חנוכה שמחה

Happy Hanukkah!  What a blessing to have a free day in Jerusalem during Hanukkah.  Israelis “go big” in celebrating it, and I had a great time today witnessing the joy of the Jewish people!

I did a lot of walking today and, because my hotel is right in the middle of things, I was able to cram a lot in!  My first venture was the

International Christian Embassy Jerusalem.  If you are not familiar with them, check out their website.  They exist to show comfort and solidarity with Israel, to present a true understanding of what is going on in Israel today, to educate Christians in a Biblical understanding of Israel, to lead efforts in praying for the peace of Jerusalem, and many other things.  I was able to meet several of their staff members, tour the facility, and talk for a brief time with some of their key leaders.  It was a wonderful time.

The two mile walk to ICEJ took me through Sacher Park.  Not only is it a beautiful, well-utilized park in the heart of Jerusalem, but it is a short distance from the government and museum districts.  Because I took the route through the park, I didn’t get pictures of the Knesset (Israel’s parliament building) and the museums (one of which is the Bible Lands Museum, at which we studied the very first day of my trip).  Hopefully tomorrow I’ll have some time to walk there.

Next stop: the brand new Friends of Zion museum. While the technology, graphics, and interactive displays are absolutely world-class…in fact, cutting edge…visits are by appointment only and tours last only an hour.  It provides a very general look at Christian heroes (including those who rescued Jews during the holocaust) who chose to stand with Israel.  However, you can see the entire 3D tour online at their website: Friends of Zion.  Timing for me was perfect, as entrance to the museum is free until the end of 2015.

Ben Yehuda Street, the famous pedestrian mall where tourist and natives mingle, was nearby so I spent a good bit of time in the afternoon awaiting sundown.  It is a bustling place to mill around and people-watch!  Right now, the sun sets about 5:00pm in Israel, and once it did, the Hanukkah lights came on, there was dancing in the streets, and people of all ages had a great time.

This evening, I checked off another “bucket list” item, as I made my way to the Old City for the “Night Spectacular Show” at the Tower of David.  A portion of the southern wall near Jaffa Gate served as one wall of David’s citadel, and the place has gigantic watchtowers (very necessary in those days).  Those humongas walls now serve as the backdrop of an incredible light show.  Scenes are projected on to the walls inside that open air citadel and images come to life!  The show lasts about 45 minutes and is a brilliant display of Israel’s history.  Check out this 2-minute video:

As I exited Jaffa Gate on my way to the nearest light rail station to take me back to my hotel, a huge Hanukkah celebration was happening just outside Jaffa Gate.  Huge images, such as menorahs and dancing dreidels were being projected on to the outside walls of the city while young and old were dancing joyously!  The Jewish people have a zest for life found nowhere else in the world!

Well, one more day in Jerusalem before I head back home.  It is always difficult to leave Israel, so I won’t think of that just yet, but instead will look forward to one last day in the city of our Great King!

Happy Hanukkah!