Volunteer, Jewish War Veterans organize and deliver Christmas morning gift-bags for V.A. Hospital patients, despite pandemic limitations

The hallways of Veterans Administration (V.A.) Hospitals on the morning of Christmas are typically bereft of people - except for essential staff. Christmas Day can be a lonely time for aging, hospitalized veterans. While most families find gifts under their trees for all to open, most hospitalized see none.

Commanders Sam Yudin (left) and Mat Millen (center) coordinate
volunteers bringing the gift bags to the Vets' health facilities

This Christmas, the Jewish War Veterans, the oldest (founded in 1896) veterans' organization in America, continued their 76-year tradition of preparing and delivering a "Gift for a Yank" to hospitalized V.A. patients in cities around the country. Hollywood star, Eddie Cantor originatedhis non-sectarian project in 1946 for World War II veterans in Los Angeles. L.A.-area Jewish War Veterans (L.A. and Long Beach) are among those around the country who keep it going. 

The commander of the JWV's Allan Katz Post #118 in Santa Monica, Matthew Millen, and his colleague, Sam Yudin of the Tibor Rubin Post #786 in Long Beach procured various gift items which are useful for the hospitalized veterans. This year, they (with volunteers they coordinate) stuffed gifts into 1200 bags. While they typically also coordinate volunteers to personally deliver the gift bags to the patients in their rooms, this year, like in 2020 and '21, pandemic concerns restricted  outside volunteers from the patient rooms, so the bags are distributed by hospital (and rehab facility) employees around the V.A. hospital campuses.  In 2018, when volunteers did it, Mat Millen explained the procedure to us: 

"Never Again" platitudes ring empty if you don't join Netanyahu opposing Obama's terms for Iran's nukes

One month after the Axis powers bombed Pearl Harbor, the American weekly news magazine, Collier's, published a cover by European-Jewish refugee artist, Arthur Szyk, depicting the German hierarchy positioned around a globe.

Hermann Goring, Heinrich Himmler, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Goebbels. Lying on the ground are a dumb-founded Benito Mussolini and Philippe Petain. SS-uniformed skeletons hold sinister messages, such as "All Hope Abandon Ye Who Enter Here," the words Dante's Inferno descirbes as being inscribed over the entrance to Hell. The Earth's equator is encircled with lyrics from the Hitler Youth's official song: "Today, Europe hears us- tomorrow, the whole world!" 

Szyk's "Madness" of Nazi global-conquest which Collier's called Americans to defeat before it consumed them

Irvin Ungar, the Curator of The Arthur Szyk Society and CEO of Historicana, explains that the national weekly magazine was upfront in warning Americans about the sinister nature of the Jew-hating Axis movement- 1-month after Pearl Harbor as America went to war to stop them and save the world from tyranny.

2015 marks the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Nazi concentration camps, beginning with Auschwitz in Poland. American liberators of camps share their perceptions of the inhumane incineration- which European towns-people tolerated.  
(Video courtesy: Ken Burns "The War" PBS)

British social commentator, Pat Condell, uses the occasion of Holocaust Remembrance Day to draw attention to the anti-Semitism in Islam and Islamism's inherited Nazi tactics of spurring Jew-hatred toward power and domination.



Horace Frischer, 91, was raised 6-km from Auschwitz. In this exclusive JewTube interview, he discusses his labor-camp enslavement by the Nazi's and subsequent liberation of the camps by Allied Forces during World War II.

The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin el Husseini, reviewing the Bosnian Muslim Nazi SS Division Handzar in Nov., 1943. El Husseini was instrumental in importing Nazi Jew-hatred methods into the Arab-Jewish Mid-East conflict

Chart showing Allies and Axis military and civilian casualties.

Jewish pride and spirit among entertainers and attendees at Chabad's Chanuka at Universal CityWalk

In Los Angeles, Chabad of The San Fernando Valley staged its 13th annual Chanukah at Universal CityWalk on Sunday evening Dec 21st. Over 1,000 Jews (and Christian passers-by) enjoyed the free, open, Jewish celebration in the promenade area.

