Yom Shshee, Friday
3 Tevet 5781
December 18, 2020
Happy Chanukah!
It’s the last night and day of Chanukah! OneIsrael wishes joy to all as we conclude our celebration (image courtesy of rotter.net).
What follows are some photos your humble servant took last night around our house here in Ashdod.
First, just up the hill in the roundabout next to the elementary school was this Chanukiah actually lit with oil–courtesy of the local Chabad:
The Chanukiya at the top of the hill beside the elementary school in the traffic roundabout.
Second, were these chanukiyot beside the huge satellite sculpture down towards the beach (the burst of light in the lower left hand corner was a chanukiya but the lights were so bright by camera couldn’t separate the candles):
The chanukiyot at the famed satellite structure beside the beach.
Third, was the chanukiya on the front of the synagogue a block away from the house:
The chanukiyah at our synagogue just down the street.
Fourth was the beautiful crystal chanukiyah in the window of our next door neighbor’s house. The candleholders hold burning oil–so brightly that it lit up the street. All around our neighborhood, each house’s chanukiya was in a window pointed to the street.
The chanukiyah in our next door neighbor’s window.
Fifth was our own lovely chanukiya:
The chanukiyah in a certain person’s home.
Chanukah may be almost over (at sundown tonight), but the warmth and joy from its lights remain with us for the whole year.
The News on the Israeli Street
The daily Corona (Covid-19) update . . .
The following covers the last 24 hours (from 8 am yesterday until 8 am this morning):
367,975 Israelis have been confirmed with the virus since the pandemic began last March.
There are 2,933 newly confirmed cases.
413 are in critical condition—an increase of 18
106 of the most critically ill are on ventilators—a decrease of 48
3,050 have died–an increase of 36
There are currently 21,941 active Corona cases in Israel.
Again, no good news as the number of critically ill increases as does the number of dead.
Netanyahu and Gantz continue their game . . .
The fake news recently here in Israel has been awash with pre-election polls, new political parties being formed, and endless punditry about the coming election.
Except that there apparently will be no coming election.
It was “dramatically” announced last night that PM Netanyahu and Blue and White leader Benny Gantz have agreed on a budget and a way to keep the loathsome Coalition government intact.
As we at OneIsrael always knew that they would.
After all with polls showing that Blue and White would probably only muster 8 seats if a new election were held and Netanyahu’s Likud only 27, neither leader is anxious for an election to happen.
If an election does come, it will not be because of a dissolution of the Blue and White-Likud agreement, but because of a coalescing of opposition parties.
TODAY’S BLOG:
A Night of Chanukah Magic in Ashdod and Jerusalem!
[This blog initially appeared on December 5, 2013. Unfortunately no such trip to Jerusalem was possible this year because of the Corona virus and the inclement weather].
A woman outside her home in the Jewish Quarter just after lighting her Chanukiah. As is the custom in Jerusalem, residents of buildings stack their Chanukiyot in glass cases for all to see; each glass case contains the Chanukiyot of two to four families.
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There was magic in the air.
Last night, your humble servant and his family decided to spend the last night of Chanukah in Jerusalem.
The narrow streets and alleyways were teeming with huge throngs of people from all over the world. Large groups from Ghana, Norway, Switzerland, China, Japan, Kenya, South Africa, Germany, England, and Brazil were excitedly into the Chanukah spirit. But no more so than the overwhelming numbers of Americans and Canadians who added their joy to the festivities.
And at the plaza in front of the Kotel were hundreds of Israeli families waiting to see their sons and daughters in the IDF graduate from their basic training courses. With Chanukiyot alit from every window in the plaza, and Israeli flags flying briskly in the air in every direction, it was a scene to behold.
And as the skies darkened (both because of the onset of night and an incoming storm) in advance of the lighting of the final candle, there was a palpable thrill in the air.
Today’s blog is simply a few photographs your humble servant made last night in different parts of Jerusalem.
The exuberant crowd out on Yaffa Street at the large Chabad Chanukiah. Note the Chabad rabbis in the crane holder as they are being lifted up to light the candles:
Another glass enclosed Chanukiah outside the door of a home in the Jewish Quarter:
Burning oil in the Chanukiah high above the Plaza square in front of Kotel. Note the dark clouds coming in:
Another door in the Jewish Quarter:
Below is the Chanukiah in the Mamilla Mall just before lighting last night. Note that there is a small orchestra of “challenged” and disabled people providing wonderful music in the background:
Of course all of the restaurants and bakeries in the city were jammed:
And a final doorway to a building:
Light, light . . . everywhere was light! It was an unforgettable Chanukah!
A student from Malawi, who had worked with an Israeli health volunteer in his country battling AIDS, came up to us as we walked down the street in the UC-Davis Picnic Day Parade and wanted to carry the Israeli flag.