can be found at Daf Yomi Calendar.

Other Writings
In addition to these works, we have midrashim, which are basically stories expanding on incidents in the Bible to derive principles or Jewish law or to teach moral lessons. For example, there is a midrash about why Moses wasn't a good speaker (he put coals in his mouth as a child basically as a way of proving that he wasn't greedy), and another one about Abram discovering monotheism and rejecting his father's idolatry (that's a nifty one: basically, he smashes up all his father's idols except the big one, then blames the mess on the big one, as a way of showing his father that the idols don't really have any power). Some of them fill in gaps in the narrative. For example, in Gen. 22:2, why does G-d say, "thy son, thine only son, whom thou lovest, even Isaac." Wouldn't the name alone be enough? One story says that the narrative is skipping out Abraham's responses. "Take thy son." "Which one?" "Thine only son." "But I have two!" "Whom thou lovest." "I love them both!" "Even Isaac." (I'm not sure this is a traditional one -- I got it from a questionable source -- but I like it).

There is also a vast body of responsa, answers to specific questions of Jewish law. Beginning in the middle ages, when local rabbis were faced with difficult issues of Jewish law, they often wrote to the most respected rabbis in the world to get answers to these questions. The local rabbi would present the situation, often including detailed references to the Talmudic passages he had reviewed and his own interpretations of these authorities, and the world-renowned rabbi would provide a reasoned argument in favor of his answer. Over time, these responsa were collected into printed volumes. This tradition continues to the present day, and there are several rabbis in this century who have developed responsa on issues relating to modern technologies. For example, Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, who died in the 1980s, wrote responsa on such diverse topics as the permissibility of cosmetic surgery, the kashering of dishwashers, and artificial insemination. There are literally thousands of volumes of responsa. A project at Bar-Ilan University is compiling these responsa into a computer database. See their website at The Responsa Project for more information.

As you can see, the body of Jewish tradition is very vast. Is there any place to get quick answers? In the middle ages, there were several attempts to create definitive codes of Jewish law. The best-known of these codes are Rambam's Mishneh Torah and Joseph Caro's Shulchan Arukh. In their own time, these works were very controversial, because they did not identify the Torah or Talmudic basis for their opinions and generally ignored conflicting opinions. There was concern that such works would discourage Jews from studying the primary sources: Torah and Talmud. Today, however, these sources are well-respected. In fact, the Shulchan Arukh is often treated as a primary source.

We also have a mystical tradition, known as Kabbalah. The primary written work in the Kabbalistic tradition is the Zohar. Traditionally, rabbis discouraged teaching this material to anyone under the age of 40, because it is too likely to be misinterpreted by anyone without sufficient grounding in the basics.



Judaism 101

Anti-Zionism IS Anti-Semitism

"I Don't Hate Jews - I hate Zionists"

Anti-Zionism = Anti-Semitism!!!

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

You declare, my friend, that you do not hate the Jews, you are merely 'anti-Zionist.' And I say, let the truth ring forth from the high mountain tops, let it echo through the valleys of God's green earth: When people criticize Zionism, they mean Jews--this is God's own truth."

Antisemitism, the hatred of the Jewish people, has been and remains a blot on the soul of mankind. In this we are in full agreement. So know also this:

anti-Zionist is inherently anti-Semitic, and ever will be so."

Why is this? You know that Zionism is nothing less than the dream and ideal of the Jewish people returning to live in their own land.

The Jewish people, the Scriptures tell us, once enjoyed a flourishing Commonwealth in the Holy Land. From this they were expelled by the Roman tyrant, the same Romans who cruelly murdered Our Lord (Jesus).

Driven from their homeland, their nation in ashes, forced to wander the globe, the Jewish people time and again suffered the lash of whichever tyrant happened to rule over them.

The Negro people, my friend, know what it is to suffer the torment of tyranny under rulers not of our choosing. Our brothers in Africa have begged, pleaded, requested--DEMANDED the recognition and realization of our inborn right to live in peace under our own sovereignty in our own country.

How easy it should be, for anyone who holds dear this inalienable right of all mankind, to understand and support the right of the Jewish People to live in their ancient Land of Israel.

All men of good will exult in the fulfilment of God's promise, that his People should return in joy to rebuild their plundered land.

This is Zionism, nothing more, nothing less.

And what is anti-Zionist?

It is the denial to the Jewish people of a fundamental right that we justly claim for the people of Africa and freely accord all other nations of the Globe.

It is discrimination against Jews, my friend, because they are Jews. In short, it is antisemitism.

The antisemite rejoices at any opportunity to vent his malice. The times have made it unpopular, in the West, to proclaim openly a hatred of the Jews.

This being the case, the antisemite must constantly seek new forms and forums for his poison.

How he must revel in the new masquerade! He does not hate the Jews, he is just 'anti-Zionist'!

My friend, I do not accuse you of deliberate antisemitism. I know you feel, as I do, a deep love of truth and justice and a revulsion for racism, prejudice, and discrimination. But I know you have been misled--as others have been--into thinking you can be 'anti-Zionist' and yet remain true to these heartfelt principles that you and I share.

Let my words echo in the depths of your soul: When people criticize Zionism, they mean Jews--make no mistake about it."

From M.L. King Jr., "Letter to an Anti-Zionist Friend," Saturday Review_XLVII (Aug. 1967), p. 76.



Note:
"Letter to an Anti-Zionist Friend," is often cited as a "hoax" as it can't be found in MLK's books. However, the forward was written by his son MLK III who above all people would know the truth of his Father's thoughts on Zionism and Anti-Semitism.

Ergo: Like it or not - it is the truth about MLK Jr.'s beliefs on these subjects whether some political groups like it or not.

M.L King immediately recognized anti-Zionism as anti-Semitism- Judenhass - refusing to indulge what he believed was simply another manifestation of the same hatred confronting Blacks.

He knew that both peoples [i.e., Blacks and Jews] were uprooted involuntarily from their homelands.

