Two-Year-Old Child Leads IDF Soldiers in Reciting Sh'ma and Part of Haggadah

In times of sadness and anger, it's comforting and inspirational to see examples of the Jewish community uniting in solidarity.

Such a moment took place this week at the Kotel (Western Wall) in Jerusalem when a two-year-old child from Chabad stood on a chair in the presence of a group of IDF soldiers and led them in reciting the Sh'ma and an excerpt from the Passover Haggadah.

In this video clip you can see the child leading and the soldiers responding to the Sh'ma and to the first sentence from this paragraph in the Haggadah:

בְּכָל-דּוֹר וָדוֹר חַיָּב אָדָם לִרְאוֹת אֶת-עַצְמוֹ כְּאִלּוּ הוּא יָצָא מִמִּצְרַיִם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְהִגַּדְתָּ לְבִנְךָ בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא לֵאמֹר, בַּעֲבוּר זֶה עָשָׂה יקוק לִי בְּצֵאתִי מִמִּצְרַיִם. לֹא אֶת-אֲבוֹתֵינוּ בִּלְבָד גָּאַל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, אֶלָּא אַף אוֹתָנוּ גָּאַל עִמָּהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְאוֹתָנוּ הוֹצִיא מִשָּׁם, לְמַעַן הָבִיא אוֹתָנוּ, לָתֶת לָנוּ אֶת-הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נִשָׁבַּע לַאֲבֹתֵינוּ 

 

In each and every generation, a person is obligated to see himself as if he left Egypt, as it is stated (Exodus 13:8); "For the sake of this, did the Lord do [this] for me in my going out of Egypt." Not only our ancestors did the Holy One, blessed be He, redeem, but rather also us [together] with them did he redeem, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 6:23); "And He took us out from there, in order to bring us in, to give us the land which He swore unto our fathers."

 

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Thousands Gather in Jerusalem for Birkat Kohanim (The Priestly Blessing) on Sukkot

In Israel, the priestly blessing takes place daily in every synagogue across the country. But twice a year, once during Passover and once during Sukkot, a mass priestly blessing is held at the Western Wall.

This gathering of tens of thousands became tradition following its initiation by Rabbi Menachem Mendel Gafner during the War of Attrition. He thought of the impact and power the priestly blessing holds, even following the destruction of the temples, and decided to offer both kohanim and others to partake in this meaningful experience en masse during a period that was very difficult in the State of Israel.

Birkat Kohanim at the Kotel is something very worth attending at least once. Provided you aren’t bothered by very large crowds, join the tens of thousands of people who attend this event annually and receive the historic blessing from hundreds of Jews of priestly lineage as they face the congregation, hands stretched forward, chanting in one voice.

This was the scene yesterday morning at the Kotel as Jerusalem residents and visitors came together to receive the blessing of the Kohanim on the third day of Sukkot, the first day of Chol Hamoed.

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Today is Hoshanah Rabbah, Last Chance for a Lulav Shake This Year, So Let's Make it a Big One!

Well, our month of holidays is finally coming to an end. Today is Hoshanah Rabbah, the fifth day of Chol Hamoed Sukkot, and the day before Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah.

Whether or not you got a chance to shake a lulav with the etrog, myrtle and willow branches this year, we thought a video of the festivities in Jerusalem yesterday would bring a satisfying closure to this holiday period.

Here's a video of the throngs gathered at the Western Wall yesterday morning to say Hallel with their Sukkot symbols.

One lulav shaker somewhere in the world (we haven't located the place yet) couldn't make it to the Western Wall and did his shaking in a synagogue. This has to be the biggest lulav and etrog that we have ever seen. We'd like to see the carrying case for this giant palm frond. Watch the short video clip below the video of the scene at the Kotel.

We'll be celebrating Sukkot and Shabbat for the next three days and we'll be back with more Jewish humor on Sunday.

Chag sameach and Shabbat shalom!


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Time Out for Tisha B'Av - A Day for Fasting and Lamentations

Today we continue the observance of Tisha B'Av, the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av, which ends tonight. It's a day of fasting and reading from the Book of Lamentations, which describes the sad state of the Holy Temple and the city of Jerusalem after its destruction in 586 B.C.E. by the Babylonians.

At the Kotel (Western Wall) in Jerusalem today, the contrast is striking. On Tisha B'Av, thousands of residents and visitors find their way to join the throngs who recite Lamentations but also sing songs of hope and prayer. 

Yesterday we shared the singing of Acheinu, a prayer for our brothers in trouble or in captivity. Today we post a video of a throng at the Kotel singing Ani Ma'amin, Maimonides' thirteen principles of faith.

We'll be back tomorrow with more of the usual mix of funny true stories, jokes, music, nostalgia, videos, and whatever's in the news that makes us laugh or smile.

