Today is the 4th of July, what we Americans call our Independence Day. Despite the fact that the Declaration was issued a few days earlier than this some 247 years ago. And, as was true for Israel when it declared its independence in 1948, our neighbors weren’t so sure we were independent. OK. For America, it wasn’t the “neighbors”- it was Britain. But, even when Britain conceded it lost the States, it wasn’t until the completion of the War of 1812 that our battle(s) with Britain truly achieved our independence.
Tag Archives: Freedom
It’s a Holiday tonight!
Tonight is the first night, the advent of the holiday of Passover. Other than Rosh Hashana and Yom Kipur, this is the one holiday that most Jews celebrate. Oh, Chanuka comes close, but most folks still don’t light the menora.
Shabat Pesach
Tonight is both Shabat and the first night of Pesach (Passover). Other than Rosh Hashana and Yom Kipur, this is the one holiday that most Jews celebrate. Oh, Chanuka comes close, but most folks still don’t light the menora.
Pesach- but you probably call it Passover
Tomorrow night, Saturday evening (after Shabat), begins the holiday of Passover. Other than Rosh Hashana and Yom Kipur, this is the one holiday that most Jews celebrate. Oh, Chanuka comes close, but most folks still don’t light the menora.
Free at last…
Tonight begins the holiday of Passover. Other than Rosh Hashana and Yom Kipur, this is the one holiday that most Jews celebrate. (According to a study, while less than 1/4 of all Jews regularly [that means once a month, not once a week or once a day] attend synagogue, more than 70% attend a Pesach Seder.) Oh, Chanuka comes close, but most folks still don’t light the menora.
And, it happened in the middle of the night
Tonight begins the holiday of Passover. And, since tonight also begins the Sabbath, the celebrations will be just a little longer. And, a little bit more celebratory.
Continue reading And, it happened in the middle of the night
Let Freedom Ring
Most of you know that Jewish folks read a section of the Tora (what many of you call the Old Testament) every week, as well as a reading from the prophets.
Our hope is not yet lost (עוד לא אבדה תקוותנו)
Today is a most special day. 70 years ago (the Hebrew date, which is the 5th of Iyar, is the one that counts), the State of Israel was created. A dream that had been unfulfilled for almost 2000 years.
Continue reading Our hope is not yet lost (עוד לא אבדה תקוותנו)
CCXLVI. Oh, and XXVI, 2!
Ah, facts. Long before our current president, we weren’t always meticulous about dates and facts. After all, we did decide to use 4 July 1776 as the date we proclaimed our independence from Britain. Even if the Declaration of Independence was issued two or three days earlier. And, that means we celebrate our Freedom 241 years later today. (Thankfully, it is not among those days that Congress, in its infinite wisdom [read as stupidity], elected to move to Mondays, affording a longer weekend. ) We celebrate the day with fireworks, with going to the beach, with barbeques, and with get-togethers.
It’s not just a day off.
If you live in the States, the odds are you have no clue that today is “Decoration Day”. Then, it was always the 30th of May. Not the “If it’s Monday, we need a holiday” version we are celebrating today (the 29th of May).