Archaeological Sensation in Yavne: Ancient World’s Largest Complex of Winepresses Uncovered and Pfizer CEO: No emotional reason to choose Israel for vaccine and Church’s Dubious Connection to Massive Arab Construction in Jerusalem and Rachel’s Children Reclamation Foundation (RCRF) commemorated the Yartzeit of Rachel Imeinu with two events in New York and Jerusalem on Sunday, October 17.
Yehuda Lave is an author, journalist, psychologist, rabbi, spiritual teacher, and coach, with degrees in business, psychology and Jewish Law. He works with people from all walks of life and helps them in their search for greater happiness, meaning, business advice on saving money, and spiritual engagement.
"RCRF REMEMBERS 'MAMA ROCHEL' ON HER YARZHEIT " The Rachel's Children Reclamation Foundation (RCRF) commemorated the Yartzeit of Rachel Imeinu on Sunday, October 17, 2021, 11 Mar Cheshvan, the Yartzeit of Rochel Imeinu, at its 27th Annual Yahrzeit Dinner. This year was a doubly exciting program -as we also had one in Jerusalem's Baka neighborhood, just a stone's throw from Kever Rachel, and the other at the Manhattan Beach Jewish Center - since RCRF Founder Evelyn Haies made Aliyah with her husband Jay Haies on July 4th, 2021.
Activist Dr. Paul Brody was, once again, the masterful Master of Ceremonies in New York, beautifully singing the National Anthem and Hatikvah, and the keynote speaker was Harav Mayer Alter Horowitz SHLITA, the illustrious Bostoner Rebbe of Har Nof, who attended with his lovely Rebbetzin. The Bostoner Rebbe has a long history with RCRF. He was among 3,000 celebrants when RCRF held a Hachnasat Sefer Torah at Kever Rachel, on Rosh Chodesh Tammuz 1998. The Bostoner has also attended many events at Beit Beni Rachel. Among the honored guests, were illuminating speaker Rabbi Akiva Eisenstadt, who helped establish the Manhattan Beach Community Kollel, NYU Judaic Studies Professor Lawrence H. Schiffman, close friend of the Bostoner Rebbe, and speakers Jewish blogger and long-time RCRF supporter Mrs. Robin (Fayge Raizel) Ticker, and Manhattan Beach native, NYPD Deputy Inspector Richie Taylor, the New York Police Department's highest ranking Orthodox police officer. RCRF Founder Evelyn Haies' grandson, Shmuel Hayes, made his speaking debut at the dinner, telling the guests all about the Jewish history of Beit Lechem.
Here was the schedule at the Jerusalem event:
4pm to 4:30 arrival and passing's. Buffet serving Michael Elias "We are Rachels Children " by Michael Elias
4:45 welcome by MC Evelyn Haies Anthems. Hatikvah by Yehuda Lave Violin by Alizah 5pm A Brief history of Beis Lechem by "Shmuel Haies" where Ruth married Boaz the ancestors of King David born to Yishai in Beis Lechem the holy city. Harav Benji Levene grandson of HaRav Aryeh visited the women prisoners in Jewish controlled Beis Lechem 5:15 Greetings from Evelyn Haies "The Rachel Song" (lyrics by Evelyn Haies,)
5:30 Keynote Speaker Rav Moshe Borger of Ohr Samrach 6pm Rabbi Chaim Bancroft "Torah and Technology," and Rachel Imeinu and The United Family 630 Atara Gur "The Rachel Scholarremember Wednesday 11am classes7pm Esther Cameron "Poetry Repairs the world"7:30pm"Rachels Children" lyrics by Evelyn.Another version since the 1995 version since 2 years at Israel Day Concert in Central Park played last year introduced here by Gad Elbazdanny finkleman,cecelia margolis desert DONATED by BAKERY
The program also featured two music videos versions, based on Evelyn Haies' lyrics, "We are Rachel's Children," both brilliantly produced by last year RCRF honoree Daniel Finkelman, with dramatic music by Cecelia Margules. The first video was by singer Michael Ian Elias, the second by superstar Gad Elbaz. The program also included a new poem written by RCRF Founder Evelyn Haies barely a month ago, which was read aloud by Evelyn's grandchildren, Miriam and Rachel Scop. Many thanks to another granddaughter, Malky Grunwald, who ran the audio-visual portion of the program, including Evelyn Haies' zoom presentation from Jerusalem, to her daughter Deborah Scop for photography, and to her son-in-law, Yisroel Shleifstein for catering the sumptuous Traditions dinner, which was topped off, as always, by a luscious Kever Rachel cake.
