Hanukkah holds special memories for me. When I was growing up, we as a family attended a Messianic Jewish congregation and enjoyed celebrating the Biblical Jewish holidays that Jews have celebrated for centuries. We so enjoyed opening a present each night of Hanukkah from my maternal grandmother's Hanukkah basket that she prepared for us each year. For eight nights we opened presents that included Hanukkah necessities like candles and Hanukkah gelt (chocolate "coins") and homemade treats like pizzelles and date nut bread. Each night we lit a candle of the menorah which prominently stood on the wide ledge of our bay window that faced the nearby road. As cars drove past our home on the outskirts of a small city (which was more like a town), drivers probably assumed that a Jewish family was celebrating Hanukkah (which was fine with us), when in fact we were a Christian Gentile family with a deep, genuine, multigenerational love for our Jewish Messiah, for the Jewish people, for Israel, and for our Judeo-Christian heritage. We loved celebrating Hanukkah!
So on this special first night of Hanukkah, I want to wish each and every one of you a Happy Hanukkah! May G-d bless you with a special and safe Festival of Lights as you celebrate His faithfulness and the Light He brings into each of our lives. We look forward to the day when the Messiah, the Light of the World, is welcomed in Jerusalem, the heart of Israel.
Here is a video of President and Mrs. Bush celebrating Hanukkah at the White House in 2004:
Please watch this video to discover why I am supporting Congresswoman Michele Bachmann in her run for the Republican nomination for President of the United States. She has demonstrated very strong adherence to the Constitution and accountability to "We the People." It is time for conservative Republicans, Democrats, and Independents and all Constitution-loving Americans to unite around a candidate that will not just say what we want to hear, but will fight in the White House for a government "of, by, and for the people." I am tired of politicians who pay lip-service to conservative principles and ideals but retreat only minutes into the beginning of a skirmish. I am tired of politicians who go to Washington, D.C., after we have propelled them to victory, claiming they will remember us and take our voice to Washington only for them to turn around and tell us to shut up months later. The Presidency of the United States is an important position in the world and we need a stateswoman to occupy the Oval Office. We need someone to "Occupy the Oval Office" who represents the true 99% of Americans who want to "occupy a job" instead of a President who wants to "Occupy the Oval Office" only to promote an agenda antithetical to America's founding Constitutional principles of limited government and democratic republicanism. The current occupant of the White House represents the 1% of malcontents who want to destroy our Constitutional democratic republic and replace it with European style socialism or worse. Congresswoman Michele Bachmann represents the 99% of Americans who love our Constitutional Republic and want to restore it. With Michele Bachmann, we have the chance to restore America to our Founding Father's vision of an America where the people have God-given rights and are governed by Judeo-Christian laws, which ensures freedom and justice for all citizens.
For months I have been mulling over writing two blog posts: one on Congressman Ron Paul and his policy positions and the other on Ron Paul supporters. I have not written those posts yet, but today I found this article that I felt I need to share with you. Please take the time to read the entire article. You may not agree with everything in the article, but please look at the facts and consider the importance of our founding principles and the need to understand our politicians' policy positions.This article is more than just an articulation of Congressman Paul's policy philosophy; It is an article about the foundation of our Constitution and the roots of Constitutional Conservatism. If we want to survive as a nation, we must return to our roots. We must educate ourselves on the foundation of our country and how we as Constitutional Conservatives can build on that foundation and not tear it down.
Proverbs 24:11-12: "If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; If thou sayest, Behold we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth he not know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?"
This past Tuesday Gilad Shalit finally came home! After 5 years of being held by Hamas in captivity cut off from the world, Gilad has been reunited with his family, friends, and Israel. In Israel and around the world, people celebrated his safe return. This excellent video, made by a friend of mine, is very meaningful because of the background music. She used this same background music in other videos of Gilad Shalit that were advocating his release. Praise God "dream[s] really do come true"! (Please enjoy and share with your friends.)
Another great video and this one is from United with Israel:
May God bless Gilad with a restful recovery and rapid progress as he returns to his life in Israel!