He knew that both peoples were shaped by the tragic experience of slavery. He knew that both peoples were forced to live in ghettoes, victims of segregation.

He knew that both peoples were subject to laws passed with the particular intent of oppressing them simply because they were Jewish or black.

He knew that both peoples have been subjected to oppression and genocide on a level unprecedented in history."

After 2000 years of exile, the Jewish People has emerged traumatized. The source of that trauma has been the constant insecurity and fear that characterized most of the Diaspora, in most parts of the world. It is a product of landlessness, massacres, periodic expulsion and flight, persecution by tyrants and abuse by the Church and Mosque who encouraged antisemitism to satisfy their own insecurities and political desires.

Lies About the Talmud

Anti-Talmud accusations have a long history dating back to the 13th century when the associates of the Inquisition attempted to defame Jews and their religion. The early material compiled by hateful preachers like Raymond Martini and Nicholas Donin remain the basis of all subsequent accusations against the Talmud. Most are false and based on quotations taken out of context, and some are total fabrications.

Antisemites such as Van Hyning, Nesta Webster, Benjamin H. Freedman and Wesley Swift have claimed that the Talmud has been systematically hidden from non-Jews, and that it is the supreme authority of Jewish law, philosophy and ethics.

In truth, it is available in most good public libraries and most Jews regard it as simply one branch of Jewish theology, of limited interest outside of rabbinical seminaries.

The Talmud consists of two parts: the Mishnah, and its commentary, the Gemara.

The Mishnah, compiled and edited by Judah Hanasi about 200 C.E., was the first Jewish code of laws since the Torah. There are two Gemaras, known as the Babylonian and Jerusalem. The former, completed about 500 C.E., is the record of the discussions of the Jewish scholars which sat in "Palestine", Jerusalem.

Van Hyningís leaflet was widely reprinted, excerpted, added to and quoted from or referenced throughout the 1950s and 1960s by such publications as The Cross and the Flag, Common Sense, and Thunderbolt.

In the early 1970s the Rev. Gerald L.K. Smith continued to distribute a free tract quoting most of these lies. Rarely quoted today, these fabrications continue to be the foundation of many claims that Judaism is anti-Christian.

On the internet today we can find many of these old accusations being rehashed, these are some of the biggest fabrications:

ACCUSATION
Kelhubath (11a-11b): "When a grown up man has intercourse with a little girl it is nothing, for when the girl is less than three years old it is as if one puts the finger into the eye tears come to the eye again and again, so does virginity come back to the little girl three years old."

FACT
This is probably the biggest LIE in the whole list. The words are correctly quoted but completely out of context.
This passage is a discussion of the penalties and consequences of adult-child sexual relations. The following paragraphs continue to discuss this issue. The discussion is about how the criminal should be punished and about the girl not to lose her virginity cause the crime. She will consider likwe a virgin also if she is no longer virgin.

ACCUSATION
"The Talmud refers to Jesus Christ as the bastard son of a harlot (Kallah, 1b, 18b)"

FACT
Kallah, 1b, 18b. The quotation does not exist in this volume. This is a complete fabrication, and even the reference numbers are fabricated.

ACCUSATION
(Zohar, III, 282):
The Talmud teaches that Jesus died like a beast and was buried in that 'dirt heap'...where they throw the dead bodies of dogs and asses and where the sons of Ssau (the Christians) and of Ismael (the Muslims), also Jesus and Mohammed, uncircumsized and unclean like dead dogs are buried.

FACT
This entire "quotation" is a complete fabrication.
Zohar, III, 282. This is a cabalistic work that came into being during the Middle Ages [13th c.]. It is not a part of the Talmud. It is not a part of the Talmud. The Zohar contains all the spiritual states that people experience as their souls evolve. To those without spiritual attainment, The Zohar reads like a collection of allegories and legends that can be interpreted and perceived differently by each individual.

ACCUSATION
(Kerithuth, 6b, p. 78):
"One of the basic doctrines of the Talmud is that all non-Talmudists rank as non-humans, that they are not like men, but beasts.

FACT
Kerithuth, 6b, p. 78. Even the numbering system is a fabrication. 6b means page 6, side 2. Consequently, page 78 can have no relationship to 6b.

ACCUSATION
"The following quotation from and about the Talmud should be of interest to all Christians. Note: 'GOY' means non-Jews; 'GOYIM' is plural for Goy." "Jehovah Himself studies the Talmud standing, he has such respect for that book (Tract Mechilla)."

FACT
Tract Mechilla. No such book exists in the Talmud! Furthermore, the internal evidence in the alleged quotation suggests crude fabrication. The Talmud is not "that book"; it is a collection of volumes.

ACCUSATION
Libbre David 37:
"To communicate anything to a goy about our religious relations would be equal to the killing of all Jews, for if the goyim knew what we teach about them they would kill us openly."

FACT
Libbre David 37. This is a complete fabrication. No such book exists in the Talmud or in the entire Jewish literature.

ACCUSATION
Baba Mecia 114-6:
"The Jews are human beings, but the nations of the world are not human beings but beasts."

FACT
Baba Mecia 114-6. This quotation is a complete fabrication. Even the numbering is incorrect. There can be no 114-6; it has to be 114a or 114b.

ACCUSATION
Midrash Talpioth, 225-L:
"Jehovah created the non-Jew in human form so that the Jew would not have to be served by beasts. The non-Jew is consequently an animal in human form, and condemned to serve the Jew day and night."

FACT
Midrash Talpioth, 225-L. This is not a volume of the Talmud. It is something composed by a Turkish Jew in the 18th century. His name was Elijah ben Solomom Abraham, ha-Kohen, and this book is not study in any parameter and rejected by the Jewish scholars.

ACCUSATION
Schulchan Aruch, Choszen Hamiszpat 348:
"A Jew may rob a goy--that is, he may cheat him in a bill, if unlikely to be perceived by him."

FACT
Schulchan Aruch, Choszen Hamiszpat 348. This is not a part of the Talmud. It is actually a part of a collection of Biblical commentaries in the sixteenth century. The actual text in this volume says that it is forbidden to steal even a small item from a Jew or non-Jew, from children or from adults, as the Torah command us "you shall not steal..."