The Three Musketeers at the Kotel
Archaeological Sensation in Yavne: Ancient World's Largest Complex of Winepresses Uncovered
Photo Credit: Yaniv Berman, Israel Antiquities Authority
The largest known wine industry area in the world dated to the Byzantine period.
It appears that the town of Yavne, home to the Sanhedrin in exile after the destruction of the Second Temple, became a worldwide powerhouse of wine production some 1,500 years ago. A vast, well-designed industrial estate from the Byzantine period with an impressive wine production complex—the largest of its kind in the world in that period—has been excavated in the city of Yavne over the past two years.
The largest known wine industry area in the world dated to the Byzantine period. / Assaf Peretz, Israel Antiquities Authority
This large-scale excavation has been conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority as part of the Israel Land Authority's initiative to expand the city. The plant includes five magnificent wine presses, warehouses for aging and marketing the wine, kilns for firing the clay jars in which the wine was stored, tens of thousands of fragments and intact earthen jars, and well-planned access from each facility to the others.
Drinking wine was very common in ancient times, for children and adults alike. The water was not always clean or tasty, so wine was used as a kind of concentrate to improve the taste. Each of the exposed winepresses covered an area of about 225 square meters. Compartments were built across the treading floor for fermenting the grape juice after it had been crushed by barefoot workers, and next to them there stood two enormous octagonal-shaped vats for collecting the extracted liquid.
The Director of the excavation, Liat Nadav-Ziv, loking through the conch niche that adorns the winepress. / Yaniv Berman, Israel Antiquities Authority
The directors of the excavation on behalf of the IAA, Dr. Elie Haddad, Dr. Jon Seligman, and Liat Nadav-Ziv, noted: "We were surprised to discover a sophisticated factory here, which was used to produce wine in commercial quantities. Furthermore, decorative niches in the shape of a conch that adorned the winepresses indicate the great wealth of the factory owners. A calculation of the production capacity of these winepresses shows that approximately two million liters of wine were marketed here every year, and, remember, the entire process was conducted manually."
Excavation director Dr. Elie Hadad with a jar that exposed in Yavne. / Yaniv Berman, Israel Antiquities Authority
Four large warehouses were discovered among the winepresses, which served as the winery. The wine was aged in elongated amphorae known as "Gaza jars." The jars themselves, some of which were discovered whole, amid hundreds of thousands of fragments, were made at the site in large kilns.
According to the three archaeologists, Gaza and Ashkelon Wine was considered a quality brand in antiquity, and its reputation spread far and wide, a bit like Jaffa oranges becoming the brand name for all Israeli oranges. Everyone knew that this wine was a product of the Holy Land, and everyone wanted more and more of it. The wine received its name from the ports of Gaza and Ashkelon from which it was shipped. From Yavne's main production center of this prestigious wine commercial quantities were transported throughout the Mediterranean basin.
Thousands of ancient finds have been uncovered in the huge excavation of the Yavneh Antiquities. / Yaniv Berman, Israel Antiquities Authority / Yaniv Berman, Israel Antiquities Authority
It is interesting to note that the excavation in Yavne revealed even older winepresses from the Persian period, about 2300 years ago. "In the Mishna, it is written that after the destruction of Jerusalem, the Jewish leadership moved to Yavne and that the sages of Yavne lived in a vineyard and studied Torah. The excavation shows a continuum of the existence of the wine industry at the site over many centuries," said the archaeologists.
These are the citations regarding the vineyard in Yavne, one supports the idea that the sages actually sat in a vineyard, the other suggesting the vineyard was a metaphor:
"This exposition was expounded by Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya before the Sages in the vineyard of Yavne" (Ketubot 4:).