Announcing Sunday's Special...a day early! Even if you are only able to watch one these videos in a single sitting, please consider watching all of them over the next week. The first video went viral on the Internet (a couple years ago, I think.) I wanted to share something truly special, so here are several videos that I highly recommend:
If you have not watched the 180 Movie, please take the time to watch it today. So often in our fast paced world we forget to take the time to consider what really matters. History matters. Life matters. Eternity matters.
We often take the time to argue over History and its influence on our lives today. We sometimes take the time to argue over Life and what are called the prolife and prochoice positions. We less often take the time to argue about Eternity and the afterlife. In all our arguing, we too often forget to consider the ramifications of our positions and the logic or lack of logic behind our arguments.
America's Hatikvah is now on Twitter. Unfortunately, our last "h" seemed to go over the number of characters allowed in a handle. Please follow us on Twitter for exclusive America's Hatikvah updates in the days and weeks to come.
I am pleased to announce "Wonky Wednesdays." Starting today I will begin focusing on policy wonk articles and sharing my thoughts on public policy on Wednesdays.
This article by Jeffrey Lord at the American Spectator is very fascinating. I found most interesting this line from the article: "The too-cute-by-half cleverness in this current argument over the newest appearance of anti-Semitism as an anchor of Neoliberal philosophy is the use of the term 'neoconservative' as a euphemism for 'Jew.' ": http://spectator.org/archives/2011/08/23/ron-paul-and-the-neoliberal-re
While is is a long article, I hope you take the time read it to better understand the current Libertarian movement.
This is the documentary of the year in my view. The arguments made in this film are convincing and powerful! Please take the time to check it out and share with all your friends! What changed these people's minds in seconds?
In the future, Saturdays will focus on current news related to Israel and the Jewish people. While I blog about Israel regularly, I want a specific day set aside to devote to an important Israeli news article for the week.
The big story of this week was the Palestinians' bid for statehood at the UN. Here is the link to an article that explains the time schedule the Palestinians want for a recognition of a Palestinian state: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4126774,00.html
This has been a historic week for American-Israeli relations. This week Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, visited New York City to address the United Nations. The night before his speech to the UN he visited Ground Zero with his wife, Sarah. They remembered all those murdered that fateful day including four Israelis and laid a wreath at Ground Zero to honor them. PM Netanyahu's sympathy for the pain we experienced that day reminds us that Israel is no stranger to the heartache terrorism brings to a nation and its citizens. Israel and Prime Minister Netanyahu know better than most how to comfort those who have experienced the horror and shock of an terrorist attack fueled by the hatred of Islamic fundamentalists. They know...They understand...They care...They share our pain. We will be forever grateful to them for their sympathy and support. The following video of the Netanyahu's visit was posted by the Prime Minister of Israel's Facebook page:
Prime Minister Netanyahu announced several days after speaking at a remembrance service for September 11th in Israel, that he would appear before the United Nations to tell those assembled at the UN the truth ahead of any vote on Palestinian statehood. It is no coincidence in my mind that he made this announcement just days after discussing the lessons we learned on September 11th. We must view any Palestinian statehood achieved through the UN without direct negotiations as a ploy of the Palestinian Authority to avoid recognizing the Jewish State of Israel. If the Palestinians secure a state through the UN and attempt to establish such a state, we can be assured that the said state will be a threat to Israel specifically because it will not recognize Israel's right to exist. If Palestinian Islamic fundamentalists control this new "state," a September 11th-style attack on Israel or the United States seems imminent. Prime Minister Netanyahu's announcement, the Thursday following the 10th anniversary of September 11th, to address the UN serves as a stark reminder of the lessons of September 11th -- the consequences of underestimating the determination and misreading the capability of those who wish to destroy Israel and the United States were tragic. The United States made those fundamental mistakes and suffered the dire consequence -- September 11th. Israel understands this very well. They will not repeat the same mistakes. Those who oppose freedom - Islamic fundamentalists - must not be allowed to circumvent the peace process and destroy our allies.
The Prime Minister's address to the United Nations was a thoughtful, educational, and serious reminder of the need for peace through strength. Another great leader, Ronald Reagan, used to stress the importance of peace through strength. President Reagan achieved peace with the Soviet Union through strength. That victory was achieved by President Reagan's heeding the words of a Russian proverb that he liked to repeat to Mikhail Gorbachev often, " Trust but verify." Israel, though its dedication to peace through strength and the speeches of its Prime Minister, among other things, has demonstrated that it is ready for peace. Prime Minister Netanyahu is ready on the behalf of the Israeli people to negotiate peace. Israel is ready to trust, but only if it can verify.