JooTube's orginal video features the group of international performers assembled: London's Shloime Gertner,  Johannesburg's Choni G., NYC's Eli Schwebel (on guitar), and Toronto, Canada's Shlomo Simcha uniting to perform Yosef Karduner's "Hashem Melech!" with backing by the Simcha Orchestra led by Robby Halperin. 

The large menorah's oil lamps were ceremoniously lit by Lyle Weisman and his family.  Is such a religious event in such a public space- too public?  Or is such a public expression of Jewish pride good for the Jews and for the gentiles?   

Chabad of the San Fernando Valley director, Rabbi Mayer Greene offers his views about the program, and the idea of holding publicly-accessible events like this, in the face of so much anti-Zionist activity around the world.



The show in two video playlists:



The various singers combine to sing in innovative ways, leading up to a moving finale. The audience plays an inspiring part in demonstrating Jewish pride to the world.
 

Chanukah: the time for Jews to re-dedicate ourselves to upholding Torah values against external pressures

Jews (not Israel) are the enemy of groups like NYC Solidarity with Palestine

Time to Take Back Hanukkah by Ari Soffer, Arutz 7 Managing Editor  Is Hanukkah a festival or a farce? How many of those who celebrate it appreciate what it's all about? And is it even worth celebrating at all?

The superficial popularity of Hanukkah is a charade. It is not real. In fact, it is precisely the "ease" with which the day can be (at least on a basic, ritualistic level) commemorated which is its downfall - despite the crucial significance it holds. ... 
 
Hanukkah is actually one of several rabbically-ordained festivals (as recorded in the "Megillat Ta'anit") which took place during the Second Temple period. And yet, whereas all the others were annulled by the sages following the tragic destruction of the Second Temple and onset of exile in 70CE, Hanukkah remained. Why? . . . 

"Chanukah with Judah Maccabee and General Allenby in Jerusalem." Illustrated by M.M. Harris, San Francisco. Published by A.B. Schayer, Cincinnati, Ohio: 1918. (Courtesy: Arthur Szyk Archive)

The observance of Hanukkah has morphed into a tragicomic light show. Tragicomic, because so many of those who inanely go through the motions of Hanukkah emphatically reject all, or most, of what it represents in their daily lives. And a mere light show, because without appreciating its core message, that is all that it is.  . . . 

Hanukkah is not just some quaint historical reenactment of a Jewish military victory; and the Maccabean Revolt was not a simple struggle of national liberation - though it was that as well - but rather an ideological struggle between good and evil.   By celebrating the Maccabees' victory we are expressing our solidarity with their values, and its triumph over hellenistic Greek values, with all the latter represented (and still represents).  Read the full article
 
In Los Angeles, Chabad of The San Fernando Valley staged its 13th annual Chanukah at Universal CityWalk on Sunday evening Dec 21st. Over 1,000 Jews (and Christian passers-by) attended.  The large menorah's oil lamps were ceremoniously lit by Lyle Weisman and his family.  Is such a religious event in such a public space- too public?  Or is such a public expression of Jewish pride good for the Jews and for the gentiles?  Chabad of the San Fernando Valley director, Rabbi Mayer Greene offers his views about Jews' pride vs risks of event like this around the world.



 JooTube's orginal video features the international performers: London's Shloime Gertner,  Johannesburg's Choni G., NYC's Eli Schwebel (on guitar), and Toronto, Canada's Shlomo Simcha uniting to perform Yosef Karduner's "Hashem Melech!" with backeing by the Simcha Orchestra led by Robby Halperin. 



At CityWalk's conclusion last year, Rabbi Moshe Parry discussed the story of the holiday and its meaning for us, today.

 

The Maccabees rekindled the light of Torah through their blood, tears and fire. Through their dogged resistance against the political and cultural imperialists of their time, who claimed the land of Israel as their own and sought to dilute authentic Torah values into something indistinguishable from any other culture or religion, save a few token symbols, A7's Ari Soffer concludes.

