Wednesday, January 29, 2014
A Happy and Healthy Whirlwind of a Life...: Fall - Soup Weather
A Happy and Healthy Whirlwind of a Life...: Fall - Soup Weather: So, it is finally feeling a bit like fall here in Atlanta, and although it still warms up during the day, I decided it was still cool enough...
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Daddy & His Girl Having A Snow Day ~ 1-28-2014
A Father Loves a Daughter" Author: Kristin Rose
A father loves a daughter
Like no other love on earth.
From the day that he first meets her
Nothing can compare her worth.
Forever are they bonded
With a love that never fails.
For always he will hug her
And kiss goodnight with fairy tales.
He will love her and protect her
With strong arms just in case
But will also hug her tenderly
With a fatherly embrace.
Eskimo kisses touch her nose
With a giggle and a squeeze
And that sparkle in her little eyes
Could bring him to his knees.
What more could any father want
Than a daughter so sweet and pure
There's nothing in this world so rare
Of that he can be sure.
A fathers love is so unique
It cannot be replaced
He will always treasure times with her
And the memories embraced.
A father loves a daughter
Like no other love on earth.
From the day that he first meets her
Nothing can compare her worth.
Forever are they bonded
With a love that never fails.
For always he will hug her
And kiss goodnight with fairy tales.
He will love her and protect her
With strong arms just in case
But will also hug her tenderly
With a fatherly embrace.
Eskimo kisses touch her nose
With a giggle and a squeeze
And that sparkle in her little eyes
Could bring him to his knees.
What more could any father want
Than a daughter so sweet and pure
There's nothing in this world so rare
Of that he can be sure.
A fathers love is so unique
It cannot be replaced
He will always treasure times with her
And the memories embraced.
Baby's First Snow ~
Winter Morning Poem
by Ogden Nash
Winter is the king of showmen,
Turning tree stumps into snow men,
And houses into birthday cakes,
And spreading sugar over lakes.
Smooth and clean and frosty white,
The world looks good enough to bite.
That's the season to be young
Catching snowflakes on your tongue.
Snow is snowy when it's snowing
I'm sorry it's slushy when it's going.
by Ogden Nash
Winter is the king of showmen,
Turning tree stumps into snow men,
And houses into birthday cakes,
And spreading sugar over lakes.
Smooth and clean and frosty white,
The world looks good enough to bite.
That's the season to be young
Catching snowflakes on your tongue.
Snow is snowy when it's snowing
I'm sorry it's slushy when it's going.
HOLOCAUST by Sudeep Pagedar
| Holocaust by Sudeep Pagedar - Selected Poems How do you explain that term to a ten- year old boy who, one day, hears it mentioned by some relatives? And even if you do manage to make him understand what it actually does mean, do you also tell him that because he is A GERMAN JEW, perhaps, some day, he might be included in it...? Or should he just not be told, so that he remains calm and doesn't lose sleep over it? But what is sleep, in front of death? Perhaps Death is greater, perhaps the two are the same; we do not know yet but we'll know, by the end of the day; the Chambers are yet some hours away. "To die, to sleep...to sleep, perchance to dream..." How did Shakespeare realise that? Did he know some Jew who was persecuted too? Perhaps he was wrong, maybe he was right... Anyway, I suspect we'll find out by tonight. |
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Temple Mount Israel Hayom
The summer of 2007 was a tumultuous one on the Temple Mount. Time after time, it became clear that the attorney-general and the political echelon were tying the hands of the Israel Antiquities Authority by denying its experts the opportunity to supervise the activities of the waqf due to the political sensitivity of the issue. Many ancient artifacts and treasures were harmed, vandalized, destroyed, and stolen.
Most of the media and public attention was devoted to the lapses in the authorities' supervision of the Temple Mount. That includes the police, the Jerusalem municipality, the IAA, the attorney-general, and the political echelon. In 2008, the state comptroller wrote scathing reports about this series of mishaps and the tremendous damage caused to antiquities on the mount. These reports are still classified despite the fact that their contents were released abroad.
For those individuals who are well-versed in the details, it is hard to shake the impression that the shroud of secrecy has less to do with maintaining state security, public order, and Israeli foreign relations, and more to do with covering the tracks of the authorities.
Not only have the relevant government agencies failed to prevent acts of vandalism and destruction on the Temple Mount -- acts which have been written about in the press for years -- but they have also prevented the public from being informed of new archaeological discoveries that came to light as a result of unauthorized, unfettered, and unchecked excavations by the waqf and Muslims on the Temple Mount.
This is not the kind of publicity that the Antiquities Authority was hoping for. It usually wants press attention whenever it unearths a valuable historical item. Now, however, it is walking around the Temple Mount on its tiptoes with its hands tied. All of the relevant authorities in charge -- whether it has been the Israelis since 1967; the Jordanians from 1948 until 1967; and even the British since 1917 -- have refrained from conducting excavations on the Temple Mount.
The Muslims have consistently quashed any attempts to dig there. Nonetheless, thanks to routine construction and maintenance of structures which was carried out at the site by Muslims, hundreds of artifacts and treasures were accidentally unearthed, some of them truly historic which were documents by the authorities as well as researchers and scientists.
Most of this material is buried in the files of the IAA as well as the Mandate-era archives. It has not been released to this day primarily so as not to embarrass the Muslims in confirming a Jewish and Christian historical presence on the Temple Mount, which the findings indeed do. To this day, Muslims deny that there was ever a Jewish link to the site, so much so that the Jewish Temple is referred to as al-Maz'um ("the imagined entity" or "the false entity").
Years ago, noted archaeologist Tzachi Dvira published an impressive essay which included new information from various excavations on the Temple Mount in the previous century. The essay ran in Bar-Ilan University's scientific journal titled Hidushim B'Heker Yerushalayim ("New Revelations in the Study of Jerusalem"), but the news media ignored it.
Dvira poured through the British Mandate archives and found a treasure trove of material. He discovered piles of photographs and documents that were accumulated by Robert Hamilton, the director of the Mandate Antiquities Authority, during the period in which the waqf performed extensive renovations on Al-Aqsa mosque. The mosque had suffered damage due to the earthquakes that struck the area in 1927 and 1937.
In Hamilton's comprehensive book about Al-Aqsa mosque, which was published in the mid-20th century, there is no mention of these items. Hamilton simply "overlooked" them. Dvira notes that all of these revelations are similar in that they "precede the early Arab period." Then, as now, the documentation and the studies were dependent upon the good will of the waqf. That is why the British scientist declined to release findings that proved the existence of historic buildings at the site before there was ever a mosque.
One discovery made by Hamilton was an ancient water pit with a tiny staircase leading to it underneath the mosque's eastern entrance. This water pit was most likely used as a Jewish ritual bath (mikveh). Hamilton also discovered a Byzantine-era mosaic underneath the mosque. This was most likely a remnant of a church that existed prior to the mosque's construction.
This finding seemingly undermines modern scientists who have a tendency to assume that the Temple Mount was abandoned territory during the Byzantine period. Hamilton also mapped out the water pits and unidentified space, particularly in the "double gate" region; the underground passages that were built during the Second Temple period and which provided a direct route to the Temple Mount plaza entrance to the south.
In Hamilton's photographs, one can notice a tunnel which was dug into rock. Part of the tunnel is covered with stone plates measuring 15 meters long and 1.2 meters wide at a height of 2 meters. There is also a staircase that leads eastward. One possibility is that the tunnel was used as a passageway connecting the foyer of the double-gate region with another underground passage.
Nonetheless, Hamilton wasn't the only one who declined to make his findings available for public consumption. The Israel Antiquities Authority is very careful in releasing "random" findings that were dug up as a result of work by Muslims. Not only is it loathe to embarrass the waqf, but it is also eager to avoid doing anything that would cause waqf officials not to release similar findings. There are many examples of this. Instances stretch as far back as the initial years following the Six-Day War, and they continue to this day.