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Tisha B'Av Starts Tonight - A Time for Reflection on the Destruction of the Holy Temples

There is no day during the year when we can't find an opportunity to laugh, chuckle, guffaw, grin, or maybe just crack a smile.  Without humor, the world would be a much grimmer place.  Even during the High Holy Days and on fast days, most of us find a moment to share an anecdote or witty comment with friends.   Tonight and tomorrow are no exception, but the overall mood of the elongated day is much more sorrowful than any other.  The reason, of course, is that tonight we begin the observance of Tisha B'Av, the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av, which lasts until Tuesday night. Tisha B’Av is a fast day that commemorates the destruction of the two Temples. It also happens to be the day that many other calamities have befallen the Jewish people, some of which are listed below: 587 BCE (3338)- The First Temple is destroyed by the Babylonians, led by Nebuchadnezzar. The Jews are sent into what later became known as the Babylonian Exile. 70 CE (3830)- The Second Temple is destroyed by the Romans, led by Titus. 135 CE (3895) - The Romans defeat Bar Kochba's last fortress, Betar, and destroy his army. Bar Kochba himself is killed along with more than 100,000 other Jews. The Roman Emperor Hadrian turns Jerusalem into a Roman city. 1290 (5050) - King Edward I of England signs an edict expelling all Jews from England. 1492 (5252) - The Alhambra Decree takes effect, expelling the Jews from Spain and from all Spanish territories. 1914 (5674) - World War I begins when Germany declares war on Russia, setting the stage for World War II and the Holocaust. 1940 (5700) - Himmler presents his plan for the "Final Solution" to the Jewish problem to the Nazi Party. 1942 (5702) - Nazis begin deporting Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto.  On Tisha B'Av, Jews gather in darkened synagogues to read Eicha (The Book of Lamentations) and reflect on the tragedies that befell our people through the millennia. So we won't post any jokes or hilarity today and tomorrow, but we'll share a couple of videos of singing at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. Today's post is a video taken at the Kotel in Jerusalem in 2015, when hundreds swayed in unison as they sang the prayer Acheinu.

Acheinu kol beit yisrael, han'tunim b'tzara uvashivyah, haomdim bein bayam uvein bayabasha. Hamakom Y'racheim Aleihem v'yotziem mitzra lirvacha um'afaila l'orah umishiabud lig'ulah, hashta ba'agala uvizman kariv.V'nomar: Amen

אַחֵינוּ כָּל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל, הַנְּתוּנִים בְּצָרָה וּבַשִּׁבְיָה, הָעוֹמְדִים בֵּין בַּיָּם וּבֵין בַּיַּבָּשָׁה, הַמָּקוֹם יְרַחֵם עֲלֵיהֶם, וְיוֹצִיאֵם מִצָּרָה לִרְוָחָה, וּמֵאֲפֵלָה לְאוֹרָה, וּמִשִּׁעְבּוּד לִגְאֻלָּה, הַשְׁתָּא בַּעֲגָלָא וּבִזְמַן קָרִיב.

Translation: As for our brothers,​ the whole house of Israel, who are given over to trouble or captivity​, whether they abide on the sea or on the dry land: May the All-prese​nt have mercy upon them, and bring them forth from trouble to enlargeme​nt, from darkness to light, and from subjectio​n to redemptio​n, now speedily and at a near time; and let us say, Amen.  A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO IS NOT VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

A Sure Sign That Passover is Near: Cleaning Notes from the Western Wall

Eight days from today, Jews around the world will be sitting down to the Passover seder. Signs of Pesach are everywhere, especially in supermarkets where the aisles are filled with all kinds of matzah and Kosher for Passover items.

One of the necessary, if not beloved, chores performed during the week before Pesach, is house cleaning. Wherever you live, the process is about the same. But in the old city of Jerusalem, getting ready for Pesach includes a special type of cleaning -- removing the many notes that have been placed in the Kotel Hamaaravi - the Western Wall of the Temple.

All year long visitors scribble their prayers and wishes on pieces of paper and stuff them into the wall's crevices. More than a million prayer notes or wishes are placed in the Western Wall each year.

According to Jewish law, prayer notes may not be thrown away; there is a difference of opinion as to whether they should be burned or buried. According to Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch, Rabbi of the Western Wall and author of Minhagei HaKotel, a book of halakhot about the Western Wall, burning is a "pure" way to deal with the notes, but burying them is more honorable. Twice a year, Rabbi Rabinovitch and his assistants collect the notes left in the Wall and bury them in the Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives.

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Unexpected Traces in Jewish Places: Amish and Mennonite Group Visits the Western Wall

A delegation of Amish/Mennonite communities visited Israel in November 2012 to express their commitment to Israel and the Jewish People.

The Jerusalem Post reported:

Although there is no shortage of extraordinary sights at the Wall, the visit by a group of 31 Amish people (29 Americans and 2 Canadians) had people staring in wonder as the group filled the air with their heartfelt hymns. The group came to Israel to apologize to the Jewish people for not previously recognizing the Jews as the chosen people and for not doing more to prevent persecution of the Jews in the past.

The group expressed the purpose of their visit: "We would like to meet and bless the people of Israel, to show our support, especially in the area of repentance, and acknowledgment of our errors, such as having rejected them as God's chosen people."

"We would like to meet with city officials and other leaders who would give us a few minutes of their time. We, the Amish and Anabaptist people turned away from Jewish nation, while they were in their darkest hour of need. We hardened our hearts against them, we left them - never lifting our voices in protest against the atrocities that were committed against them. We want to publicly repent of this and acknowledge our support of Israel."

This video shows the group united in song at the Western Wall.

Enjoy! 

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