Reflections on Israeli Life: Ariel Sharon

by Esther Korson

   It has been a sad time in this nation these last few days following the news of the death of Ariel (it means ‘lion of God”) Sharon. As President Shimon Peres said on the day of his funeral, “The nation loved him and he loved Israel, both its people and its land. Arik (his nickname) was a man of the land.  He loved the smell; he cultivated the hills, he sowed and he reaped.  He defended this land like a lion…He was a military legend in his lifetime...May you rest in peace, our great leader.  You never rested when in service of your people, when defending your land and when making it flourish.  The land from which you came will embrace you in the warm arms of the history of our nation to which you added an unforgettable chapter…”

            Israel is truly a family, and when something like this happens the feeling of shared sorrow and togetherness is palpable.  For example, whenever something happens in this country that affects everybody, the bus drivers will turn the sound up on the hourly news and everyone on the bus stops talking and quietly listens.  It happened yesterday, of course, when I was taking public transportation in Jerusalem. It was the day of Arik’s funeral. And then on another bus on my way to Tel Aviv, a soldier was sitting next to me reading in an Israeli newspaper the articles about Sharon’s life and legacy.  When he finished, he simply handed the paper to me, and we both shed a few tears together.

            U.S. Vice President Joe Biden really grasped this special aspect of Israeli life and said the following at the funeral: “With a close- knit country like Israel, when a country that has been tested as much as Israel has, loses a man like Prime Minister Sharon, it doesn’t feel like a loss of a leader, it feels like a death in the family…”

The family of Israel has lost a true hero this week…

 

Reflections on Israeli Life: Ariel Sharon

The Jerusalem Gift Shop 'Tithe Back' Program

Tithe Back Program The Jerusalem Gift Shop - Israel's largest Believer-owned web store supplying Christian gifts directly from the Holy Land - is happy to announce an opportunity for Ministries, Congregations and Christian Organizations to bless Israel and to be blessed directly from Jerusalem as well! We will provide your organization with an exclusive code enabling anyone purchasing gifts from us to an automatic 10% discount, plus semi-annually we will return to you 10% from the sum of all purchases generated through your ministry's code. In the next year we will be expanding our already extensive product range; redesigning our shopping experience; and adding innovative new content to our web store that will deepen our shoppers' connection to Israel and its people. We would love for you to participate in our new "Tithe Back" program. It’s a simple way to bless the land of Israel!

THE DETAILS ARE AS FOLLOWS: Step One: Sign Up by emailing us the following info at tithe@thejerusalemgiftshop.com a. Name of Ministry, Congregation or Organization b. Contact person c. Address and Telephone d. Email address you use for Pay Pal e. If you want to receive $250 credit let us know and we will tell you how. Step Two: After receiving your information, we will give you an exclusive code that will enable all who use it to receive a 10% discount on all items purchased from the web store. Step Three: Promote us in any way you can. We will send you a package with promotional material that you can use. We will give your ministry or organization a $250 credit if you give us an anchor link on your website. Step Four: Twice a year the Jerusalem Gift Shop will 'Tithe Back' 10% of all sales generated using your exclusive code. Step Five: Be Blessed!

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The Rose of Bethlehem Pendant

The Rose of Bethlehem gold Star of David Necklace incorporates a miraculous flower from the Land of Israel. With just a few drops of water it re-blooms before your eyes.The flower reaches full bloom in about four minutes. It then returns to it hibernating state within an hour. The flower is mounted on a beautifully crafted in the Holy Land gold plated 'Star of David'. When you wear the Rose, you wear an actual piece of the Land of Israel.

The Rose of Bethlehem Necklace

 

A moment in Jerusalem

 Nothing is more fun than taking someone through the Old City of Jerusalem for the first time. Today I had the privilege of taking my brother in law for his first experience with  the many facets of this historic city.
He was staying in Yemin Moshe which was the first neighborhood outside the walls of Jerusalem and is historic in its own right.
 We walked to Jaffa gate through to the Christian Quarter where you get the sense that Christmas is nigh. There were throngs of Christmas Shoppersfrom all over the world crowding the alleys of the Christian Quarter. Olive Wood Nativity sets were sitting pride of place in the shop windows.
 After we changed some money and my girls were treated to some free gifts from our friends in the various shops we made our way to the Crusader Church of the Holy Seplichur. If you have never been the Church it is a real atmospheric experience with pilgrims from all nations, the scent of Frankenstein and Myrrh curling through the air and the Priests watching and leading the faithful in their pilgrimage, 
 For millions of Orthodox Christians this is a holy site and every square inch is spoken for by the various sects. 
The best part for me was watching my brother in law transition from a disconnected tourist to suddenly connecting to the historic magnitude of this city. Once it starts to sink in every step afterwards can be spiritual or at least awe inspiring.

Today and yesterday Israel has had the blessing of its first rains of the year! Thank you Lord! From my window I see people out Christmas shopping nevertheless