Chanukah on list of Stephen Colbert's Best Jewish Moments as he signs off

Tonight marks the last episode of “The Colbert Report,” before Stephen Colbert takes his possibly Jewish self to “The Late Show.” So, as we wait for a Hannukah miracle to keep Colbert at his post, let’s look back on some of his most memorable Jewish moments. 

Remember Thanksgivukkah 2013? Colbert did not appreciate the overlap in holidays. “How dare you, Hannukah?” he ranted “Hannukah celebrates the struggle of an oppressed peoples’ fight against invading conquerors, while Thanksgiving is about our healthy and nurturing relationship with the Indians.”

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,The Colbert Report on Facebook,Video Archive

Read more in The Forward: 

Watch Sukkot / Hoshana Raba in action with Moshav at The Happy Minyan

“You will take for yourselves on the first day [of Sukkot] the fruit of a citron tree, date-palm branches, twigs of a plaited tree, and willows of the stream; and you will rejoice before Hashem your God for seven days” (Leviticus 23:40).  

What do the lulav and esrog you see Jews carrying on Sukkot mean? JooTube visited the 613 Mitzvah store in Pico-Robertson where Rabbi Shimon Kraft sells etrogs and lulavs for $40 a pair. Moshe Klein and Jonathan Eyshi, then 10th-grade Yeshiva students at Mesivta Birkas Yitzchok in Los Angeles explain the lulav and esrog used in prayer during the Jewish holiday of the Tabernacles (Booths), the holiday of Sukkot which runs for a week, concluding October 15th with Hoshana Rabah.
 
 (Advance through the video playlist via Next key or Menu button on lower right)

British-Jewish scholar, Rabbi Daniel Pinner writes: 

The Midrash explains the Four Species to represent four different kinds of Jews: “Just as the etrog has both pleasant taste and pleasant fragrance, so there are Jews who have both Torah-learning and good deeds… The date-palm has a pleasant taste but no fragrance, representing Jews who have Torah-learning but have no good deeds…The myrtle has a pleasant fragrance but no taste, representing Jews who have good deeds but no Torah-learning… And the willow which has neither fragrance nor taste represents Jews who have neither Torah-learning nor good deeds” (Vayikra Rabbah 30:12). All four species have to bepresent in order to fulfil the mitzvah; if any one of them is missing, then the Jew has not carried out the mitzvah at all (Rambam, Laws of Shofar, Sukkah and Lulav 7:5; Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 651:12); if, for whatever reason, one or more of the species is unavailable, then one shakes the others without saying the Brachah, in memory of the mitzvah which should have been  (Shulchan Aruch ibid.).  Read more of Be an Etrog on Arutz Sheva.

Rabbi Aaron Parry ("Complete Talmud for Dummies") explains the symbolism of the willow branches used in the Sukkot Hoshana Raba worship, originated in Israel's original, sovereign incarnation.



To get more of your questions about Judaism and Jewish ritual answered, purchase a copy of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Talmud" direct from Rabbi Parry here. 

Daniel Pinner concludes in Be An Etrog:

The myrtle with its pleasant fragrance but no taste, representing the Jew who has good deeds but no Torah-learning, survives for appreciably longer than the lulav with its pleasant taste but no fragrance, representing the Jew who has Torah-learning but no good deeds.  And finally we come to the etrog, with its pleasant taste and pleasant fragrance, representing the Jew who has both Torah-learning and good deeds.  The etrog remains fresh and fragrant and yellow (or green) for weeks.  Study and internalise the lesson of the Four Species.  Be an etrog-Jew! Contribute both pleasant taste and pleasant fragrance to the bundle of the Four Species, contribute both Torah-learning and good deeds to the community. The etrog-Jew is the Jew who survives, the Jew who endures.