Khazar Jews

Why Khazaric fairy tales are proven lies?

It must be said that Genetics is the most advanced and undeniable source for ethnic research as it is the most precise science.




Eight Main Facts:

1. All Jewish groups from India, Yemeni to Polish or Spanish Jews have similar haplogroup frequency.

If we imagine that somehow Ashkenazi Jews are Khazarian converts then their haplogroup distribution couldn't match the haplogroup distribution and frequencies of Moroccon Jews. All Jewish groups have identical frequencies of identical haplogroups proving that they do represent one ethnic group with common origin.

If the origin of one part of the group is Khazarian than the origin of the rest have to be Khazarian, too. However it's historical nonsense to claim that for example Tunesian Jews could have any Khazarian ancestors.

2. Samaritans:
Genetic studies of Israelite Samaritans by Shen 2004 proved that the genetics of Samaritans clusters with all Jewish groups while are having huge differences with their long time host people, ''Palestinian'' Arabs. Ashkenazi Jews are genetically identical in populational distance from Samaritans as well as Sepharadic Jews.

For the Y-chromosome, all Jewish groups are closely related to each other. They do not differ significantly from Samaritans (0.041) and Druze (0.033), but are different from Palestinians (0.163) and Africans (0.219).

Nevertheless, the Samaritan and Jewish Y-chromosomes have a much greater affinity than do those of the Samaritans and their geographical neighbors, the "Palestinians".

3. Jewish haplogroups 50% J, 20% E1b1b1c:
Does not exist among any nation outside Middle East. Isolated populations with high J (South Europeans mixed with Middle Eastern) do not have J above 30% while population with high E1b1b1c outside middle east do not have high J.

4. Religious nonsense:
From the late 1st and early 2nd century mass conversions to Judaism are forbidden by Halacaha therefore it's widely unimaginable that after this time such conversions happened on a mass scale.

5. Historical nonsense:
Jewish communities existed in Europe centuries before the alleged Khazar conversion.

6. Yiddish:
Any language has to share characteristics with common languages. Therefore, if Ashkenazi Jews would have originated from the Khazars, Yiddish would surely have some Turkic elements in common with the environment from whence it came.

However, Yiddish which is known to be spoken from VIII century CE, doesn't have any Turkic elements. It's highly influenced by German-Hebrew and Aramaic languages but not a single word is originating from Turkic languages.

7. Culture of Khazars:
If any Jews were Khazars they couldn't somehow forget their roots. Some cultural traditional expresions from Khazar people will somehow have to be present in traditions of Ashkenazi Jews which would represent similarities with other Turkic people.

Also, Jews kept traditional Judaism for 3500 years.
However no such tradition or custom exist: folk dance, beliefs, rituals etc.

8. Jewish emigration to East Europe - Poland and Russia en masse is well documented from IX century as happening from the WEST and not from the EAST, as proven by numerous historians.

Summary:
8.500.000 are Askenazi Jews while the rest are considered Mizrachi and Sepharadic Jews. While they are the majority of Jews in the Diaspora, they are a minority of Jews in Israel where the Mizrachi and Sepharadi are dominant.

While Khazar mythologists and anti-Semites were not able to spread their theories to non Askhenazi Jews and to deny their Israelite origin, the genetic research mentioned is focused on Ashkenazi Jews.

It was first publicly proposed in a lecture given by Ernest Renan in 1883, entitled "Judaism as a Race and as Religion." It was repeated in articles in The Dearborn Independent in 1923 and 1925, and popularized by racial theorist Lothrop Stoddard in 1926.

CONCLUSIONS:
The main ethnic element of Ashkenazim (German and Eastern European Jews), Sephardim (Spanish and Portuguese Jews), Mizrakhim (Middle Eastern Jews), Juhurim (Mountain Jews of the Caucasus), Italqim (Italian Jews), and most other modern Jewish populations of the world is Israelite.

THE ISRAELITE ORIGIN OF ASKHENAZI JEWS IS 87.5% AND MIZRACHI JEWS 98%:
One of the highest percentages of genetic uniformity and ancestral genes among any nation worldwide.
THE ISRAELITE ORIGIN OF ASKHENAZI JEWS IS 87.5% AND MIZRACHI JEWS (ALMOST TOTALLY) is one of the highest percentage of genetic uniformity and ancestors genes hereditament among any nation worldwide.

MAIN FACT:
Even if most Khazars converted to Judaism (and they didnít) they would have attributed to less than 12% of Ashkenazi Jews and the FACT is the Khazars were only 2% of the 3.000.000 Jews in the 8th century.

Knowing the makeup of Israeli population, we can say that Israeli Jews are absolutely Israelites of today.

Something to think about:
Besides Judaism, other religions practiced in areas ruled by the Khazars included Greek Orthodox, Nestorian, and Monophysite Christianity, Zoroastrianism as well as Norse, Finnic, and Slavic cults.

The Khazar government tolerated a wide array of religious practices within the Khaganate.
Many Khazars reportedly were converts to ISLAM and CHRISTIANITY

SO ACTUALLY, THE ENTIRE WORLD IS KHAZAR!!!

Zionism

Zionism is the Jewish national movement of rebirth and renewal in the land of Israel - the historical birthplace of the Jewish people. The yearning to return to Zion, the biblical term for both the Land of Israel and Jerusalem, has been the cornerstone of Jewish religious life since the Jewish exile from the land two thousand years ago, and is embedded in Jewish prayer, ritual, literature and culture.

Modern Zionism emerged in the late 19th century in response to the violent persecution of Jews in Eastern Europe, anti-Semitism in Western Europe. Modern Zionism fused the ancient Jewish biblical and historical ties to the ancestral homeland with the modern concept of nationalism into a vision of establishing a modern Jewish state in the land of Israel.