In 1970, when the waqf dug an emergency pool used to extinguish fires in the wake of the attempted arson of Al-Aqsa mosque by Michael Rohan, a Christian man from Australia, a large pit was discovered. Next to it was a canal as well as an ancient wall whose stones were reminiscent of the Herodian era. These findings were documented by the IAA, but they were revealed to the public just eight years afterward by Temple Mount researcher Asher Kaufman.
One of the most enduring mysteries surrounding the Temple Mount is the so-called "Eliyahu's room" that lies east of the double gate. It was first documented by Meir Ben Dov, and then by Dan Bahat. The documentation and the pictures which were taken later revealed a massive space that hid behind the northern wall of Eliyahu's room, an area that was never excavated.
In August 1989, the police commander in charge of the Temple Mount at the time, Superintendent Tziyon Ezra, warned of construction work done in the double-gate area that was being extended in order to connect it to Solomon's Stables. In January 2001, the committee charged with preventing the defacement and destruction of artifacts on the Temple Mount was notified of the existence of this vast space by an east Jerusalem resident.
Newspaper articles that relied on witness accounts and information indicating that the waqf was planning to connect the two underground mosques that were dug up underneath Al-Aqsa and Solomon's Stables were adamantly denied by the police.
The summer of 2007 also provided a number of revelations. During that period, the waqf dug two canals stretching hundreds of meters long in the most sensitive area of the Temple Mount -- the elevated region upon which the Dome of the Rock sits and where many researchers believe once stood the Jewish Temple.
The most explosive finding, which was only partially revealed by the IAA thanks to special approval given by then-prime minister Ehud Olmert, was a number of artifacts from the time of the First Temple, including china, utensils, and animal bones. The announcement didn't include a great number of details about the essence of the discovery. It only stated that the artifacts were being examined by a team led by Professor Ronen Reich of Haifa University, Professor Yisrael Finkelstein of Tel Aviv University, and Professor Sy Gitin of the Albright Institute.
The main importance of this finding was the fact that it set a precedent. This was the first time in which a sign of life from the First Temple period had been discovered on the Temple Mount. It also provided archaeological insight as to the possible contours of the Temple Mount complex during the First Temple period.
These findings raise more questions regarding the lax inspection and supervision of excavations done by the waqf. Who knows what other findings the Jewish people and world culture missed out on as a result of the disorganized diggings by the waqf, the inadequate oversight by the Israeli authorities, and the vandalism and damage caused to many artifacts that were ensconced in the Temple Mount area?
Nonetheless, there are some positives which withstood the supervisory mishaps and the waqf activities. These positives were examined by two researchers, an Israeli and a Hungarian. The Israeli scientist is Dr. Orit Peleg-Barkat of Hebrew University. Her doctoral thesis dealt with cupolas and the Hulda Gate. During the Second Temple period, particularly during the time of the three pilgrimage festivals, tens of thousands of visitors would enter the Temple through this area.
The engravings on the cupolas could be found in the Temple Mount area just past its southern wall in a section known as "Al-Aqsa al-kadima" (ancient Al-Aqsa). The archaeological delegation led by Benjamin Mazar documented these areas in the 1970s, and Peleg-Barkat visited there again in 2004 and took pictures.
In her work, she tackles the issue of whether this passage is a remnant from the time of the Umayyad caliphate. The designs of the engraving on the cupolas and their style offers hints that similar works of art date back to the time of the Second Temple.
This study "decisively proves that this structure was built during the time of Herod."
"The credit for the planning and design of the entrance to the gate belongs to the artists and architects that worked for King Herod," Peleg-Barkat said. "The decorated foyer of the double gate and its four cupolas is therefore the most intact remnant that has been preserved from the Herodian period at the Temple Mount."
Peleg-Barkat photographed and studied another rare, architectural item which somehow found its way to the northern side of the southern edge of the Western Wall inside Solomon's Stables. Today, it's a mosque. It is a piece of the outer rim of a structure which is decorated with geometric patterns and designs which was used in the construction of the stables.
Relying on the observations of Josephus, Peleg-Barkat believes it to part of a royal portico built by Herod along the southern edge of the Temple Mount plaza. The part that is visible to human sight and which today is a mosque belonged to the upper part of the rim that is adorned with two stripes.
Another discovery is preserved in the Museum of Islam which is managed by the waqf atop the Temple Mount. Access to the museum is very limited to Israeli researchers. The museum is holding onto a stone board which is a remnant of a plague with Latin writing on it. The plague bears the name of the man who destroyed Masada, Lucius Flavius Silva, the Roman general and governor of Judea.
This discovery was first revealed by Hungarian scientist Tibor Grull in the official publication of the Albright Institute of Archaeological Research. Grull first saw the plague years before during his visit to the Temple Mount. When he took an interest in the artifact and expressed his interest to the waqf, officials told him that it was found in a large excavation carried out by Muslims on the Temple Mount in 1999. That was when a new access point leading to Solomon's Stables was dug up.
Gabi Barkai, the archaeologist who has studied the Temple Mount extensively and who jointly manages the dust filtering project atop the Temple Mount together with Dvira, weaved Grull's discovery into an article that he wrote in a journal about the Land of Israel entitled "Ariel."
"This is the only testimonial we have about the victory rainbow or memory rainbow that the Romans built on the Temple Mount after the destruction of the city and the temple," Barkai said. "This is a unique testament to the rehabilitation of the city which began with the Roman army immediately after its destruction, and 50 years before its establishment as Aelia Capitolina."
What about the remnants of the past?
What is most bothersome to Barkai and Dr. Eilat Mazar, two experts who are also members of the committee to prevent the destruction of ancient artifacts on the Temple Mount, are the discoveries that haven't been revealed and which were vandalized or stolen from the site. There are also discoveries to be made on the site that remain untouched.
Both experts note that there are still ancient wooden ceilings that were dismantled from the roof of Al-Aqsa mosque. They remain exposed to the elements and the weather. Some of the wooden ceilings and rooftops which found their way outside of the Temple Mount grounds date back to the time of the First Temple. There are also extensive discoveries of marble fragments that appear to have been part of a church, destroyed china which has yet to be traced back to a source, fragments of pillars that no one knows where they were taken from, and other shattered pieces.
Barkai bemoans the fact that much of the work being done on the Temple Mount is not being documented or supervised in an orderly fashion. "Then again, the IAA's hands are tied," he said.
"We, as members of the committee, are trying with what little leverage we have to document what is taking place there," he said. "We have people representing us who are working there. We are also monitoring the aerial photographs of the Temple Mount and collecting testimonials of various visitors who are informing us of any change."
"The fact that after everything we know today we still have tractors and equipment on the Temple Mount and that we can only do work from time to time is scandalous and its unfathomable," he said. "There is no more important place from an archaeological standpoint than the Temple Mount, but because of what I think are ulterior motives, the authorities are treating these artifacts and remnants of the past in a bewildering manner that raises difficult questions."
Friday, January 24, 2014
Happiness ~
Happiness by Orane Boothe
Happiness is a wonderful experience, it lies deep down inside
It’s like a sunflower; it follows the things you enjoy in your life
Happiness recovers you from dark cloudy days
Happiness is not a secret for you to keep
It should be shared with others, so they too can feel the joy that it brings
With happiness you can make a difference in life and to others
Remember happiness can be a healer.
Happiness is a wonderful experience, it lies deep down inside
It’s like a sunflower; it follows the things you enjoy in your life
Happiness recovers you from dark cloudy days
Happiness is not a secret for you to keep
It should be shared with others, so they too can feel the joy that it brings
With happiness you can make a difference in life and to others
Remember happiness can be a healer.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Hebrew for Christians
It has been said that there are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn't true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. Hence we see that thinking that you are spiritual when you really are not is to deceive yourself, but so also is thinking you are not spiritual when you really are. In the former case you are a hypocrite, but in the latter case you are a person of little faith... If you are willing to honestly examine the status of your spiritual life, see... whether you are trusting in your own will to believe, in your own obedience to the moral law, etc., or whether you are trusting in the Reality and power of the resurrected Savior to give you life from the dead... Do you tend to regard the "righteousness of God" (δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ) to be more about the holy standards of God or more about the divine love that condescends to impart healing and life to those who are lost, dying, and outside?