Pride vs. prudence? How publicly should we flaunt Judaism in this diaspora climate? Hanukah's metaphor for our survival

Dearbornistan: Shi’ite Muslim Subject to Hate Crimes for Hanging US, Israel Flags at Home – Hezbollahstan USA - Debbie Schlussel  

What happens to a (Shi’ite Muslim Arab) husband who displays American and Israeli flags at his home in Dearborn, Michigan?  He is subject to non-stop hate crimes from fellow Muslims in his Muslim-dominated city  “They left Nazi signs in our front yard,” said wife, Terresa, raised in Canada. “Two people were standing there, one with a lighter and one with a gas tank, telling us that they were going to burn our home down.” And late Friday night, Nov 30, a group of men in an SUV came back firing paintballs at the cars and on the side of the house. 

Meanwhile in Salt Lake City early Sunday morning, Dec 1s, a large menorah was vandalized in front of a Chabad synagogue center:

Around 1 a.m., police were notified that the 6-foot menorah that is on display outside the Chabad Lubavitch of Utah had been vandalized. Three arms had been ripped off the left side, including the wiring that enables the menorah to be lit during Chanukah, according to Rabbi Benny Zippel, executive director of the Chabad Lubavitch of Utah.  Read more at KSL-TV

Yet, on Sunday evening Dec 1st, over 1,000 (mainly orthodox) Jews attended L.A. Chabad of The Valley's 12th annual Chanukah at Universal CityWalk.   Is such an orthodox event in such a public space- too public? Or is such a public expression of orthodox Jewish pride actually good for the Jewish public image?  JooTube interviews Chabad of the San Fernando Valley Rabbis Mayer Greene and Yochanon Baitelman, and Dovid Eliezre (of Orange County Chabad in Yorba Linda) give their views on the event's message to both gentiles and Jews.

 JooTube's video report includes performers Eli Gerstner and the Yeshiva Boys Choir soloists, joined by Yisroel Williger, Moshe Hecht, Yakov Mordechai Gerstner and Yossi Newman. 

Time to Take Back Hanukkah by Ari Soffer, Arutz 7 Managing Editor 

Is Hanukkah a festival or a farce? How many of those who celebrate it appreciate what it's all about? And is it even worth celebrating at all?

The superficial popularity of Hanukkah is a charade. It is not real. In fact, it is precisely the "ease" with which the day can be (at least on a basic, ritualistic level) commemorated which is its downfall - despite the crucial significance it holds. ... 

Hanukkah is actually one of several rabbically-ordained festivals (as recorded in the "Megillat Ta'anit") which took place during the Second Temple period. And yet, whereas all the others were annulled by the sages following the tragic destruction of the Second Temple and onset of exile in 70CE, Hanukkah remained. Why? . . . 

The observance of Hanukkah has morphed into a tragicomic light show. Tragicomic, because so many of those who inanely go through the motions of Hanukkah emphatically reject all, or most, of what it represents in their daily lives. And a mere light show, because without appreciating its core message, that is all that it is.  . . . 

Hanukkah is not just some quaint historical reenactment of a Jewish military victory; and the Maccabean Revolt was not a simple struggle of national liberation - though it was that as well - but rather an ideological struggle between good and evil.   By celebrating the Maccabees' victory we are expressing our solidarity with their values, and its triumph over hellenistic Greek values, with all the latter represented (and still represents). 

Enjoy the complete article

At CityWalk's conclusion last year, British-American ba'al tshuvah, Yehuda Landsman, discussed his perceptions of the holiday in the context of  his Chassidic theology in the world.

High-Holiday special: What does G-d really expect from me? Faith? Ritual? Conduct? Orthodox rabbis answers may surprise you

Observant or secular: "Conduct unbecoming" a Jewish person?  Leading Orthodox Rabbis on Jews' behavioral obligations

Orthodox Rabbis Shmuel Goldin (Rabbinic Council of America) and Joel Tessler (Int'l Rabbinic Fellowship) are asked about Jewish ideals we should uphold- and what's hypocritical and what isn't.

Secular humanism (being a good person) alone does not make one a "good Jew," says Potomac, Maryland Rabbi Joel Tessler.
  