The "father" of modern Zionism, Austrian journalist Theodor Herzl, consolidated various strands of Zionist thought into an organized political movement, advocating for international recognition of a "Jewish state" and encouraging Jewish immigration to build the land.

Today, decades after the actual founding of a Jewish state, Zionism continues to be the guiding nationalist movement of the majority of Jews around the world who believe in, support and identify with the State of Israel. Zionism, the national aspiration of the Jewish people to a homeland, is to the Jewish people what the liberation movements of Africa and Asia have been to their peoples.

History has demonstrated the need to ensure Jewish security through such a homeland. The re-establishment of Jewish independence in Israel, after centuries of struggle to overcome foreign conquest and exile, is a vindication of the fundamental concepts of the equality of nations and of self-determination. To question the Jewish people's right to national existence and freedom is not only to deny to the Jewish people the right accorded to every other people on this globe, but it is also to deny the central precepts of the United Nations.

The Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments, or Decalogue, are a list of religious and moral imperatives that according to religious tradition as recorded in the Bible, were written by God and given to Moses on Mount Sinai in the form of two stone tablets. They feature prominently in Judaism and Christianity.

The phrase "Ten Commandments" generally refers to the very similar passages in Exodus 20:2­17 and Deuteronomy 5:6­21. Some distinguish between this "Ethical Decalogue" and a series of ten commandments in Exodus 34 that are labelled the "Ritual Decalogue". This article mainly deals with the former.

The Ten Commandments were the specific terms, or 'words of the covenant' that were written on the Tables of Stone at My Sinai: "He wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments."

Origins
Some historians believe that the Ten Commandments originated from ancient Egyptian religion, and postulate that the Biblical Jews borrowed the concept after their Exodus from Egypt. Chapter 125 of the Book of the Dead (the Papyrus of Ani) includes a list of things to which a man must swear in order to enter the afterlife. These sworn statements bear a remarkable resemblance to the Ten Commandments in their nature and their phrasing. These statements include "not have I defiled the wife of man," "not have I committed murder," "not have I committed theft," "not have I lied," "not have I cursed god," "not have I borne false witness," and "not have I abandoned my parents." The Book of the Dead has additional requirements, and, of course, doesn't require worship of YHWH.

Written in Stone
According to the Bible, God inscribed the Ten Commandments into stone: "God said to Moses, 'Come up to Me, to the mountain, and remain there. I will give you the stone tablets, the Torah and the commandment that I have written for [the people's] instruction.'" (Exodus 24:12) also referred to as "tables of testimony" (Exodus 24:12, 31:18, 32:16) or "tables of the covenant" (Deuteronomy 9verses 9, 11, 15), which he gave to Moses.

Traditional Jewish sources (Mekhilta de Rabbi Ishmael, de-ba-Hodesh 5) discuss the placement of the ten commandments on two tablets. According to Rabbi Hanina ben Gamaliel, five commandments were engraved on the first tablet and five on the other, whereas the Sages contended that ten were written on each.

While most Jewish and Christian depictions follow the first understanding, modern scholarship favors the latter, comparing it to treaty rite in the Ancient Near East, in the sense of tablets of covenant.

Diplomatic treaties, such as that between Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses II and the Hittite King Hattusilis III, circa 1270 B.C.E, were duplicated on stone with a copy for each party, and the subordinate party would place their copy of the pact in the main temple to his god, in oath to the king (cf. Ezekiel 17:11-19). In a pact between a nation and its God, then, the Israelites placed both copies in their temple.

Exodus 32:15 records that the tablets "were written on both their sides."

The Talmud (tractate Shabbat 104a) explains that there were miracles involved with the carving on the tablets. One was that the carving went the full thickness of the tablets.

The letter samec in the Hebrew alphabet looks similar to the letter "O" in the English alphabet. The stone in the center part of the letter should have fallen out, as it was not connected to the rest of the tablet, but it did not; it miraculously remained in place. Secondly, the writing was miraculously legible from both the front and the back, even though logic would dictate that something carved through and through would show the writing in mirror image on the back.

Texts of the Ten Commandments
1. I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

2. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.

3. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them.

4. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

5. Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long.

6. Thou shalt not kill.

7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.

8. Thou shalt not steal.

9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's.

The Messiah

The Messianic Idea in Judaism
Belief in the eventual coming of the mashiach is a basic and fundamental part of traditional Judaism. It is part of Rambam's 13 Principles of Faith, the minimum requirements of Jewish belief. In the Shemoneh Esrei prayer, recited three times daily, we pray for all of the elements of the coming of the mashiach: ingathering of the exiles; restoration of the religious courts of justice; an end of wickedness, sin and heresy; reward to the righteous; rebuilding of Jerusalem; restoration of the line of King David; and restoration of Temple service.

Modern scholars suggest that the messianic concept was introduced later in the history of Judaism, during the age of the prophets. They note that the messianic concept is not explicitly mentioned anywhere in the Torah (the first five books of the Bible).

However, traditional Judaism maintains that the messianic idea has always been a part of Judaism. The mashiach is not mentioned explicitly in the Torah, because the Torah was written in terms that all people could understand, and the abstract concept of a distant, spiritual, future reward was beyond the comprehension of some people. However, the Torah contains several references to "the End of Days" (acharit ha-yamim), which is the time of the mashiach; thus, the concept of mashiach was known in the most ancient times.

The term "mashiach" literally means "the anointed one," and refers to the ancient practice of anointing kings with oil when they took the throne. The mashiach is the one who will be anointed as king in the End of Days.

The word "mashiach" does not mean "savior." The notion of an innocent, divine or semi-divine being who will sacrifice himself to save us from the consequences of our own sins is a purely Christian concept that has no basis in Jewish thought. Unfortunately, this Christian concept has become so deeply ingrained in the English word "messiah" that this English word can no longer be used to refer to the Jewish concept. The word "mashiach" will be used throughout this page.