Sweetest Gift !
“If there ever comes a day when we can't be together, keep me in your heart. I'll stay there forever.”
Alan Alexander Milne 1882-1956
Alan Alexander Milne 1882-1956
| If people ask me, I always tell them: "Quite well, thank you, I'm very glad to say." If people ask me, I always answer, "Quite well, thank you, how are you to-day?" I always answer, I always tell them, If they ask me Politely..... BUT SOMETIMES I wish That they wouldn't.  |
Can't Live A Day Without YOU ~
Onr Day in Jan . 2014
Post from Marletta this morning !! I am celebrating another milestone in our daughter's vast developmental accomplishment at her young age!.. She has figured out how to shut and open every door and to turn the little dial inside the door knob... So that it locks her inside a room..and mommy is fearfully squealing "ahhh!".. I knew this moment was upon us! She can't "turn" the doorknob itself yet..., but I am sure we're not far from that... Oh wow! Thank The Lord for bobby pins!!! Funny thing is she loves to shut you out of a room so she can tinker on things... Like turn all the dials on the TV and go through drawers.. Lol.. She's well above her age!;-) Later another post from a trip out to run errands ...[ Aliyah had a blast just literally yelling " hey " to everyone she passed by ! It sometimes took people off-guard and startled them a little , which made her giggle Like the older gentlemen squatting down for bread on the bottle shelf and rides by , Aliyah who quickly shouts " hey "...lol { She is happy , free , wild , very funny , much too curious to be left alone } I live to hear funny details of her day !
Monday, January 20, 2014
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Psalm 139 : 17-18 For my sister !
How precious are Your thoughts about me , O God . They cannot be numbered ! They outnumber the grains of sand ! And when I wake up , You are still with me . Psalm 139 : 17-18
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Post from My FB Feed 1-17-2014
Dr. Arieh Eldad has been one of Israel’s foremost Knesset members since 2003. He is also the former Chief Medical officer of the Israel Defense Forces and the Director of Plastic Surgery at Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem. Dr. Eldad is a member of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and the Co-chair of the Knesset’s new Land of Israel Forum which unites representatives of 7 different Israeli political parties.
Arab mentality
By Dr. Arieh Eldad an M.D. at Hadassah Ho...spital in Israel
Saturday, August 10, 2013
I was instrumental in establishing the "Israeli National Skin Bank", which is the largest in the world. The National Skin Bank stores skin for every day needs as well as for war time or mass casualty situations.
This skin bank is hosted at the Hadassah Ein Kerem University hospital in Jerusalem where I was the Chairman of plastic surgery. This is how I was asked to supply skin for an Arab woman from Gaza , who was hospitalized in Soroka Hospital in Beersheva, after her family burned her. Usually, such atrocities happen among Arab families when the women are suspected of having an affair.
We supplied all the needed Homografts for her treatment. She was successfully treated by my friend and colleague, Prof. Lior Rosenberg and discharged to return to Gaza . She was invited for regular follow-up visits to the outpatient clinic in Beersheva.
One day she was caught at a border crossing wearing a suicide belt. She meant to explode herself in the outpatient clinic of the hospital where they saved her life. It seems that her family promised her that if she did that, they would forgive her.
This is only one example of the war between Jews and Muslims in the Land of Israel. It is not a territorial conflict. This is a civilizational conflict, or rather a war between civilization & barbarism.
Bibi (Netanyahu) gets it, Obama does not.
I have never written before asking to please forward onwards, so that as many as possible can understand radical Islam and what awaits the world if it is not stopped.
Dr Arieh EldadSee More
Arab mentality
By Dr. Arieh Eldad an M.D. at Hadassah Ho...spital in Israel
Saturday, August 10, 2013
I was instrumental in establishing the "Israeli National Skin Bank", which is the largest in the world. The National Skin Bank stores skin for every day needs as well as for war time or mass casualty situations.
This skin bank is hosted at the Hadassah Ein Kerem University hospital in Jerusalem where I was the Chairman of plastic surgery. This is how I was asked to supply skin for an Arab woman from Gaza , who was hospitalized in Soroka Hospital in Beersheva, after her family burned her. Usually, such atrocities happen among Arab families when the women are suspected of having an affair.
We supplied all the needed Homografts for her treatment. She was successfully treated by my friend and colleague, Prof. Lior Rosenberg and discharged to return to Gaza . She was invited for regular follow-up visits to the outpatient clinic in Beersheva.
One day she was caught at a border crossing wearing a suicide belt. She meant to explode herself in the outpatient clinic of the hospital where they saved her life. It seems that her family promised her that if she did that, they would forgive her.
This is only one example of the war between Jews and Muslims in the Land of Israel. It is not a territorial conflict. This is a civilizational conflict, or rather a war between civilization & barbarism.
Bibi (Netanyahu) gets it, Obama does not.
I have never written before asking to please forward onwards, so that as many as possible can understand radical Islam and what awaits the world if it is not stopped.
Dr Arieh EldadSee More
Quote Of The Day ~
QUOTE OF THE DAY: "We were granted our right to exist by the God of our fathers, at the glimmer of the dawn of human civilization, nearly four thousand years ago. For that right, which has been sanctified in Jewish blood from generation to generation, we have paid a price unexampled in the annals of the nations.” - Menachem Begin, former Prime Minister of Israel
AWW ~
It was an old Jewish custom to plant a cedar tree when a boy was born and a pine tree when a girl was born. When two people were married, branches from these trees were used to make poles for their "chuppah," or wedding canopy.... (The custom of planting of a "marriage tree" at the birth of a child is called neti'ah shel simchah, "a joyous planting.") On a spiritual level, this pictures being "grafted in" and made part of the marriage canopy of Yeshua...
I believe in miracles.
By Gabrielle Bernstein
Introduction
Heaven on Earth is a choice you must make, not a place you must find. —Wayne Dyer
Winter 2009 was a turning point in my career. I was in the process of trying to get a publishing deal for my first book, Add More~ing to Your Life: A Hip Guide to Happiness.At this time the recession had us in a headlock. Fear and uncertainty were at an all-time high, news anchors reported on the ever-growing unemployment rates, and nearly every industry was negatively affected.
I remember sitting in my mother's kitchen telling my stepfather about my book concept. He tried his best to be as supportive as possible, but his fear of the recession was very strong. He responded, "This is a great concept, Gab, but don't forget that right now is a terrible time for the economy. It will be hard to sell a book." My response was confident and almost involuntary—words flooded out of my mouth. "Thank you for sharing," I said. "But I don't think that way because I believe in miracles." I felt empowered by these words and filled with faith regardless of the outside world's resistance. In that moment I witnessed my commitment to letting go of fear and recalibrated my faith in miracles.
Three months later I sold the book.
For the past seven years I've been working hard to keep my mind clear of fear and maintain my miracle mind-set. As a result of my dedication to miracles I have become a raconteur for love, inspiring audiences worldwide through my global speaking circuit, books, and social media. Today I live a miraculous life and am on a mission to help everyone do the same. My dedication to miracles got me to this groovy state. But I'll be straight-up with you: choosing loving thoughts over fearful delusions was a tough transition at first. It seems easy—who doesn't want to trade in fear for love? But giving up fear is like giving up sugar: they're both sneaky ingredients that hide out in almost everything. And just when you think you've got that craving under control, suddenly it rears its not-so-pretty head again. Therefore, releasing fearful patterns isn't for dabblers. It requires diligence and commitment. It requires you to become a full- on miracle worker.
One of the key components to my glass-half-full lifestyle is my dedication to A Course in Miracles, which teaches, "An untrained mind can accomplish nothing." Over the span of nearly forty years, the Course, a self-study metaphysical guide published by the Foundation for Inner Peace, has changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. It can be approached in what ever capacity works best for the individual, and in my experience studying the Course resulted in a full-blown mind cleanse, not to mention a superrockin’ life.
