Eight and final Day of Chanukah and DAVID M. WEINBERG - Gleefully abandoning Israel and Cypress day one and two and ISRAELI TECH MAKES SOMETHING THAT IS LIFE CHANGING written by Phil Schneider and 9th Century Luxurious Estate and Mosque Uncovered in Bedouin City of Rahat and Rare, stolen 2,000-year-old silver coin returned to Israeli authorities in US

View in browser 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. Love Yehuda Lave Join my blog by sending me an email to YehudaLave@gmail.com Cypress day one and two Cyprus, our friendly yet little-known neighbor, is rich in heritage: Roman, Crusader, Venetian, Ottoman, British, and even Jewish. Thickly forested mountains, quaint villages, vineyards, and pristine beaches offer a cool relief from the Mediterranean summer heat. Since 1974, the island is divided into the Republic of Cyprus and the North, occupied by Turkey. Diverse Greek, Turkish, British, and other communities add color to the visit. In 1946, the British set up internment camps in Cyprus for illegal Jewish immigrants to Mandatory Palestine. Until February 1949 more than 52,000 ma'apilim passed through these camps. Many young couples soon stood under the chuppah and 2,200 babies were born on the island - a baby boom that continued after the aliyah. Since 2016, the Cyprus Heritage Trips have been expertly organized by Yaron Amitai, author of popular guidebooks to Cyprus and Greece. This tour is led by Yochai Copenhagen, whose father came to Israel on board the Yagur, the first Hagana ship to be diverted to Cyprus. DAVID M. WEINBERG Gleefully abandoning Israel People like Tom Friedman and Asa Kasher grab the opportunity to declare Israel a lost cause. Gleefully abandoning Israel - JNS.org The Three Musketeers at the Kotel The Three are Rabbi Yehuda Glick, famous temple mount activist, and former Israel Mk, and then Robert Weinger, the world's greatest shofar blower and seller of Shofars, and myself after we had gone to the 12 gates of the Temple Mount in 2020 to blow the shofar to ask G-d to heal the world from the Pandemic. It was a highlight to my experience in living in Israel and I put it on my blog each day to remember. The articles that I include each day are those that I find interesting, so I feel you will find them interesting as well. I don't always agree with all the points of each article but found them interesting or important to share with you, my readers, and friends. It is cathartic for me to share my thoughts and frustrations with you about life in general and in Israel. As a Rabbi, I try to teach and share the Torah of the G-d of Israel as a modern Orthodox Rabbi. I never intend to offend anyone but sometimes people are offended and I apologize in advance for any mistakes. The most important psychological principle I have learned is that once someone's mind is made up, they don't want to be bothered with the facts, so, like Rabbi Akiva, I drip water (Torah is compared to water) on their made-up minds and hope that some of what I have share sinks in. Love Rabbi Yehuda Lave. 9th Century Luxurious Estate and Mosque Uncovered in Bedouin City of Rahat A luxurious estate and a rare rural mosque – among the earliest known worldwide (over 1200 years old) were recently discovered in the city of Rahat in the Negev. Large-scale archaeological excavations conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority to facilitate the construction of a new neighborhood in Rahat––underwritten by the Authority for Development and Settlement of the Bedouin in the Negev––are providing graphic details of the gradual transition from Christianity to Islam that took place in the seventh to ninth centuries CE. The excavations, directed by Oren Shmueli, Dr. Elena Kogan-Zehavi, and Dr. Noe David Michael on behalf of the IAA, revealed buildings with Christian and Early Islamic characteristics close to one another. "We uncovered a farmhouse of the Byzantine period that apparently housed Christian farmers and included a fortified tower and rooms with strong walls surrounding a courtyard," the researchers reported. "On a nearby hilltop, we found estates constructed in a completely different manner; these were built about a hundred years later, in the late seventh to ninth centuries – the Early Islamic period. "The estate buildings, apparently built by Muslims, were constructed with lines of rooms next to large, open courtyards. Many of the clay-lined ovens revealed inside the rooms and in the courtyards were used for cooking food. The walls of these buildings were relatively thin and supported mudbrick walls that have not survived," the researchers said. An early rural mosque––the first of its kind–– was excavated in the vicinity in 2019 by Shahar Tzur and Dr. Jon Seligman on behalf of the IAA and provided proof of the identity of the inhabitants. In the recent, renewed excavations, archaeologists were surprised to discover yet another rural mosque of the seventh to eighth centuries CE. The mosque includes a square room and a wall facing the direction of Mecca, the holy city of Islam. A half-circle niche is located along the center of the wall pointing southwards. These