Some gentiles have told me that the term "mashiach" is related to the Hebrew term "moshiah" (savior) because they sound similar, but the similarity is not as strong as it appears to one unfamiliar with Hebrew. The Hebrew word "mashiach" comes from the root Mem-Shin-Chet, which means to paint, smear, or annoint. The word "moshiah" comes from the root Yod-Shin-Ayin, which means to help or save. The only letter these roots have in common is Shin, the most common letter in the Hebrew language. The "m" sound at the beginning of the word moshiah (savior) is a common prefix used to turn a verb into a noun. For example, the verb tzavah (to command) becomes mitzvah (commandment). Saying that "mashiach" is related to "moshiah" is a bit like saying that ring is related to surfing because they both end in "ing."

The Mashiach
The mashiach will be a great political leader descended from King David (Jeremiah 23:5). The mashiach is often referred to as "mashiach ben David" (mashiach, son of David). He will be well-versed in Jewish law, and observant of its commandments (Isaiah 11:2-5). He will be a charismatic leader, inspiring others to follow his example. He will be a great military leader, who will win battles for Israel. He will be a great judge, who makes righteous decisions (Jeremiah 33:15). But above all, he will be a human being, not a god, demi-god or other supernatural being.

It has been said that in every generation, a person is born with the potential to be the mashiach. If the time is right for the messianic age within that person's lifetime, then that person will be the mashiach. But if that person dies before he completes the mission of the mashiach, then that person is not the mashiach.

When Will the Mashiach Come?
There are a wide variety of opinions on the subject of when the mashiach will come. Some of Judaism's greatest minds have cursed those who try to predict the time of the mashiach's coming, because errors in such predictions could cause people to lose faith in the messianic idea or in Judaism itself. This actually happened in the 17th century, when Shabbatai Tzvi claimed to be the mashiach. When Tzvi converted to Islam under threat of death, many Jews converted with him. Nevertheless, this prohibition has not stopped anyone from speculating about the time when the mashiach will come.

Although some scholars believed that G-d has set aside a specific date for the coming of the mashiach, most authority suggests that the conduct of mankind will determine the time of the mashiach's coming. In general, it is believed that the mashiach will come in a time when he is most needed (because the world is so sinful), or in a time when he is most deserved (because the world is so good). For example, each of the following has been suggested as the time when the mashiach will come:

* if Israel repented a single day;
* if Israel observed a single Shabbat properly;
* if Israel observed two Shabbats in a row properly;
* in a generation that is totally innocent or totally guilty;
* in a generation that loses hope;
* in a generation where children are totally disrespectful towards their parents and elders.





Read More:
http://www.jewfaq.org/mashiach.htm

3500 Years of Persecutions

3500 years of persecution. Yet, the Jews survived. Persecution of Jews has occurred on numerous occasions and at widely different geographical locations. As well as being a major component in Jewish history, it has significantly impacted the general history and social development of the countries and societies in which the persecuted Jews lived.