As a student of the Course I’ve learned that to find real happiness we must be willing to look at our fears straight-on. Throughout my practice I was guided to examine all my fears and investigate their root cause. For instance, upon looking at my fearful patterns with food, such as bingeing and obsessing over the next meal, I could understand that my compulsive overeating was a reaction to the childhood anxiety I'd picked up at the dinner table. At one time, my mother struggled with overeating. She turned to food to anesthetize her own inner turmoil. Her compulsive overeating affected me because I unconsciously picked up her anxious energy around the dinner table. This seemingly minor experience created a lot of anxiety for me when it came to eating. Unconsciously I took on my own fear around food. The fearful thought There’s never enough became an internal dialogue that plagued me at every meal. I'd overeat and speed through meals. I never tasted my food. I never even enjoyed it. I lived in this torturous cycle for years until I became willing to look at the fear underneath my behavior. Once I looked at my fear, I understood that it was based on that false belief that there was never enough. I spent decades in fear of not having enough to eat. I'd chosen to carry that limiting belief into my present and replay it in my day- today life. And that's the thing about limiting beliefs. They're just smoke and mirrors, a bit of mental sleight of hand that leads us in the wrong direction in life. Through my willingness, dedication to miracles, and infinite patience I was guided to all the resources I needed for healing. In time, my food addiction lifted.
Upon realizing that overeating wouldn't ever make me feel safe and complete, I recognized that nothing outside of myself could fill me up. I learned that real happiness doesn't come from getting but from giving. I accepted that true serenity and happiness come from a connection to love. Deep down we all inherently want to love and be loved. When we fulfill our function, which is to truly love ourselves and share love with others, then true happiness sets in.
As soon as I made the Course part of my daily life, I cleaned up my fearful thought patterns. Everything began to change. The most significant change wasn't what I experienced, but instead how I experienced it. As a result of following the Course’s suggestions, I've forgiven my past, released my future, and shown up for the present with love and faith. The changes in my life were beyond phenomenal.
Now I’m going to show you how to do the same.
Introduction
Heaven on Earth is a choice you must make, not a place you must find. —Wayne Dyer
Winter 2009 was a turning point in my career. I was in the process of trying to get a publishing deal for my first book, Add More~ing to Your Life: A Hip Guide to Happiness.At this time the recession had us in a headlock. Fear and uncertainty were at an all-time high, news anchors reported on the ever-growing unemployment rates, and nearly every industry was negatively affected.
I remember sitting in my mother's kitchen telling my stepfather about my book concept. He tried his best to be as supportive as possible, but his fear of the recession was very strong. He responded, "This is a great concept, Gab, but don't forget that right now is a terrible time for the economy. It will be hard to sell a book." My response was confident and almost involuntary—words flooded out of my mouth. "Thank you for sharing," I said. "But I don't think that way because I believe in miracles." I felt empowered by these words and filled with faith regardless of the outside world's resistance. In that moment I witnessed my commitment to letting go of fear and recalibrated my faith in miracles.
Three months later I sold the book.
For the past seven years I've been working hard to keep my mind clear of fear and maintain my miracle mind-set. As a result of my dedication to miracles I have become a raconteur for love, inspiring audiences worldwide through my global speaking circuit, books, and social media. Today I live a miraculous life and am on a mission to help everyone do the same. My dedication to miracles got me to this groovy state. But I'll be straight-up with you: choosing loving thoughts over fearful delusions was a tough transition at first. It seems easy—who doesn't want to trade in fear for love? But giving up fear is like giving up sugar: they're both sneaky ingredients that hide out in almost everything. And just when you think you've got that craving under control, suddenly it rears its not-so-pretty head again. Therefore, releasing fearful patterns isn't for dabblers. It requires diligence and commitment. It requires you to become a full- on miracle worker.
One of the key components to my glass-half-full lifestyle is my dedication to A Course in Miracles, which teaches, "An untrained mind can accomplish nothing." Over the span of nearly forty years, the Course, a self-study metaphysical guide published by the Foundation for Inner Peace, has changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. It can be approached in what ever capacity works best for the individual, and in my experience studying the Course resulted in a full-blown mind cleanse, not to mention a superrockin’ life.
As a student of the Course I’ve learned that to find real happiness we must be willing to look at our fears straight-on. Throughout my practice I was guided to examine all my fears and investigate their root cause. For instance, upon looking at my fearful patterns with food, such as bingeing and obsessing over the next meal, I could understand that my compulsive overeating was a reaction to the childhood anxiety I'd picked up at the dinner table. At one time, my mother struggled with overeating. She turned to food to anesthetize her own inner turmoil. Her compulsive overeating affected me because I unconsciously picked up her anxious energy around the dinner table. This seemingly minor experience created a lot of anxiety for me when it came to eating. Unconsciously I took on my own fear around food. The fearful thought There’s never enough became an internal dialogue that plagued me at every meal. I'd overeat and speed through meals. I never tasted my food. I never even enjoyed it. I lived in this torturous cycle for years until I became willing to look at the fear underneath my behavior. Once I looked at my fear, I understood that it was based on that false belief that there was never enough. I spent decades in fear of not having enough to eat. I'd chosen to carry that limiting belief into my present and replay it in my day- today life. And that's the thing about limiting beliefs. They're just smoke and mirrors, a bit of mental sleight of hand that leads us in the wrong direction in life. Through my willingness, dedication to miracles, and infinite patience I was guided to all the resources I needed for healing. In time, my food addiction lifted.
Upon realizing that overeating wouldn't ever make me feel safe and complete, I recognized that nothing outside of myself could fill me up. I learned that real happiness doesn't come from getting but from giving. I accepted that true serenity and happiness come from a connection to love. Deep down we all inherently want to love and be loved. When we fulfill our function, which is to truly love ourselves and share love with others, then true happiness sets in.
As soon as I made the Course part of my daily life, I cleaned up my fearful thought patterns. Everything began to change. The most significant change wasn't what I experienced, but instead how I experienced it. As a result of following the Course’s suggestions, I've forgiven my past, released my future, and shown up for the present with love and faith. The changes in my life were beyond phenomenal.
Now I’m going to show you how to do the same.
Monday, January 13, 2014
Whole-Grain Flour Glossary
Whole-Grain Flour Glossary
By Genevieve Ko
Use this guide to incorporate different grains’ flavors and textures into baked goods. (You will need to mix some of them with all-purpose or wheat flour.) Keep these grains fresh by storing them in the freezer for up to six months.
WHEAT FLOURS
Wheat contains the gluten needed to give rise to baked sweets. All-purpose flour can be combined with whole-wheat to prevent a dense crumb, or omitted for a more toothsome texture and assertive flavor.
All whole wheat is milled with the bran, endosperm, and germ.
Whole Wheat
Medium grind from hard wheat berries.
Taste: A pronounced earthiness with raw-sugar over-tones and a tannic near-bitterness similar to that of red wine or coffee. “White whole wheat” (from white berries) is milder than “traditional” (from red).
Use For: Pleasantly chewy bread, cookies, brownies, and sticky buns.
Whole-Wheat Pastry
Fine grind from soft red or white wheat berries, which are lower in gluten.
Taste: Like regular whole wheat.
Use For: Tender crusts, cakes, biscuits, and pancakes.
Graham
Coarse grind from hard red wheat berries.
Taste: Rustic, with faint honey notes.
Use For: Nubby, crisp crackers and crusts. It requires more liquids in batters and doughs before baking.
Spelt
Fine to coarse grinds from an ancient wheat predecessor. It can be substituted 1 to 1 for all- purpose flour.
Taste: Downright sweet and mild; reminiscent of toasted walnuts.
Use For: Anything white flour can do, with a very soft and delicate crumb. (There’s a misconception that spelt is gluten-free, but it is low-glycemic.) It readily absorbs liquid, so proportions of liquids may have to increase; batters may need time to absorb liquids before baking.