unique architectural features show that the building was used as a mosque. The mosque stands alone on the site and was likely used by several dozen Muslim worshippers for prayers. The mosque is located about 400 meters south of a luxurious estate building constructed around a central courtyard. It includes halls with stone pavements––some paved with marble––and walls decorated with frescos painted in red and yellow. Remains of fine tableware and glass vessels, some decorated with drawings of plants and animals, which were revealed in the building, attest to the wealth of its inhabitants. According to the IAA researchers, "the evidence from all the excavation areas gathered so far: the dwellings, the houses of prayer, the ovens and utensils, shed light on the beginnings of the historical process that took place in the northern Negev with the introduction to the region of the new religion of Islam, together with new rulers and a new culture. These were gradually established, disinheriting the earlier Byzantine government and the Christian religion that ruled the land for hundreds of years." ISRAELI TECH MAKES SOMETHING THAT IS LIFE-CHANGING written by Phil Schneider The State of Israel is at the forefront of technology that improves life in so many ways. Waze is an Israeli invention that saves hundreds of millions of people time every day of the year. Israeli bio-tech inventions have helped wounded soldiers and others with a handicap to walk around. But this new invention may help a small, yet fast growing segment of the world – the motorcycle and motorized scooter population. Nearly every day, another person in Israel is seriously hurt or worse, driving a motorcycle through traffic. Any congested city naturally will see an uptick in motorcycle riders. Today, in cities like Tel-Aviv, motorized scooters are increasing more than nearly any other mode of transportation. It is natural that in Israel, a hi-tech company would develop a 3D warning system that fits on the helmet of a motorcycle driver in order to avoid potential accidents. This is a major development that any person who has ever had a close call with a motorcycle can attest to. Bu in truth, more is needed than this invention. What is also needed are stricter rules against motorcycle drivers who drive in the middle of cars sitting in traffic. Most of the close calls happen when motorcycle drivers whiz in between slowly driving cars. As far as I know, there are no laws that dictate this specific situation. But this is the situation that must be dealt with. An example of a rule that could make an impact is a 30 mph rule that says that no motorcycle can drive faster than 30 mph through cars sitting in traffic. Alternatively, this new technology could be encouraged as a method to reduce motorcycle insurance. Anything that saves lives on the order of magnitude of hundreds per year should be a top priority. Rare, stolen 2,000-year-old silver coin returned to Israeli authorities in US Quarter-shekel minted in 69CE was smuggled out of country to black market; international probe results in it finally being restored to Israel Antiquities Authority By Stuart Winer A rare quarter shekel silver coin, minted in 69 CE, that was handed over to Israeli authorities in New York, September 12, 2022. (Israel Antiquities Authority) A very rare ancient silver coin, minted as an act of defiance by Jewish rebels against the Roman Empire over 2,000 years ago and plundered from Israel in 2002, was returned to Israeli authorities in New York on Monday following an international recovery effort. The quarter-shekel coin is from the fourth year of the Jewish Great Revolt against the Romans, which took place in 66-73 CE, the Israel Antiques Authority said in a Tuesday statement. It was minted in 69 CE, a year before the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem by Roman authorities seeking to suppress the Jewish revolt against their rule. A handover ceremony was held at the office of the Manhattan district attorney. Among those who attended were Israel Antiquities Authority director Eli Eskosido, Consul General of Israel in New York Asaf Zamir, Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan, and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. "This is a historic achievement for the State of Israel and for the preservation of its cultural heritage assets, as this is only the second time they were ever looted and smuggled out of Israel [and then] were returned to the state," Eskosido said. "This is the beginning of a very positive and important trend for the restoration of cultural heritage assets." Zamir called the coin "a stark reminder of the Jewish people's millennia-old connection to the land of Israel." The repatriated coin was among a hoard found by Palestinian looters in 2002 in the Elah Valley area. It was smuggled out of the country, passing through illicit antiquities markets in Israel, Jordan and the UK. In London, false paperwork was used to export the coin to the US, where in 2017 it was offered for sale at the Heritage Auction's World Coins & Ancient Coins Signature Auction, in Denver, Colorado. The IAA