What are our obligations to G-d in faith, conduct & deed? Rabbi Moses Parry explains:


Faith without deeds- can one be "a good Jew"?  Orthodox Rabbi Shmuel Goldin of N.J.

 

Jewish sommelier reveals kosher wines & spirits (even from Israel) rank highly in quality and value

“This is delicious!” exclaims a friend, tasting a wine and requesting a second glass. “Are you sure it’s Kosher?” If you are celebrating Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, this year, you are in for a delicious treat. 

BlogCritics publishes Marisa D'Vari's article on kosher wines she recommends: 

For much of our families' lifetimes, most families sipped the sweet, grape-y Manishevitz. Today you will find some excellent, affordable, and delicious Kosher wines being produced in regions around the world that quite often outshine non-Kosher wines at a similar price point. If you are hosting a large party, you might take the opportunity to stock up on several different Kosher wines so you can serve a few as an aperitif, and then pair them with different courses. At the end of the evening, you might also ask your guests which wines they liked the best, and make note of your favorites for your next trip to the wine shop. Most of these wines are so delicious you will want to serve them all year round.

President of the Society of Wine Educators, Certified Wine Educator, Ira Norof  spoke with JooTube.TV regarding  quality kosher wines and spirits being sampled at the L.A. Times epicurean fair "The Taste" over Labor Day Weekend. 



Mr. Norof explains how the Herzog company has made kosher versions of local wine varieties from different countries which rival their non-kosher competitors'.  Herzog now produces Scotches which are kosher, and also was demonstrating their tequilas, which are not.

Menorah lighting and Chanukah concert in L.A. draws many revelers, civic leaders

Jewish kids given public Chanukah celebration at L.A.'s Universal CityWalk. 

On Sunday, December 9th, L.A.'s 1th annual menorah lighting at Universal Studios CityWalk, brought more than 1000 people to be entertained by Jewish performers, among them rock-band 8th Day, Piamenta-NextGen, and rave-pianist Mendel Simon. 

(Click second button on bottom left to advance through the playlist of clips).

Rabbi Jonathan Herzog coordinated civic leaders Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Councilman Mike Zine, City Controller and mayoral candidate Wendy Gruel, and Israel Consul General David Siegel to master the reluctant oil lamps and kindle the menorah on the second night of Chanukah, 2012 with Rabbi Morty Einbinder of Chabad of the Valley.  Universal Studios Hollywood President, Larry Kurzweil led the lighting, welcomed the celebrants, and offered encouragement and support for America's ally, the Holy Land of Israel.

Chabad of Simcha Monica celebrates the meaning of Hanukah in menorah-restricted Santa Monica

Rabbis Shlomo Menkes, Issac Levitansky, Shlomo Heidingsfeld, and Rebbitzens Devorah and Suri Levitansky lead families of the Chabad-Lubavitch sect to welcome the 1st night of Hanukah- 3-blocks from the Santa Monica beach on the Pacific Ocean. 

Atheists recently led the City of Santa Monica, California to prohibit leaving religious holiday displays (such as the extensive Nativity-Scene diaramas which had overlooked the beach). The Hanukah Menorah which for over a decade had remained on the Promenade for the 8-days of Hanukah, like the Nativity displays, now can only be displayed during a live celebration. The Menorah in the background was removed at the 11pm Saturday conclusion of the event.

 

Any other menorahs placed in Santa Monica from now on (without a live accompaniment) will be on private property.

Jews complete season of atonement with Hoshana Rabbah, ending Sukkot (Tabernacles) holy days

Hoshana Rabbah is known as the last of the Days of Judgment which began on Rosh Hashana. The Zohar says that while the judgment for the new year is sealed on Yom Kippur, it is not "delivered" until the end of Sukkot (i.e., Hoshana Rabbah, the last day of Sukkot), during which time one can still alter their verdict and decree for the new year. Consequently, the blessing which Jews give each other on Hoshana Rabbah, פתקא טבא (piska tova or pitka tova), which in Yiddish is "A guten kvitel", or "A good note", is a wish that the verdict will be positive.