HEARTY GRAINS
Barley and rye are most commonly associated with a malty flavor. Both have small amounts of gluten and for structure require the addition of all-purpose or another wheat flour.
Barley
Fine grind from hulled barley with the inner bran still intact.
Taste: A caramelized nuttiness similar to browned butter's, with a tang like that in pale ale.
Use For: Smooth and buttery cookies, cakes, quick breads, and crusts. Higher proportions
may cause baked goods not to rise and to crumble.
Rye
Pumpernickel bread may be sour, but the flour it’s baked with isn’t. Rye flour is milled with the germ, bran, and endosperm, then sifted. Lighter varieties have more of the germ and bran sifted out and are sweeter than darker ryes like pumpernickel.
Taste: Echoes of malted milk with the depth of cooked sugar. The darker the variety, the stronger the flavor.
Use For: Tender breads and crusts, cookies, crunchy crackers, and crisp-outside and tender-inside biscuits, scones, waffles, and pancakes. Higher proportions may result in a gummy, dense crumb.
Oat
Fine to coarse grinds from whole oats.
Taste: Milky with a mild sweetness.
Use For: Tender and chewy muffins, cookies, scones, biscuits, pancakes, and waffles, when combined with other grains or white flour. It retains moisture and can result in wet gumminess if used in high proportions.
Buckwheat
Fine to coarse grinds from fruit seeds related to sorrel and rhubarb. Darker flours contain more of the whole kernel.
Taste: Nutty, with the mineral quality of mushrooms and dry red wine.
Use For: Smooth and chewy low-rising griddle favorites like pancakes, crepes, blini, and waffles, when mixed with wheat flour.
ANCIENT GRAINS
Technically, not all of these centuries-old options are grains, but they can function as such in baking when combined with wheat or other grains.
Amaranth
Fine, powdery grind from the seeds of a leafy plant.
Taste: Distinct, assertive grassiness, reminiscent of the scent of hay.
Use For: Dense and nearly sticky muffins, cookies, cakes, pancakes, and waffles, when combined with other grains.
Quinoa
Fine grind from the seeds of a leafy plant.
Taste: Faintly grassy, with hints of toasted sesame seeds.
Use For: Moist and chewy cookiesandmuffins,cakes, and quick breads with a fine crumb, when combined with other grains.
Millet
Powdery-fine grind from ancient grains with entire germs intact.
Taste: Mild and sweet, with a subtle nuttiness.
Use For: Delicate cakes and cakey cookies, when mixed with wheat flour.
Use this guide to incorporate different grains’ flavors and textures into baked goods. (You will need to mix some of them with all-purpose or wheat flour.) Keep these grains fresh by storing them in the freezer for up to six months.
WHEAT FLOURS
Wheat contains the gluten needed to give rise to baked sweets. All-purpose flour can be combined with whole-wheat to prevent a dense crumb, or omitted for a more toothsome texture and assertive flavor.
All whole wheat is milled with the bran, endosperm, and germ.
Whole Wheat
Medium grind from hard wheat berries.
Taste: A pronounced earthiness with raw-sugar over-tones and a tannic near-bitterness similar to that of red wine or coffee. “White whole wheat” (from white berries) is milder than “traditional” (from red).
Use For: Pleasantly chewy bread, cookies, brownies, and sticky buns.
Whole-Wheat Pastry
Fine grind from soft red or white wheat berries, which are lower in gluten.
Taste: Like regular whole wheat.
Use For: Tender crusts, cakes, biscuits, and pancakes.
Graham
Coarse grind from hard red wheat berries.
Taste: Rustic, with faint honey notes.
Use For: Nubby, crisp crackers and crusts. It requires more liquids in batters and doughs before baking.
Spelt
Fine to coarse grinds from an ancient wheat predecessor. It can be substituted 1 to 1 for all- purpose flour.
Taste: Downright sweet and mild; reminiscent of toasted walnuts.
Use For: Anything white flour can do, with a very soft and delicate crumb. (There’s a misconception that spelt is gluten-free, but it is low-glycemic.) It readily absorbs liquid, so proportions of liquids may have to increase; batters may need time to absorb liquids before baking.
HEARTY GRAINS
Barley and rye are most commonly associated with a malty flavor. Both have small amounts of gluten and for structure require the addition of all-purpose or another wheat flour.
Barley
Fine grind from hulled barley with the inner bran still intact.
Taste: A caramelized nuttiness similar to browned butter's, with a tang like that in pale ale.
Use For: Smooth and buttery cookies, cakes, quick breads, and crusts. Higher proportions
may cause baked goods not to rise and to crumble.
Rye
Pumpernickel bread may be sour, but the flour it’s baked with isn’t. Rye flour is milled with the germ, bran, and endosperm, then sifted. Lighter varieties have more of the germ and bran sifted out and are sweeter than darker ryes like pumpernickel.
Taste: Echoes of malted milk with the depth of cooked sugar. The darker the variety, the stronger the flavor.
Use For: Tender breads and crusts, cookies, crunchy crackers, and crisp-outside and tender-inside biscuits, scones, waffles, and pancakes. Higher proportions may result in a gummy, dense crumb.
Oat
Fine to coarse grinds from whole oats.
Taste: Milky with a mild sweetness.
Use For: Tender and chewy muffins, cookies, scones, biscuits, pancakes, and waffles, when combined with other grains or white flour. It retains moisture and can result in wet gumminess if used in high proportions.
Buckwheat
Fine to coarse grinds from fruit seeds related to sorrel and rhubarb. Darker flours contain more of the whole kernel.
Taste: Nutty, with the mineral quality of mushrooms and dry red wine.
Use For: Smooth and chewy low-rising griddle favorites like pancakes, crepes, blini, and waffles, when mixed with wheat flour.
ANCIENT GRAINS
Technically, not all of these centuries-old options are grains, but they can function as such in baking when combined with wheat or other grains.
Amaranth
Fine, powdery grind from the seeds of a leafy plant.
Taste: Distinct, assertive grassiness, reminiscent of the scent of hay.
Use For: Dense and nearly sticky muffins, cookies, cakes, pancakes, and waffles, when combined with other grains.
Quinoa
Fine grind from the seeds of a leafy plant.
Taste: Faintly grassy, with hints of toasted sesame seeds.
Use For: Moist and chewy cookiesandmuffins,cakes, and quick breads with a fine crumb, when combined with other grains.
Millet
Powdery-fine grind from ancient grains with entire germs intact.
Taste: Mild and sweet, with a subtle nuttiness.
Use For: Delicate cakes and cakey cookies, when mixed with wheat flour.
Oprah's Tea
Photo: © Harpo Inc./George Burns
Two years ago I met a family in India whose entire home consisted of one 10-by-10-foot room. This husband and wife ate, slept, and raised their three daughters crammed into a space so tiny, they didn't even have room to change their minds!
But they did have chai.
As we sat together on the floor of their living room/kitchen/playroom/bedroom, the husband reached behind the scrap of cloth that curtained off most of their few possessions, pulled out a tea set that had probably been around for generations, and proceeded to brew me the most incredible cup of chai I've ever experienced. Was it the pungent mix of spices or the openhearted welcome that made it so unforgettable? I asked the man how he made it, but he only smiled and said matter-of-factly, "Tea is just a part of our lives."
I came home from that trip obsessed with making tea a bigger part of my life. I searched for the perfect blend of pepper and ginger, cardamom and cinnamon, black tea, white tea, rose petals, and orange and lemon peel the way some women search for their signature scent. I learned to boil purified water at just the right temperature—212 degrees for black leaves, 175 degrees for white and green—at the same time I steam the almond milk. I found that frothing the milk makes it feel like a special occasion, and that splurging on 2 percent milk might just be the ultimate indulgence. I figured out that how long you steep the tea really depends on the time of day you're preparing it; two tablespoons steeped for three and a half minutes at 4:30 in the afternoon is a guarantee that I'll be swinging from a chandelier at 4:30 in the morning.