"This exposition was expounded by Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya before the Sages in the vineyard of Yavne. But was there a vineyard? No, those were the disciples of the sages who were sitting in rows upon rows like a vineyard" (Yerushalmi, Berachot 33 A: a).
Compartment niches of the winepress decorated with a conch decoration testify to the great wealth of the owners of the estate. / Yaniv Berman, Israel Antiquities Authority
Eli Eskozido, Director of the IAA, said "the Yavne excavation is a mega-excavation of the IAA covering 20 hectares, with the participation of hundreds of workers and dozens of permanent staff and experts. As an organization that wants to connect the public to its heritage, the IAA has involved youth and residents from Yavne in the excavation. Our archaeologists are doing holy work by exposing unknown chapters of the history of the country, while working hard, braving the heat and the cold. I welcome the cooperation with the Israel Land Authority and the Yavne Municipality."
Yaakov Quint, Director of the Israel Land Authority, said "the treasures that are part of the land have been exposed thanks to the Israel Lands Authority's extensive investment in financing the Yavne archeological excavations."
Five huge winepresses of the Byzantine period were exposed in the excavation. They produced an estimated total of two million liters of wine every year.
The Israel Lands Authority's plan, together with the Municipality of Yavne, includes 12,500 housing units and 450,000 square meters of commercial and employment space. The plan includes doubling up the railway track and new construction over the train station. As part of the preliminary works for the development of the plan, the Israel Land Authority is investing approximately NIS 200 million ($62 million) in the works of the IAA, which will enable the archaeological finds to be exposed, investigated, and preserved for future generations."
Gaza wine was a world brand in the Byzantine period. / Yaniv Berman, Israel Antiquities Authority
Yavne Mayor Zvi Gov-Ari said: "The impressive findings strengthen the recognition of the importance of the city of Yavne and its glorious past throughout history. We have decided that Tel Yavne will be preserved and will be upgraded to become a focal point for tourism and education in the future. The development plan includes a bridge over the site that will allow the finds to continue to exist. This type of activity, in cooperation with the IAA, has not been done in other projects in the country, and this is an opportunity to thank all parties for their cooperation."
The IAA, the Israel Land Authority, and the Yavne Municipality invite the public to tour this huge wine factory before it is covered to protect it from rain. Later, the wineries will be preserved and made accessible to the public as part of an archeological park to be established on the site.
Pfizer CEO: No emotional reason to choose Israel for vaccine
Pfizer's CEO stressed that his decision to sell enough vaccines to Israel was based on difficult decisions. "Given the results the decisions were wise."
Tags:vaccinesArutz Sheva Staff , Oct 12 , 2021 10:53 PM Share Albert BourlaTOM BRENNER/ REUTERS The decision to choose Israel as the experimental incubator for the coronavirus vaccine of the pharmaceutical giant it owns was not based on an "emotional connection," Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said today (Tuesday) at the Jerusalem Post conference.
He said, "Israel has a special place in my heart. It not only symbolizes the fulfillment of a dream, but a stable anchor so that we and our children will feel safe from the things that have happened to us in the past."
However, Pfizer's CEO stressed that his decision to sell enough vaccines to Israel was based on difficult decisions that were made seriously. "Given the results," he added, "the decisions were wise."
Bourla said he was looking for a country that could demonstrate what the vaccine is capable of doing. "To put it simply, Israel had all the conditions for this, including its health care system. The small population has made research and data collection on vaccine effects much more accessible. Israel has extensive and accessible electronic information connected to an extraordinary amount of the population."
"In conclusion, it is very important to emphasize There are almost no countries that have the same experience as Israel in crisis management. "
Bourla added that both Israel and Pfizer were ready for the challenge and the results of the cooperation between them were "phenomenal". To date, close to 6.2 million Israelis have received at least one dose of the American pharmaceutical giant's vaccine. In total, close to 16 million of the company's vaccine doses were given in Israel, whether in the first, second or third dose. "We have no ability to rest on laurels," Bourla added. "Our work is still far from over. Pfizer is committed to staying one step ahead of the virus." He stated that Pfizer will devote the next few months to working towards expanding the emergency approval of the third dose of the vaccine, and will submit supervised information from its research labs, which test the efficacy and safety of the dose in populations of children ages 11-5 as well. The CEO also noted that Pfizer will continue to work on the oral vaccine dose, not just the injection. He added that cooperation with Israel on this issue is also on the agenda. "We look forward to working with the scientific and academic communities in Israel in many areas," he concluded, "and as always, we will follow science."