The Happy Minyan celebrated Hoshaa Rabbah with its conventional cantor, Yehuda Solomon, accompanied by his Moshav Band guitar-partner, Dovid Swirsky, for the first time in many years.

 

In this spirit, the cantor wears a kittel as on the High Holidays. Since Hoshana Rabbah blends elements of the High Holy Days, Chol HaMoed, and Yom Tov, in this spirit the cantor, in the Ashkenazic tradition, recites the service using High Holiday, Festival, Weekday, and Sabbath melodies interchangeably.

Sommelier reveals which libations are good (and kosher) for your holidays

For one, literally, Rosh Hashana doesn’t mean "new year" but rather "head of the year," which we’ll explain a little later. And secondly, Rosh Hashanah is not something of parochial significance just to Jews so that it should be classified as exclusively "Jewish." Actually, the day is relevant to every human being, and indeed, every created being in the entire universe, for Rosh Hashanah is the day that commemorates G-d’s creation of the world. So if you’re looking for conceptual translation of the name, Rosh Hashanah should really be called the Anniversary of Creation. Indeed, the new calendar year that Rosh Hashanah ushers in is the number of years from the creation, the number value of the current Jewish year being the age of the universe. Rabbi Yaakov Salomon of Aish reminds us of the special importance of prayer, atonement, and renewal to make your Hebrew New Year, Rosh Hashana, meaningful. (from Ask Moses- What is the deeper meaning of Rosh Hashana?)

Rosh Hashana is an historic day - Adam and Eve were created. Abraham and Jacob were brought into this world Joseph was released from 12-years of incarceration. Sarah, who had been barren, had her prayers answered - it was decreed that she would have children. Hannah, was given a child who would become the prophet Samuel. Rachel, who gave birth to Joseph, was remembered on Rosh Hashana. 



“This is delicious!” exclaims a friend, tasting a wine and requesting a second glass. “Are you sure it’s Kosher?” If you are celebrating Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, this year, you are in for a delicious treat. 


BlogCritics publishes Marisa D'Vari's article on kosher wines she recommends: 

For much of our families' lifetimes, most families sipped the sweet, grape-y Manishevitz. Today you will find some excellent, affordable, and delicious Kosher wines being produced in regions around the world that quite often outshine non-Kosher wines at a similar price point. If you are hosting a large party, you might take the opportunity to stock up on several different Kosher wines so you can serve a few as an aperitif, and then pair them with different courses. At the end of the evening, you might also ask your guests which wines they liked the best, and make note of your favorites for your next trip to the wine shop. Most of these wines are so delicious you will want to serve them all year round.

Recently President of the Society of Wine Educators, Certified Wine Educator, Ira Norof  spoke with JooTube.TV regarding  quality kosher wines and spirits being sampled at the L.A. Times epicurean fair "The Taste" over Labor Day Weekend. 


Mr. Norof explains how the Herzog company has made kosher versions of local wine varieties from different countries which rival their non-kosher competitors'.  Herzog now produces Scotches which are kosher, and also was demonstrating their tequilas, which are not.

 

Devout Jews "Spread the Light" driving in a caravan of menorahs driving through L.A..; Comedic commentary from Howard Stern Show's outrageous Melrose Larry Green

Dozens of families form caravan carrying large, lit menorahs on their roofs through Los Angeles to communicate the message of Chanukah on the final night of the holiday. Tzvi of Lubavitch Yeshiva Ohr Elchonon describes the second largest menorah parade in America.

(Advance through videos by clicking the Next button, second from the lower left). 

Comedian Melrose Larry Green, the outrageous social commentator from the Howard Stern TV Show, provides post-parade, year-end social commentary in the final video on the playlist.

Chanukah kindles message of rededication to upholding responsibility to Torah; Benny Friedman sings with Pardes Jewish Rock

Rabbi Moshe Parry describes the back-story of the Chanukah (rededication) zealots whom we commemorate with Chanukah; and the parallels between the internecine Jewish competition to maintain torah precepts and responsibilities, then and today.
 