There's a certain beauty, a sense of order, that I began to discover in the tea-making process. I wake up every day, I pray or I meditate, I take in the silence, and then I start the tea. As the tea steeps, my head clears; as the flavors develop, my thoughts come into focus. I get centered, I get calm. I get ready for whatever the day is going to bring.
I like how the steam swirls and disappears; the woodsy, citrusy, spicy, floral fragrance; the way the translucent amber color turns creamy beige with milk. I like spooning a stiff dollop of foam on top, the feel of the mug in my hands.
I use the same mug every day. I carry it from city to city. Whether I'm in India, South Africa, or a hotel room in France, I'm hanging on to my little canister of chai, my infuser, my teapot, my mug—my sense of continuity, my small taste of home.
And when I'm at home, tea is something that I love to share. I've got Stedman hooked. I make it for the folks who work with me, for the security guys. I'll offer a cup to the woman who walks my dogs.
I hope I'm carrying the spirit of hospitality, humility, and generosity that the Hegdes, that wonderful family in India, offered me in their humble, love-filled home. It feels like an honor to share a cup of tea with other people. It feels like an act of grace.
But they did have chai.
As we sat together on the floor of their living room/kitchen/playroom/bedroom, the husband reached behind the scrap of cloth that curtained off most of their few possessions, pulled out a tea set that had probably been around for generations, and proceeded to brew me the most incredible cup of chai I've ever experienced. Was it the pungent mix of spices or the openhearted welcome that made it so unforgettable? I asked the man how he made it, but he only smiled and said matter-of-factly, "Tea is just a part of our lives."
I came home from that trip obsessed with making tea a bigger part of my life. I searched for the perfect blend of pepper and ginger, cardamom and cinnamon, black tea, white tea, rose petals, and orange and lemon peel the way some women search for their signature scent. I learned to boil purified water at just the right temperature—212 degrees for black leaves, 175 degrees for white and green—at the same time I steam the almond milk. I found that frothing the milk makes it feel like a special occasion, and that splurging on 2 percent milk might just be the ultimate indulgence. I figured out that how long you steep the tea really depends on the time of day you're preparing it; two tablespoons steeped for three and a half minutes at 4:30 in the afternoon is a guarantee that I'll be swinging from a chandelier at 4:30 in the morning.
There's a certain beauty, a sense of order, that I began to discover in the tea-making process. I wake up every day, I pray or I meditate, I take in the silence, and then I start the tea. As the tea steeps, my head clears; as the flavors develop, my thoughts come into focus. I get centered, I get calm. I get ready for whatever the day is going to bring.
I like how the steam swirls and disappears; the woodsy, citrusy, spicy, floral fragrance; the way the translucent amber color turns creamy beige with milk. I like spooning a stiff dollop of foam on top, the feel of the mug in my hands.
I use the same mug every day. I carry it from city to city. Whether I'm in India, South Africa, or a hotel room in France, I'm hanging on to my little canister of chai, my infuser, my teapot, my mug—my sense of continuity, my small taste of home.
And when I'm at home, tea is something that I love to share. I've got Stedman hooked. I make it for the folks who work with me, for the security guys. I'll offer a cup to the woman who walks my dogs.
I hope I'm carrying the spirit of hospitality, humility, and generosity that the Hegdes, that wonderful family in India, offered me in their humble, love-filled home. It feels like an honor to share a cup of tea with other people. It feels like an act of grace.
Sunday, January 12, 2014
1-12-2014 Jewish Warrior !
JERUSALEM -- Israelis from all walks of life flocked to parliament Sunday to catch a glimpse of Ariel Sharon's coffin and pay their final respects to the iconic former prime minister and general.
A stream of visitors ranging from former army comrades to political allies to citizens who only knew him from afar remembered Sharon as a decisive leader, for better or for worse, and one of the final heroes of Israel's founding generation.
"Words escape me. He was just a man who was larger than life,'' said a choked-up Shlomo Mann, 68, who served under Sharon's command in the 1973 Mideast war. "Those who didn't know him from up close can't truly understand what a legend he was. There will never be anyone else like him.''
The 85-year-old Sharon died Saturday eight years after a devastating stroke left him in a coma.
In a career that stretched across much of Israel's 65-year existence, his life was closely intertwined with the country's history. He was a leader known for his exploits on the battlefield, masterminding Israel's invasion of Lebanon, building Jewish settlements on war-won land and then, late in life, destroying some that he deemed no longer useful when he withdrew from the Gaza Strip.
As one of Israel's most famous generals, the man known as ``Arik'' was renowned for bold tactics and an occasional refusal to obey orders. To his supporters, he was a war hero; to his critics, a war criminal.
As prime minister late in life, he was embraced by the public as a grandfatherly figure who provided stability in times of turmoil.
President Shimon Peres -- a lifelong friend and rival -- and former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who succeeded Sharon after the 2006 stroke, were among those who paused before the closed flag-draped coffin displayed in a plaza in front of the Knesset and surrounded by an honour guard. But the event was mostly an occasion for everyday Israelis to honour him.
With tears streaking behind dark sunglasses, 44-year-old Anat Amir said she felt compelled to bid farewell.
"These are tears of pain and parting but also joy in a way for him since now he can finally rest,'' she said. "He was a leader you could count on, someone you could trust. He looked into the future, relied on the experience of the past and had the courage to make tough decisions and carry them out.''
Norman Zysblat, 64, called Sharon a "hero of Israel,'' whose death left the 90-year-old Peres as perhaps the last remnant of Israel's greatest generation. He recalled crossing the Suez Canal in 1973 under Sharon's command, a move widely seen as turning a war against Egypt and Syria in Israel's favour.
"I saw and felt firsthand the strength he gave the soldiers. He was the one who pushed ahead and provided the spirit,'' Zysblat said. "He was one of the greats. When the history of Israel is written, he will be in the first row.''
News of Sharon dominated Israeli newspapers. Israel's three main television stations all broadcast the memorial live.
A state memorial is planned for Monday at parliament followed by a funeral service at Sharon's ranch in southern Israel. Under Jewish law, funerals are to be carried out as soon as possible. But in a ritual reserved only for former prime ministers and presidents of Israel, the coffin lays in state at parliament to allow citizens to bid farewell.
U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Czech Prime Minister Jiri Rusnok, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and others are expected to attend Monday's ceremonies.
Sharon's life will be remembered for its three distinct stages: First, was his eventful and controversial time in uniform, including leading a deadly raid in the West Bank that killed 69 Arabs, as well as his heroics in the 1973 Mideast war.
Then came his years as a vociferous political operator who helped create Israel's settlement movement and masterminded the divisive Lebanon invasion in 1982. He was branded as indirectly responsible for the massacre of hundreds of Palestinians at the Sabra and Chatilla refugee camps outside Beirut when his troops allowed allied Lebanese militias into the camps. An uproar over the massacre cost him his job.
Yet ultimately he transformed himself into a prime minister and statesman, capped by a dramatic 2005 withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Sharon appeared to be cruising toward re-election when he suffered his stroke in January 2006.on's coffin and pay their final respects to the iconic former prime minister and general.
A stream of visitors ranging from former army comrades to political allies to citizens who only knew him from afar remembered Sharon as a decisive leader, for better or for worse, and one of the final heroes of Israel's founding generation.
"Words escape me. He was just a man who was larger than life,'' said a choked-up Shlomo Mann, 68, who served under Sharon's command in the 1973 Mideast war. "Those who didn't know him from up close can't truly understand what a legend he was. There will never be anyone else like him.''
The 85-year-old Sharon died Saturday eight years after a devastating stroke left him in a coma.
In a career that stretched across much of Israel's 65-year existence, his life was closely intertwined with the country's history. He was a leader known for his exploits on the battlefield, masterminding Israel's invasion of Lebanon, building Jewish settlements on war-won land and then, late in life, destroying some that he deemed no longer useful when he withdrew from the Gaza Strip.
As one of Israel's most famous generals, the man known as ``Arik'' was renowned for bold tactics and an occasional refusal to obey orders. To his supporters, he was a war hero; to his critics, a war criminal.