Jewish Persecution - History of AntiSemitism

DATE - PLACE - EVENT
250 C.E. - Canhage - Expulsion
224 C.E. - Italy - Forced Conversion
325 C.E. - Jerusalem - Expulsion
351 C.E - Persia - Book Burning
357 C.E. - Italy - Property Confiscation
379 C.E. - Milan - Synagogue Burning
415 C.E. - Alexandria - Expulsion
418 C.E. - Minorca - Forced Conversion
469 C.E. - Ipahan - Holocaust
489 C.E. - Antioch - Synagogue Burning
506 C.E. - Daphne - Synagogue Burning
519 C.E. - Ravenna - Synagogue Burning
554 C.E. - Diocese of Clement (France) - Expulsion
561 C.E. - Diocese of Uzes (France) - Expulsion
582 C.E - Merovingia - Forced Conversion
612 C.E. - Visigoth Spain - Expulsion
628 C.E. - Byzantium - Forced Conversion
629 C.E. - Merovingia - Forced Conversion
633 C.E. - Toledo - Forced Conversion
638 C.E. - Toledo - Stake Burnings
642 C.E. - Visigothic Empire - Expulsion
653 C.E. - Toledo - Expulsion
681 C.E. - Spain - Forced Conversion
693 C.E. - Toledo - Jews Enslaved
722 C.E. - Byzantium - Judaism Outlawed
855 C.E. - Italy - Expulsion
876 C.E. - Sens - Expulsion
897 C.E. - Narbonne - Land Confiscation
945 C.E. - Venice - Ban on Sea Travel
1009 C.E. - Orleans - Massacre
1012 C.E. - Rouen, - Limoges & Rome Massacre
1012 C.E. - Mayence - Expulsion
1021 C.E. - Rome - Jews Burned Alive
1063 C.E. - Spain - Massacre
1095 C.E. - Lorraine - Massacre
1096 C.E. - Northern France & Germany - 1/3 of Jewish Population Massacred
1096 C.E. - Hungary - Massacre
1096 C.E. - Ralisbon - Massacre
1099 C.E. - Jerusalem - Jews Burned Alive
1100 C.E. - Kiev - Pogrom
1140 C.E. - Germany - Massacres
1146 C.E. - Rhine Valley - Massacre
1147 C.E. - Wurzburg - Massacre
1147 C.E. - Belitz (Germany) - Jews Burned Alive
1147 C.E. - Carenton, Ramenu & Sully (France) - Massacres
1171 C.E. - Blois - Stake Burnings
1181 C.E. - France - Expulsion
1181 C.E. - England - Property Confiscation
1188 C.E. - London & York - Mob Attacks
1190 C.E. - Norfolk - Jews Burned Alive
1191 C.E. - Bray (France) - Jews Burned Alive
1195 C.E. - France - Property Confiscation
1209 C.E. - Beziers - Massacre
1212 C.E. - Spain - Rioting and blood bath against the Jews of Toledo.
1215 C.E. - Rome - Lateran Council of Rome decrees that Jews must wear the "badge of shame" in all Christian countries. Jews are denied all public sector employment, and are burdened with extra taxes.
1215 C.E. - Toulouse (France) - Mass Arrests
1218 C.E. - England - Jews Forced to Wear Badges
1231 C.E. - Rome - Inquisition Established
1236 C.E. - France - Forced Conversion/Massacre
1239 C.E. - London - Massacre & Property Confiscation
1240 C.E. - Austria - Property confiscation. Jews either imprisoned, converted, expelled, or burned.
1240 C.E. - France - Talmud Confiscated
1240 C.E. - England - Book Burning
1240 C.E. - Spain - Forced Conversion
1242 C.E. - Paris - Talmud Burned
1244 C.E. - Oxford - Mob Attacks
1255 C.E. - England - Blood libel in Lincoln results in the burning / torture of many Jews & public hangings.
1261 C.E. - Canterbury - Mob Attacks
1262 C.E. - London - Mob Attacks
1264 C.E. - London - Mob Attacks
1264 C.E. - Germany - Council of Vienna declares that all Jews must wear a "pointed dunce cap." Thousands murdered.
1267 C.E. - Vienna - Jews Forced to Wear Horned Hats
1270 C.E. - Weissenberg, Magdeburg, Arnstadt, Coblenz, Singzig, and Erfurt - Jews Burned Alive
1270 C.E. - England -The libel of the "counterfeit coins" - all Jewish men, women and children in England imprisoned. Hundreds are hung.
1276 C.E. - Bavaria- Expulsion
1278 C.E. - Genoa (Spain) - Mob Attacks
1279 C.E. - Hungary & Poland - The Council of Offon denies Jews the right to all civic positions. The Jews of Hungary & Poland are forced to wear the "red badge of shame."
1283 C.E. - Mayence & Bacharach - Mob Attacks
1285 C.E. - Munich - Jews Burned Alive
1290 C.E. - England - King Edward I issues an edict banishing all Jews from England. Many drowned.
1291 C.E. - France - The Jewish refugees from England are promptly expelled from France.
1292 C.E. - Italy - Forced conversions & expulsion of the Italian Jewish community.
1298 C.E. - Germany - The libel of the "Desecrated Host" is perpetrated against the Jews of Germany. Approximately 150 Jewish communities undergo forced conversion.
1298 C.E. - Franconia, Bavaria & Austria - Reindfel's Decree is propagated against the Jews of Franconia and Bavarai. Riots against these Jewish communities, as well as those in Austria, result in the massacre of 100,000 Jews over a six-month period.
1306 C.E. - France - Expulsion
1308 C.E. - Strasbourg - Jews Burned Alive
1320 C.E. - Toulouse & Perpigon - 120 Communities Massacred & Talmud Burned
1321 C.E. - Teruel - Public Executions
1328 C.E. - Estella - 5,000 Jews Slaughtered
1348 C.E. - France & Spain - Jews Burned Alive
1348 C.E. - Switzerland - Expulsion
1349 C.E. - Worms, Strasbourg, Oppenheim, Mayence, Erfurt, Bavaria & Swabia - Jews Burned Alive
1349 C.E. - Heilbronn (Germany) - Expulsion
1349 C.E. - Hungary - Expulsion
1354 C.E. - Castile (Spain) - 12,000 Jews Slaughtered
1368 C.E. - Toledo - 8,000 Jews Slaughtered
1370 C.E. - Majorca., Penignon & Barcelona - Mob Attack
1377 C.E. - Huesca (Spain) - Jews Burned Alive
1380 C.E. - Paris - Mob Attack
1384 C.E. - Nordlingen - Mass Murder
1388 C.E. - Strasbourg - Expulsion
1389 C.E. - Prague - Mass Slaughter & Book Burning
1391 C.E. - Castille, Toledo, Madrid, Seville, Cordova, Cuenca & Barcelona - Forced Conversions & Mass Murder
1394 C.E. - Germany - Expulsion
1394 C.E. - France - Expulsion
1399 C.E. - Posen (Poland) - Jews Burned Alive
1400 C.E. - Prague - Stake Burnings
1407 C.E. - Cracow - Mob Attack
1415 C.E. - Rome - Talmud Confiscated
1422 C.E. - Austria - Jews Burned Alive
1422 C.E. - Austria - Expulsion
1424 C.E. - Fribourg & Zurich - Expulsion
1426 C.E. - Cologne - Expulsion
1431 C.E. - Southern Germany - Jews Burned Alive
1432 C.E. - Savory - Expulsion
1438 C.E. - Mainz - Expulsion
1439 C.E. - Augsburg - Expulsion
1449 C.E. - Toledo - Public Torture &. Burnings
1456 C.E. - Bavaria - Expulsion
1453 C.E. - Franconia - Expulsion
1453 C.E. - Breslau - Expulsion
1454 C.E. - Wurzburg - Expulsion
1463 C.E. - Cracow - Mob Attack
1473 C.E. - Andalusia - Mob Attack
1480 C.E. - Venice - Jews Burned Alive
1481 C.E. - Seville - Stake Burnings
1484 C.E. - Cuidad Real, Guadalupe, Saragossa & Teruel - Jews Burned Alive
1485 C.E. - Vincenza (Italy) - Expulsion
1486 C.E. - Toledo - Jews Burned Alive
1488 C.E. - Toledo - Stake Burnings
1490 C.E. - Toledo - Public Executions
1491 C.E. - Astorga - Public Torture & Execution
1492 C.E. - Spain - Expulsion
1495 C.E. - Lithuania - Expulsion
1497 C.E. - Portugal - Expulsion
1499 C.E. - Germany - Expulsion
1506 C.E. - Lisbon - Mob Attack
1510 C.E. - Berlin - Public Torture & Execution
1514 C.E. - Strasbourg - Expulsion
1519 C.E. - Regensburg - Expulsion
1539 C.E. - Cracow & Portugal - Stake Burnings
1540 C.E. - Naples - Expulsion
1542 C.E. - Bohemia - Expulsion
1550 C.E. - Genoa - Expulsion
1551 C.E. - Bavaria - Expulsion
1555 C.E. - Pesaro - Expulsion
1556 C.E. - Sokhachev (Poland) - Public Torture & Execution
1559 C.E. - Austria - Expulsion
1561 C.E. - Prague - Expulsion
1567 C.E. - Wurzburg - Expulsion
1569 C.E. - Papal States - Expulsion
1571 C.E. - Brandenburg - Expulsion
1582 C.E. - Netherlands - Expulsion
1593 C.E. - Brunswick - Expulsion
1597 C.E. - Cremona, Pavia & Lodi - Expulsion
1614 C.E. - Frankfort - Expulsion
1615 C.E. - Worms - Expulsion
1619 C.E. - Kiev - Expulsion
1635 C.E. - Vilna - Mob Attack
1637 C.E. - Cracow - Public Torture & Execution
1647 C.E. - Lisbon - Jews Burned Alive
1648 C.E. - Poland - 1/3 of Jewry Slaughtered
1649 C.E. - Ukraine - Expulsion
1649 C.E. - Hamburg - Expulsion
1652 C.E. - Lisbon - Stake Burnings
1654 C.E. - Little Russia - Expulsion
1656 C.E. - Lithuania - Expulsion
1660 C.E. - Seville - Jews Burned Alive
1663 C.E. - Cracow - Public Torture &. Execution
1664 C.E. - Lemberg - Mob Attack
1669 C.E. - Oran (North Africa) - Expulsion
1670 C.E. - Vienna - Expulsion
1671 C.E. - Minsk - Mob Attacks
1681 C.E. - Vilna - Mob Attacks
1682 C.E. - Cracow - Mob Attacks
1687 C.E. - Posen - Mob Attacks
1712 C.E. - Sandomir - Expulsion
1727 C.E. - Russia - Expulsion
1738 C.E. - Wurtemburg - Expulsion
1740 C.E. - Liule Russia - Expulsion
1744 C.E. - Bohemia - Expulsion
1744 C.E. - Livonia - Expulsion
1745 C.E. - Moravia - Expulsion
1753 C.E. - Kovad (Lithuania) - Expulsion
1757 C.E. - Kamenetz - Talmud Burning
1761 C.E. - Bordeaux - Expulsion
1768 C.E. - Kiev - 3,000 Jews Slaughtered
1772 C.E. - Russia - Expulsion
1775 C.E. - Warsaw - Expulsion
1789 C.E. - Alsace - Expulsion
1801 C.E. - Bucharest - Mob Attack
1804 C.E. - Russian Villages - Expulsion
1808 C.E. - Russian Countryside - Expulsion
1815 C.E. - Lubeck & Bremen - Expulsion
1820 C.E. - Bremes - Expulsion
1843 C.E. - Austria & Prussia - Expulsion
1850 C.E. - New York City - 500 People, Led by Police, Attacked & Wrecked Jewish Synagogue
1862 C.E. - Area under General Grant's Jurisdiction in the United States Expulsion
1866 C.E. - Galatz (Romania) - Expulsion
1871 C.E. - Odena - Mob Attack
1887 C.E. - Slovakia - Mob Attacks
1897 C.E. - Kantakuzenka (Russia) - Mob Attacks
1898 C.E. - Rennes (France) - Mob Attack
1899 C.E. - Nicholayev - Mob Attack
1900 C.E. - Konitz (Prussia) - Mob Attack
1902 C.E. - Poland - Widespread Pogroms
1904 C.E. - Manchuria, Kiev & Volhynia - Widespread Pogroms
1905 C.E. - Zhitomir (Yolhynia) - Mob Attacks
1919 C.E. - Bavaria - Expulsion
1915 C.E. - Georgia (U.S.A.) - Leo Frank Lynched
1919 C.E. - Prague - Wide Spread Pogroms
1920 C.E. - Munich & Breslau - Mob Attacks
1922 C.E. - Boston - MA Lawrence Lowell, President of Harvard, calls for Quota Restrictions on Jewish Admission
1926 C.E. - Uzbekistan - Pogrom
1928 C.E. - Hungary - Widespread Anti-Semitic Riots on University Campuses
1929 C.E. - Lemberg (Poland) - Mob Attacks
1930 C.E. - Berlin - Mob Attack
1933 C.E. - Bucharest - Mob Attacks
1938-45 C.E. - Europe - Holocaust