Church's Dubious Connection to Massive Arab Construction in Jerusalem
The residential project is considered the largest in eastern Jerusalem and is valued at more than NIS 1 billion, as a joint venture between Massar International and the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate.
By Baruch Yedid, TPS
Bashar Masri, billionaire entrepreneur and founder of the Palestinian Authority city of Rawabi city near Ramallah, unveiled on Monday the "Lana" $300 million, 400 units housing project to be built in the northern areas of Jerusalem.
Announcing the start of the excavation phase, Masri convened a press conference that was attended by the Mufti of Jerusalem Muhammad Ahmad Hussein, Patriarch Theophilos III, head of the Greek Orthodox Church in Jerusalem, senior members of the Waqf, and church leaders.
"Jerusalem is our top priority, and investing in it is an important means of economic empowerment for the residents of the city. As long as I am able to do so, I will not hesitate," declared Masri.
"We started excavation operations and will provide a modern and integrated lifestyle for the residents," he added.
The Mufti of Jerusalem said that Lana "guarantees us life in Jerusalem. Investment in the Holy City is an important matter."
The residential project is considered the largest in eastern Jerusalem and is valued at more than NIS 1 billion, as a joint venture between Massar International and the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate.
The large project has nine buildings, one of which is for commercial use and eight buildings of 3-4 floors with 400 residential apartments. The first 92 apartments will be ready in two and a half years. 50% of the project area is designated for public buildings, including schools, kindergartens and a commercial center.
Al-Masri claims he waited 10 years for permits from Israeli authorities, including the Jerusalem municipality. The building permit for two residential buildings was granted last September and is registered in the name of Condias Isicius, a member of the Greek Church and a resident of Beit Hanina.
Sources knowledgeable of the details raised a series of questions about the issuance of permits, land ownership and the involvement of the church in the huge project.
Christian sources have alleged that "church leaders have become a cartel of land trafficking for Palestinians in exchange for crumbs, and have betrayed the public trust."
Representatives of Massar International told TPS that this is a joint venture between the large corporation and the Greek Church, but the Christian community says that this is an improper step on the part of the church that gave up 31 dunams of land entrusted to the Christians in exchange for a very small share of 20% of all apartments in the project.
Church sources say that the church leased the land for 99 years to Massar International, which in turn pledged to cover development and construction costs, charging that "this is a scandal because Christians will be entitled to a total of 80 apartments after giving up 31 acres of Christian land which were handed over to the responsibility of the patriarchy at the end of the Ottoman period and became Christian sacred lands that are forbidden for sale."
The Christian community says that "the patriarch is not allowed to use these lands and certainly not to sell them. The heads of the church who have become a business cartel are acting against the will of the Christian community in Jerusalem and therefore they are evading the issue by using the land lease method for 99 years."
One of the parties involved says that Massar International "is not allowed to build on the land even though it has been leased to it and it must return it to the owner for use at the end of the period, but everyone is turning a blind eye, including Israel."
The church explained that "at the end of the Ottoman period and due to the heavy taxes imposed by the Turks on lands in the area, many Christian residents registered the land in the name of the church exempt from taxes and these lands were given the same status as Muslim Waqf lands, which are forbidden for sale to anyone else."
"These lands have not been returned to their owners and now the church leaders are trading them in exchange for making money and in dubious transactions."
The prices offered by Massar International, NIS 1 million for a 90-square-meter apartment, and NIS 2 million for a 160-square-meter apartment, are not suitable for the Christian population in the area, but for the wealthy Palestinians who do not find Rawabi attractive and want to live in Lana due to its proximity to Jerusalem," said a social activist in the Christian community in the city.