As prime minister late in life, he was embraced by the public as a grandfatherly figure who provided stability in times of turmoil.
President Shimon Peres -- a lifelong friend and rival -- and former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who succeeded Sharon after the 2006 stroke, were among those who paused before the closed flag-draped coffin displayed in a plaza in front of the Knesset and surrounded by an honour guard. But the event was mostly an occasion for everyday Israelis to honour him.
With tears streaking behind dark sunglasses, 44-year-old Anat Amir said she felt compelled to bid farewell.
"These are tears of pain and parting but also joy in a way for him since now he can finally rest,'' she said. "He was a leader you could count on, someone you could trust. He looked into the future, relied on the experience of the past and had the courage to make tough decisions and carry them out.''
Norman Zysblat, 64, called Sharon a "hero of Israel,'' whose death left the 90-year-old Peres as perhaps the last remnant of Israel's greatest generation. He recalled crossing the Suez Canal in 1973 under Sharon's command, a move widely seen as turning a war against Egypt and Syria in Israel's favour.
"I saw and felt firsthand the strength he gave the soldiers. He was the one who pushed ahead and provided the spirit,'' Zysblat said. "He was one of the greats. When the history of Israel is written, he will be in the first row.''
News of Sharon dominated Israeli newspapers. Israel's three main television stations all broadcast the memorial live.
A state memorial is planned for Monday at parliament followed by a funeral service at Sharon's ranch in southern Israel. Under Jewish law, funerals are to be carried out as soon as possible. But in a ritual reserved only for former prime ministers and presidents of Israel, the coffin lays in state at parliament to allow citizens to bid farewell.
U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Czech Prime Minister Jiri Rusnok, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and others are expected to attend Monday's ceremonies.
Sharon's life will be remembered for its three distinct stages: First, was his eventful and controversial time in uniform, including leading a deadly raid in the West Bank that killed 69 Arabs, as well as his heroics in the 1973 Mideast war.
Then came his years as a vociferous political operator who helped create Israel's settlement movement and masterminded the divisive Lebanon invasion in 1982. He was branded as indirectly responsible for the massacre of hundreds of Palestinians at the Sabra and Chatilla refugee camps outside Beirut when his troops allowed allied Lebanese militias into the camps. An uproar over the massacre cost him his job.
Yet ultimately he transformed himself into a prime minister and statesman, capped by a dramatic 2005 withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Sharon appeared to be cruising toward re-election when he suffered his stroke in January 2006.
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Ashkenazic Jews ~
Ashkenazic Jews were among the last Europeans to take family names. Some German-speaking Jews took last names as early as the 17th century, but the overwhelming majority of Jews lived in Eastern Europe and did not take last names until compelled to do so. The process began in the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1787 and ended in Czarist Russia in 1844.
In attempting to build modern nation-states, the authorities insisted that Jews take last names so that they could be taxed, drafted, and educated (in that order of importance). For centuries, Jewish communal leaders were responsible for collecting taxes from the Jewish population on behalf of the government, and in some cases were responsible for filling draft quotas. Education was traditionally an internal Jewish affair.
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Until this period, Jewish names generally changed with every generation. For example, if Moses son of Mendel (Moyshe ben Mendel) married Sarah daughter of Rebecca (Sora bas Rifke), and they had a boy and named it Samuel (Shmuel), the child would be called Shmuel ben Moyshe. If they had a girl and named her Feygele, she would be called Feygele bas Sora.
Jews distrusted the authorities and resisted the new requirement. Although they were forced to take last names, at first they were used only for official purposes. Among themselves, they kept their traditional names. Over time, Jews accepted the new last names, which were essential as Jews sought to advance within the broader society and as the shtetles were transformed or Jews left them for big cities.
The easiest way for Jews to assume an official last name was to adapt the name they already had, making it permanent. This explains the use of "patronymics" and "matronymics."
PATRONYMICS (son of ...)
In Yiddish or German, "son" would be denoted by "son" or "sohn" or "er." In most Slavic languages, like Polish or Russian, it would be "wich" or "witz."
For example: The son of Mendel took the last name Mendelsohn; the son of Abraham became Abramson or Avromovitch; the son of Menashe became Manishewitz; the son of Itzhak became Itskowitz; the son of Berl took the name Berliner; the son of Kesl took the name Kessler, etc.
MATRONYMICS (daughter of …)
Reflecting the prominence of Jewish women in business, some families made last names out of women's first names: Chaiken — son of Chaikeh; Edelman — husband of Edel; Gittelman — husband of Gitl; Glick or Gluck — may derive from Glickl, a popular woman's name as in the famous "Glickl of Hameln," whose memoirs, written around 1690, are an early example of Yiddish literature.
Gold/Goldman/Gulden may derived from Golda; Malkov from Malke; Perlman — husband of Perl; Rivken — may derive from Rivke; Soronsohn—son of Sarah.
PLACE NAMES
The next most common source of Jewish last names is probably places. Jews used the town or region where they lived, or where their families came from, as their last name. As a result, the Germanic origins of most East European Jews is reflected in their names.
For example, Asch is an acronym for the towns of Aisenshtadt or Altshul or Amshterdam. Other place-based Jewish names include: Auerbach/Orbach; Bacharach; Berger (generic for townsman); Berg(man), meaning from a hilly place; Bayer — from Bavaria; Bamberger; Berliner, Berlinsky — from Berlin; Bloch (foreigner); Brandeis; Breslau; Brodsky; Brody; Danziger; Deutch/Deutscher — German; Dorf(man), meaning villager; Eisenberg; Epstein; Florsheim; Frankel — from the Franconia region of Germany; Frankfurter; Ginsberg; Gordon — from Grodno, Lithuania or from the Russian word gorodin, for townsman; Greenberg; Halperin—from Helbronn, Germany; Hammerstein; Heller — from Halle, Germany; Hollander — not from Holland, but from a town in Lithuania settled by the Dutch; Horowitz, Hurwich, Gurevitch — from Horovice in Bohemia; Koenigsberg; Krakauer — from Cracow, Poland; Landau; Lipsky — from Leipzig, Germany; Litwak — from Lithuania; Minsky — from Minsk, Belarus; Mintz—from Mainz, Germany; Oppenheimer; Ostreicher — from Austria; Pinsky — from Pinsk, Belarus; Posner — from Posen, Germany; Prager — from Prague; Rappoport — from Porto, Italy; Rothenberg — from the town of the red fortress in Germany; Shapiro — from Speyer, Germany; Schlesinger — from Silesia, Germany; Steinberg; Unger — from Hungary; Vilner — from Vilna, Poland/Lithuania; Wallach—from Bloch, derived from the Polish word for foreigner; Warshauer/Warshavsky — from Warsaw; Wiener — from Vienna; Weinberg.
OCCUPATIONAL NAMES
Craftsmen/Workers
Ackerman — plowman; Baker/Boker — baker; Blecher — tinsmith; Fleisher/Fleishman/Katzoff/Metger — butcher; Cooperman — coppersmith; Drucker — printer; Einstein — mason; Farber — painter/dyer; Feinstein — jeweler; Fisher — fisherman; Forman — driver/teamster; Garber/Gerber — tanner; Glazer/Glass/Sklar — glazier; Goldstein — goldsmith; Graber — engraver; Kastner — cabinetmaker; Kunstler — artist; Kramer — storekeeper; Miller — miller; Nagler — nailmaker; Plotnick — carpenter; Sandler/Shuster — shoemaker; Schmidt/Kovalsky — blacksmith; Shnitzer — carver; Silverstein — jeweler; Spielman — player (musician?); Stein/Steiner/Stone — jeweler; Wasserman — water carrier.
Merchants
Garfinkel/Garfunkel — diamond dealer; Holzman/Holtz/Waldman — timber dealer; Kaufman — merchant; Rokeach — spice merchant; Salzman — salt merchant; Seid/Seidman—silk merchant; Tabachnik — snuff seller; Tuchman — cloth merchant; Wachsman — wax dealer; Wechsler/Halphan — money changer; Wollman — wool merchant; Zucker/Zuckerman — sugar merchant.