Religious Jewish students from L.A. rejoice over Chanukah concert, sponsored by Chabad, featuring Benny Friedman and Israeli rockers, Pardes Jewish Rock.


Students from Ohr Elchonon and Jewish Educational Trade School ("JETS") sing and dance and spin like dreidels (carried on shoulders and breakdancing).

Worshipers rejoice upon completing atonement on Sukkot and the reading of the Torah on Simchat Torah holy days

It's a "mitzvah" (commandment) to be happy on Sukkot and Simchat Torah! At Los Angeles' modern orthodox, Carlebach "Happy" Minyan, impassioned worshipers accompany the Hoshana Rabah worship service by dancing and playing timbrel, shofar, fiddle, guitar, and other acoustic musical instruments.



On Simchat Torah, the celebration of the completion of the annual Torah-reading cycle, the Torahs are danced around the synagogue. The effusion often spills over into the streets of their visibly Jewish neighborhood in Los Angeles.

50,000 Zionists from all around the world participate in annual Jerusalem March for Sukkot

Israel-lovers from around the world participated Tuesday 18 October in the annual Sukkot / Feast of Tabernacles, "Jerusalem March" parade. (Video courtesy http://www.jr.co.il)

3,000 years of Jewish history in 3 minutes- Orthodox Jewish families celebrate history; rededicate selves to proud faith at Universal CityWalk's public Chanukah concert

3,000 years of Jewish history in 3 minutes- Orthodox Jewish families celebrate history; rededicate selves to proud faith at Universal CityWalk's public Chanukah concert

American-Israeli singer references Jewish history in song - at public Chanukah celebration in Los Angeles, California.


As a result of Yasser Arafat's Palestinian campaign to vilify Israel to stir up dormant Jew-hatred, the number of cities around the world where Orthodox Jews can openly celebrate their holidays and cultural pride is shrinking.

Muslims campaign to distort Jewish and Israeli history for liberal journalists, with a little help from Pres. Obama's Cairo speech to the Muslim world. See how much biblical and modern Jewish history you recognize and know about here - where Schlock Rock's Lenny Solomon parodies Billy Joel's "We didn't start the fire" with "We've got a strong desire" (from the Sgt. Schlocker's Magical Mystery Tour" album) at a Chanukah concert at North Hollywood's Universal CityWalk.

The story of Chanukah and its lessons for today - from Rabbi Moses Parry and entertainer, Matisyahu

Chanukah means "re-dedication" - but to what, why ,and how? Rabbi Moses "Moshe" Parry teaches the history of Chanukah and its lessons for Jewish people today.


The Maccabees (led by Matisyahu and his son Judah) were a small band of rebel fighters who battled against the Greek/Syrian Empire, led by King Antiochus. The name Maccabee is an acronym for the verse, "Mi Chamocha Ba'eilim Hashem" (Exodus 15:11) "Who is like you amongst the supernal beings, O'Lord." This acronym emphasizes that this was not a war fought for land, wealth, or sport. King Antiochus wanted to secularize the Jewish faith and pull focus from G-d and place the emphasis on logic and reason. The Maccabees fought to keep G-d in the equation of Jewish life, and their name reflected that. (Courtesy, songwriter Matisyahu and Simcha Levenberg in HuffPost)

Matisyahu says, "There are so many Christmas songs out there. I wanted to give the Jewish kids something to be proud of. We've got Adam Sandler's song, which is hilarious, but I wanted to try to get across some of the depth and spirituality inherent in the holiday in a fun, celebratory song. My boy Kojak was in town so at the last minute we went into the studio in the spirit of miracles and underdogs and this is what we came up with- the music video of "Matisyahu's Miracle on Ice.""

Passover Special: "The Prince of Egypt" Excerpts

Deliver Us (in Hebrew with English subtitles)


There Can be Miracles (in English without subtitles)