I am Zionist

By: Yair Lapid

I am a Zionist.

I believe that the Jewish people established itself in the Land of Israel, albeit somewhat late. Had it listened to the alarm clock, there would have been no Holocaust, and my dead grandfather – the one I was named after – would have been able to dance a last waltz with grandma on the shores of the Yarkon River.

I am a Zionist.

Hebrew is the language I use to thank the Creator, and also to swear on the road. The Bible does not only contain my history, but also my geography. King Saul went to look for mules on what is today Highway 443, Jonah the Prophet boarded his ship not too far from what is today a Jaffa restaurant, and the balcony where David peeped on Bathsheba must have been bought by some oligarch by now.

I am a Zionist.

The first time I saw my son wearing an IDF uniform I burst into tears, I haven't missed the Independence Day torch-lighting ceremony for 20 years now, and my television was made in Korea, but I taught it to cheer for our national soccer team.

I am a Zionist.

I believe in our right for this land. The people who were persecuted for no reason throughout history have a right to a state of their own plus a free F-16 from the manufacturer. Every display of anti-Semitism from London to Mumbai hurts me, yet deep inside I'm thinking that Jews who choose to live abroad fail to understand something very basic about this world. The State of Israel was not established so that the anti-Semites will disappear, but rather, so we can tell them to get lost.

I am a Zionist.

I was fired at in Lebanon, a Katyusha rockets missed me by a few feet in Kiryat Shmona, missiles landed near my home during the first Gulf War, I was in Sderot when the Color Red anti-rocket alert system was activated, terrorists blew themselves up not too far from my parents' house, and my children stayed in a bomb shelter before they even knew how to pronounce their own name, clinging to a grandmother who arrived here from Poland to escape death. Yet nonetheless, I always felt fortunate to be living here, and I don't really feel good anywhere else.