Related to tailoring
Kravitz/Portnoy/Schneider/Snyder — tailor; Nadelman/Nudelman — also tailor, but from "needle"; Sher/Sherman — also tailor, but from "scissors" or "shears"; Presser/Pressman — clothing presser; Futterman/Kirshner/Kushner/Peltz — furrier; Weber — weaver.
Medical
Aptheker — druggist; Feldsher — surgeon; Bader/Teller — barber.
Related to liquor trade
Bronfman/Brand/Brandler/Brenner — distiller; Braverman/Meltzer — brewer; Kabakoff/Krieger/Vigoda — tavern keeper; Geffen — wine merchant; Wine/Weinglass — wine merchant; Weiner — wine maker.
Religious/Communal
Altshul/Althshuler — associated with the old synagogue in Prague; Cantor/Kazan/Singer/Spivack — cantor or song leader in shul; Feder/Federman/Schreiber — scribe; Haver — from haver (court official); Klausner — rabbi for small congregation; Klopman — calls people to morning prayers by knocking on their window shutters; Lehrer/Malamud/Malmud — teacher; Rabin — rabbi (Rabinowitz—son of rabbi); London — scholar, from the Hebrew lamden (misunderstood by immigration inspectors); Reznick — ritual slaughterer; Richter — judge; Sandek — godfather; Schechter/Schachter/Shuchter etc. — ritual slaughterer from Hebrew schochet; Shofer/Sofer/Schaeffer — scribe; Shulman/Skolnick — sexton; Spector — inspector or supervisor of schools.
PERSONAL TRAITS
Alter/Alterman — old; Dreyfus—three legged, perhaps referring to someone who walked with a cane; Erlich — honest; Frum — devout ; Gottleib — God lover, perhaps referring to someone very devout; Geller/Gelber — yellow, perhaps referring to someone with blond hair; Gross/Grossman — big; Gruber — coarse or vulgar; Feifer/Pfeifer — whistler; Fried/Friedman—happy; Hoch/Hochman/Langer/Langerman — tall; Klein/Kleinman — small; Koenig — king, perhaps someone who was chosen as a “Purim King,” in reality a poor wretch; Krauss — curly, as in curly hair; Kurtz/Kurtzman — short; Reich/Reichman — rich; Reisser — giant; Roth/Rothman — red head; Roth/Rothbard — red beard; Shein/Schoen/Schoenman — pretty, handsome; Schwartz/Shwartzman/Charney — black hair or dark complexion; Scharf/Scharfman — sharp, i.e intelligent; Stark — strong, from the Yiddish shtark ; Springer — lively person, from the Yiddish springen for jump.
INSULTING NAMES
These were sometimes foisted on Jews who discarded them as soon as possible, but a few may remain:
Billig — cheap; Gans — goose; Indyk — turkey; Grob — rough/crude; Kalb — cow.
ANIMAL NAMES
It is common among all peoples to take last names from the animal kingdom. Baer/Berman/Beerman/Berkowitz/Beronson — bear; Adler — eagle (may derive from reference to an eagle in Psalm 103:5); Einhorn — unicorn; Falk/Sokol/Sokolovksy — falcon; Fink — finch; Fuchs/Liss — fox; Gelfand/Helfand — camel (technically means elephant but was used for camel too); Hecht—pike; Hirschhorn — deer antlers; Karp — carp; Loeb — lion; Ochs— ox; Strauss — ostrich (or bouquet of flowers); Wachtel — quail.
HEBREW NAMES
Some Jews either held on to or adopted traditional Jewish names from the Bible and Talmud. The big two are Cohen (Cohn, Kohn, Kahan, Kahn, Kaplan) and Levi (Levy, Levine, Levinsky, Levitan, Levenson, Levitt, Lewin, Lewinsky, Lewinson). Others include: Aaron — Aronson, Aronoff; Asher; Benjamin; David — Davis, Davies; Ephraim — Fishl; Emanuel — Mendel; Isaac — Isaacs, Isaacson/Eisner; Jacob — Jacobs, Jacobson, Jacoby; Judah — Idelsohn, Udell,Yudelson; Mayer/Meyer; Menachem — Mann, Mendel; Reuben — Rubin; Samuel — Samuels, Zangwill; Simon — Schimmel; Solomon — Zalman.
HEBREW ACRONYMS
Names based on Hebrew acronyms include: Baron — bar aron (son of Aaron); Beck — bene kedoshim (descendant of martyrs); Getz — gabbai tsedek (righteous synagogue official); Katz — kohen tsedek (righteous priest); Metz — moreh tsedek (teacher of righteousness); Sachs, Saks — zera kodesh shemo (his name descends from martyrs); Segal — se gan levia (second-rank Levite).
OTHER HEBREW- and YIDDISH-DERIVED NAMES
Lieb means "lion" in Yiddish. It is the root of many Ashkenazic last names, including Liebowitz, Lefkowitz, Lebush, and Leon. It is the Yiddish translation of the Hebrew word for lion — aryeh. The lion was the symbol of the tribe of Judah.
Hirsch means "deer" or "stag" in Yiddish. It is the root of many Ashkenazic last names, including Hirschfeld, Hirschbein/Hershkowitz (son of Hirsch), Hertz/Herzl, Cerf, Hart, and Hartman. It is the Yiddish translation of the Hebrew word for gazelle: tsvi. The gazelle was the symbol of the tribe of Naphtali.
Taub means "dove" in Yiddish. It is the root of the Ashkenazic last name Tauber. The symbol of the dove is associated with the prophet Jonah.
Wolf is the root of the Ashkenazic last names Wolfson, Wouk, and Volkovich. The wolf was the symbol of the tribe of Benjamin.
Eckstein — Yiddish for cornerstone, derived from Psalm 118:22.
Good(man) — Yiddish translation of the Hebrew word for "good": tuviah.
Margolin — Hebrew for "pearl."
INVENTED ‘FANCY SHMANCY’ NAMES
When Jews in the Austro-Hungarian Empire were required to assume last names, some chose the nicest ones they could think of and may have been charged a registration fee by the authorities. According to the YIVO Encyclopedia, "The resulting names often are associated with nature and beauty. It is very plausible that the choices were influenced by the general romantic tendencies of German culture at that time." These names include: Applebaum — apple tree; Birnbaum — pear tree; Buchsbaum — box tree; Kestenbaum — chestnut tree; Kirschenbaum — cherry tree; Mandelbaum — almond tree; Nussbaum — nut tree; Tannenbaum — fir tree; Teitelbaum — palm tree.
Other names, chosen or purchased, were combinations with these roots: Blumen (flower), Fein (fine), Gold, Green, Lowen (lion), Rosen (rose), Schoen/Schein (pretty) — combined with berg (hill or mountain), thal (valley), bloom (flower), zweig (wreath), blatt (leaf), vald or wald (woods), feld (field).
Miscellaneous other names included Diamond; Glick/Gluck — luck; Hoffman — hopeful; Fried/Friedman — happiness; Lieber/Lieberman — lover.
Jewish family names from non-Jewish languages included: Sender/Saunders — from Alexander; Kagan — descended from the Khazars, a Turkic-speaking people from Central Asia; Kelman/Kalman — from the Greek name Kalonymous, the Greek translation of the Hebrew shem tov (good name), popular among Jews in medieval France and Italy; Marcus/Marx — from Latin, referring to the pagan god Mars.
Finally, there may have been Jewish names changed or shortened by immigration inspectors (though this is disputed) or by immigrants themselves (or their descendants) to sound more American, which is why "Sean Ferguson" was a Jew.
Let us close with a ditty:
And this is good old Boston;
The home of the bean and the cod.
Where the Lowells speak only to the Cabots;
And the Cabots speak Yiddish, by God!
The home of the bean and the cod.
Where the Lowells speak only to the Cabots;
And the Cabots speak Yiddish, by God!
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