Yom HaAtzmaut 2017

 It's a busy time of year in Israel. We move from remembering the soldiers who fell in protecting our precious Land to celebrating the Israeli Day of Independence known as Yom Ha'Atzmaut. It's quite a festive time. Whatever one's feelings are about when Israel gained their independence and when the Land became connected with the Jewish people. Without getting into debates, I thought I'd share a little of the fun.

First and foremost is the blue and white flags that decorate our streets. On lamp posts as seen above...

 On car windows and the backs of wing mirrors.

Even the Egged bus joins in the spirit with a flag flying proudly from the front corner near where the passengers get onto the bus. I even noticed someone had painted her finger nails with the Israeli flag. Must be a fancy stick-on something, but that is the extent of detail the Israeli's will go to in order to show their support of Midinat Yisrael as we say in Hebrew or the country of Israel. 

Most of the country will be enjoying a barbeque either tonight or tomorrow. However you spend your day, may it be with unity, enjoyment and an appreciation for meriting to be in the Holy Land of Israel.

This post is prepared for you by

Shoshanah Shear

Occupational Therapist, healing facilitator, certified infant massage instructor, freelance writer, author of "Healing Your Life Through Activity - An Occupational Therapist's Story" and co-author of "Tuvia Finds His Freedom".

Yom HaAtzmaut 2016

Yom HaAtzmaut is a different experience when in Israel to what it is like outside. I guess that is to be expected, but like any of the special days in Israel, the whole country comes alive at this time. 

I was waiting at the bus stop and a little down the road noticed the above image. People have fun hanging flags outside their windows in all kinds of sizes and combinations.

The next was a little complicated to capture without a tripod but we did it, even with a camera phone! Many fly the Israeli flag from one or both sides of their car and often on the back of the wing mirrors too. 

Last night the skies lit up with fireworks. Today the skies are alive with various forms of aircraft flying in interesting formations. I'd love to have the tripod and appropriate lens to capture that, perhaps in time.

There is much talk happening in the social media about this day. For some it is a definite Yom Tov almost like Rosh Chodesh. For others the fact that we do not yet have all of our land and do not yet have the Moshiach, is source of sadness and a reminder that we have not yet reached our goal. Either way, celebrating the steps in the process are important too and it is special to see the unity happening in many different ways.

What are your thoughts about Israel and Yom HaAtzmaut? What are you doing today? Are you taking some time to help to build the land? Are you spending some time appreciating the land G-d gave to us? If you are not yet in Israel, does today help you to confirm the importance of living in the land where we as Jews belong?

We'd love to hear how you are spending today. Drop us a note in the comment section.

Have a blessed day. May we merit "Next year in the Re-built Yerushalayim!"

Shoshanah Shear

A Crazy Ban by UK on Advertising of Jerusalem

What country in the world has to listen to others dictating that their most important places can not be featured in advertising of to tourists?

Yet, today we find: ".....The bottom line - Israel can no longer feature Jerusalem's Old City, including the Western Wall, as part of its tourist advertising campaigns in the UK." This is from an article found on Honest Reporting. Click on the link for further details.

Just a few days ago we celebrated Yom HaShoah, the day comemorating the Holocaust. It is a painful memory that when shiploads of Jews who had finally escaped a living nightmare reached the shores of the Holy Land of Israel, the UK sent the ships away from the land where they belong. 

Now the UK has the audacity to ban Israel from including the Western Wall in part of advertising campaigns in UK.

The truth is that the connection between Jerusalem, the Land of Israel, the Jewish people and G-d can not be split apart. G-d promised us the Final Redemption, including our Temple on Temple Mount and ALL of Jerusalem and ALL of Israel.

The Jewish Nation has outlived all other nations that attempted to suppress us. Our doing so is a powerful message. We can not live without our G-d or Jerusalem, the city we face daily in our prayers. 

Are we independent if we would permit other nations to dictate to us what is or is not Israel? Only G-d can describe for us the boundaries of the Land of Israel and this He has already done.