I am a Zionist.

I think that anyone who lives here should serve in the army, pay taxes, vote in the elections, and be familiar with the lyrics of at least one Shalom Hanoch song. I think that the State of Israel is not only a place, it is also an idea, and I wholeheartedly believe in the three extra commandments engraved on the wall of the Holocaust museum in Washington: "Thou shalt not be a victim, thou shalt not be a perpetrator, but above all, thou shalt not be a bystander."

I am a Zionist.

I already laid down on my back to admire the Sistine Chapel, I bought a postcard at the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, and I was deeply impressed by the emerald Buddha at the king's palace in Bangkok. Yet I still believe that Tel Aviv is more entertaining, the Red Sea is greener, and the Western Wall Tunnels provide for a much more powerful spiritual experience. It is true that I'm not objective, but I'm also not objective in respect to my wife and children.

I am a Zionist.

I am a man of tomorrow but I also live my past. My dynasty includes Moses, Jesus, Maimonides, Sigmund Freud, Karl Marx, Albert Einstein, Woody Allen, Bobby Fischer, Bob Dylan, Franz Kafka, Herzl, and Ben-Gurion. I am part of a tiny persecuted minority that influenced the world more than any other nation. While others invested their energies in war, we had the sense to invest in our minds.

I am a Zionist.

I sometimes look around me and become filled with pride, because I live better than a billion Indians, 1.3 billion Chinese, the entire African continent, more than 250 million Indonesians, and also better than the Thais, the Filipinos, the Russians, the Ukrainians, and the entire Muslim world, with the exception of the Sultan of Brunei. I live in a country under siege that has no natural resources, yet nonetheless the traffic lights always work and we have high-speed connection to the Internet.

I am a Zionist.

My Zionism is natural, just like it is natural for me to be a father, a husband, and a son. People who claim that they, and only they, represent the "real Zionism" are ridiculous in my view. My Zionism is not measured by the size of my kippa, by the neighborhood where I live, or by the party I will be voting for. It was born a long time before me, on a snowy street in the ghetto in Budapest where my father stood and attempted, in vain, to understand why the entire world is trying to kill him.

I am a Zionist.

Every time an innocent victim dies, I bow my head because once upon a time I was an innocent victim. I have no desire or intention to adopt the moral standards of my enemies. I do not want to be like them. I do not live on my sword; I merely keep it under my pillow.

I am a Zionist.

I do not only hold on to the rights of our forefathers, but also to the duty of the sons. The people who established this state lived and worked under much worse conditions than I have to face, yet nonetheless they did not make do with mere survival. They also attempted to establish a better, wiser, more humane, and more moral state here. They were willing to die for this cause, and I try to live for its sake.

Jerusalem of Gold

In Jerusalem, the theological and historical arguments matter, serving often as the functional equivalent of legal claims. The strength of these arguments will ultimately help determine who governs the city. Already we hear the ritual and relativistic cliche that Jerusalem is "a city holy to both peoples." But like most cliches, this one is more false than true. Jerusalem stands as the paramount religious city of Judaism, a place so holy that not just its soil but even its air is deemed sacred. Jews pray in its direction, invoke its name at the end of each meal and close the Passover service with the wistful statement "Next year in Jerusalem."
Jerusalem, the ultimate word in every seder and in every Jewish wedding as say:
"If I Forget Thee, O Jerusalem, Let My Right Hand Forget Her Cunning." - Psalm 137:5.
Jerusalem is at the heart of the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis.

JERUSALEM FACTS:
1) Israel became a state in 1312 BC. 2 millennium before Islam.

2) Arab refugees from Israel began calling themselves Palestinians in 1967, 2 decades after the modern Israeli statehood.

3) After conquering the land in 1272 BC. Jews ruled it for thousands years and maintained a continuous presence for 3300 years.

4) For over 3300 years, Jerusalem was the Jewish capital. It was never the capital of any Arab or Muslim entity. Even under Jordanian rule, east Jerusalem was not made the capital, and no Arab leader came to visit it.

5) Jerusalem is mentioned over 700 times in the Bible, but not once is it mentioned in the Quran.

6) King David founded Jerusalem, Muhammad never set foot in it.

7) The holiest Jewish site in the world and a renowned symbol of Jerusalem's Old City is the Western Wall.

8) Jews pray facing Jerusalem, Muslims pray facing to Mecca.

9) Before 1865, the entire population of Jerusalem lived behind the Old City walls (what today would be considered the eastern part of the city). Later, the city started to expand beyond the walls because of population growth, and both Jews and Arabs began to build in new areas of the city.

10) Muslim dominance first came to Jerusalem in 638 when the army of Caliph Omar conquered the Holy City.

11) Muslims claim the Jews occupy Arab lands, when in fact the Arabs are the occupiers in the Middle East. They belong in Arabia and have no right to Jerusalem. Jerusalem is not Israeli-occupied territory but Arab occupied territory.

12) The Koran does not mention Jerusalem even once, meaning their claim to Israel's and Judaism's capital as their third holiest city is fraudulent and aimed at stealing the city from the Jews.

13) Al-Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock are built exactly in the middle of the Jewish Temple Mount.

Jewish Holidays - Sukkot

Sukkot is the last of the Shalosh R'galim (three pilgrimage festivals). Like Passover and Shavu'ot, Sukkot has a dual significance: historical and agricultural. Historically, Sukkot commemorates the forty-year period during which the children of Israel were wandering in the desert, living in temporary shelters. Agriculturally, Sukkot is a harvest festival and is sometimes referred to as Chag Ha-Asif Chag Ha-Asif (in Hebrew), the Festival of Ingathering.

Jewish Holidays - Rosh Ha'Shannah

Rosh Hashanah occurs on the first and second days of Tishri. In Hebrew, Rosh Hashanah means, literally, "head of the year" or "first of the year." Rosh Hashanah is commonly known as the Jewish New Year. This name is somewhat deceptive, because there is little similarity between Rosh Hashanah, one of the holiest days of the year.