spent two decades trying to track down the coin and earlier this year, by working together with the Manhattan District Attorney's Office's Antiquities Trafficking Unit, was able to gather enough evidence to execute a seizure warrant, and a court order for it to be returned to the State of Israel. The investigation saw cooperation with the US Department of Homeland Security, Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities, the UK's New Scotland Yard, and Jordan's Department of Antiquities. September 12, 2022. (Israel Antiquities Authority) A very rare ancient silver coin, minted as an act of defiance by Jewish rebels against the Roman Empire over 2,000 years ago and plundered from Israel in 2002, was returned to Israeli authorities in New York on Monday following an international recovery effort. The quarter-shekel coin is from the fourth year of the Jewish Great Revolt against the Romans, which took place in 66-73 CE, the Israel Antiques Authority said in a Tuesday statement. It was minted in 69 CE, a year before the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem by Roman authorities seeking to suppress the Jewish revolt against their rule. A handover ceremony was held at the office of the Manhattan district attorney. Among those who attended were Israel Antiquities Authority director Eli Eskosido, Consul General of Israel in New York Asaf Zamir, Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan, and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. "This is a historic achievement for the State of Israel and for the preservation of its cultural heritage assets, as this is only the second time they were ever looted and smuggled out of Israel [and then] were returned to the state," Eskosido said. "This is the beginning of a very positive and important trend for the restoration of cultural heritage assets." Zamir called the coin "a stark reminder of the Jewish people's millennia-old connection to the land of Israel." Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Newsletter email address By signing up, you agree to the terms The repatriated coin was among a hoard found by Palestinian looters in 2002 in the Elah Valley area. It was smuggled out of the country, passing through illicit antiquities markets in Israel, Jordan and the UK. In London, false paperwork was used to export the coin to the US, where in 2017 it was offered for sale at the Heritage Auction's World Coins & Ancient Coins Signature Auction, in Denver, Colorado. The IAA spent two decades trying to track down the coin and earlier this year, by working together with the Manhattan District Attorney's Office's Antiquities Trafficking Unit, was able to gather enough evidence to execute a seizure warrant, and a court order for it to be returned to the State of Israel. R-L: lan Hadad, inspector in charge of commerce at the Israel Antiquities Authority, IAA director Eli Eskosido, and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, at a ceremony to return to Israel a rare silver quarter shekel coin minted in 69 CE, held in New York, September 12, 2022. (Naftali Shulman/Israel Antiquities Authority) The investigation saw cooperation with the US Department of Homeland Security, Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities, the UK's New Scotland Yard, and Jordan's Department of Antiquities. Advertisement Colonel Matthew Bogdanos, chief of the Manhattan District Attorney's Office's Antiquities Trafficking Unit, said the repatriation of the coin "represents a cherished piece of history finally going home. But it also represents an equally extraordinary partnership between New York's Antiquities Trafficking Unit and the Israeli Antiquities Authority." That cooperation "should be used as a model in recovering pillaged cultural heritage around the world," he said. Erdan, the envoy to the UN, said the coin "is evidence of the eternal bond between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel" and would serve to dispel "the lies of our enemies" who want to "hide the history of our people and erase our connection to the Land of Israel." The Roman Empire kept a tight control over coinage, allowing local rulers to mint only bronze coins, depending on how important they were to the central government, the IAA said. Producing silver coins was a limited privilege granted to a smaller number of cities. "Because of this, the minting of silver coins by the leaders of the Great Revolt was in fact a declaration of independence by the Jews in the land of Israel, a statement against the mighty empire that stood before them," explained Ilan Hadad, archaeologist and inspector in charge of commerce at the Antiquities Theft Prevention Unit of the Israel Antiquities Authority. Many rebel silver coins were struck over imperial silver coins, with Jewish motifs covering the emperors' faces. See you tomorrow bli neder enjoy the final day of Chanukah We need Moshiach now! Love Yehuda Lave Yehuda Lave, Spirtual Advisor and Counselor Jerusalem, Jerusalem  Israel 972-585043210 YehudaLave@gmail.com You received this email because you signed up on our website or made a purchase from us. Unsubscribe