I want to announce that in the future on Mondays I will share with you my favorite music. So here is the first installment. I must admit that I listen to this video quite often. It inspires me! It was performed by CUFI on Campus students at a Night to Honor Israel that they hosted in 2010. Enjoy this special song,"Shalom Aleichem," which means "Peace be upon you."
Please watch this video that was filmed in Canada at a Anti-Zionism rally this August. You will hear what some people think about Israel and Zionism, the United States, the Canadian government, President Obama and peace. This is what we in America, Israel and obviously, Canada, are up against -- an ideology of hate:
Contrast that depressing video with this inspiring video about the challenges and triumphs of college Israel activists! They do not demonize their opposition. They just present the facts. Be encouraged! This is what we in America, Israel and Canada are up for -- a fight for the survival of freedom:
Thank you for reading and feel free to share your thoughts on these videos with me! Let us stand for freedom!
Imagine being abducted by terrorists while defending your country. Imagine being separated from your family at the age of 19. Imagine being virtually cut off from the world for 5 long years. Imagine spending your birthday for 6 years with your terrorist abductors. Imagine being Gilad Shalit.
Gilad was abducted on June 25, 2011 by the terrorist organization, Hamas.
Millions of people care about Gilad Shalit and have been praying and working for years to obtain his release. Are you one of them? If you are not, now is a great time to get involved! We need your help!
Please consider attending the Facebook event "Gilad Shalit's 6th Birthday in Captivity" https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=129565940473360 this Sunday and clicking the "like" button on the Facebook page "5 Million for the Release of Gilad Shalit" https://www.facebook.com/ReleaseGiladShalit. Both the page and the event were launched this week. Please help increase the number of attendees at the event this Sunday, August 28, 2011 and have the Facebook page go viral and reach 5 MILLION "LIKES."
Thank you for caring about Gilad Shalit and working for his release!
God bless you and Shalom,
Nili
Sunday, August 21, 2011
I have been praying for Israel as they have suffered from multiple rocket attacks over the past few days. Here is an article about some of those killed in the attacks. It is an important reminder that each life that is lost is precious and memorable: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4111057,00.html#.Tk_aSJtDCW8.facebook
Welcome to my blog! Thank you for taking the time to visit. I hope you get enjoyment, education and energy from what I post. I look forward to sharing my thoughts with you, hearing from you via your comments and learning from your experiences.
America's Hatikvah (Hope) is a place to share with you my thoughts on America, Israel, and politics. I love this country, the United States of America, where I was born and have been raised. I love our close ally, Israel, who inspires me daily with her courage, strength and determination. I love politics, particularly conservative politics, because I believe that the future of our country depends on an informed and engaged citizenry. Most of all, I love G-d and people both of whom teach me every day that life is a gift - an adventure worth living!
So what exactly is America's Hatikvah? What is our hope in these days of economic, political and social upheaval in the United States and around the world? I believe that the answer is found in America's founding documents. It is found in the writings of our Founding Fathers and Mothers. It is found in the buildings they built and in the institutions they created. Quite simply, America's Hope, our Hatikvah, is found in the Judeo-Christian Heritage our Founding Fathers bequeathed to us. Our Hatikvah is summed up in one word: G-d. Our nation was built on the belief that the greatest freedom of religion comes through the Judeo-Christian heritage, where man's free choice is given by G-d and should not be infringed upon by man. History shows us that this ideal has not always been achieved, but it is nevertheless an integral part of Judeo-Christian ethics. (You may notice that I left out the middle letter. I did this out of respect to my Jewish friends who strive not to use G-d's name in vain, and write it thus, to avoid doing so.)
If you love America, love Israel, love politics, or love all three topics, I hope you will frequent my blog and share with me your thoughts on these fascinating topics. I want you to feel at home on my blog. Consider my blog a place to chat with friends about issues you care about with people who share your interests.
G-d bless you and Shalom,
Nili
(Note: I do not necessarily endorse "Act for Israel," but their video of Israel's National Anthem is excellent.)
