Category Archives: Holidays

VIDEO | Why are Palestinian Christians Leaving Jesus’ Birthplace?

Will you invest 12 minutes in a deeper understanding of the everyday realities facing the native Christians of Jesus’ homeland, particularly those of the Bethlehem region? Their numbers have been shrinking steadily over the past seven decades, and the reasons … Continue reading

Posted in Bethlehem area, Christmas, Occupied Territories, Palestinian Christians, Palestinians, Religion, Separation Barrier, The Occupation, VIDEOS | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

MUSIC & VIDEO | I don’t know how they did this, but I’m glad they did…

The location is the Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar in Barcelona, Spain. The artistic team includes the Barcelona Ars Nova and the Orchestra Barroca Catalana… plus some 350 vocalists (they say), all pulled together virtually/digitally into one seamless and … Continue reading

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MUSIC & VIDEO | Horatio’s Hymn Revisited, Part 2: A COVID Lockdown Special

“It Is Well” versus the Coronavirus and economic meltdown — It’s no contest! This started out as an extension of my previous contribution on this topic — the amazingly popular hymn “It Is Well With My Soul”, by Horatio Spafford … Continue reading

Posted in American Colony, AUDIO, Easter, Religion, VIDEOS | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Awaiting You in Bethlehem: Banksy’s Quirky “Walled-Off Hotel”

I have a certain affinity for the absurd. Not absurdity for its own sake, mind you, but the kind that instructs and illuminates, that comments upon our world and helps us grapple with the harsh realities it confronts us with. … Continue reading

Posted in Bethlehem area, Christmas, For FUN (mostly), Israel-Palestine Scene, Occupied Territories, Palestinian Christians, Palestinians, Separation Barrier, The Occupation | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Temple Discourse Within Present-day Israeli Society: A Reflection on Tisha B’Av

  Here’s a thought provoking offering from Yudith Oppenheimer, Executive Director of the Jerusalem-based Ir-Amim organization, on the occasion of Tisha B’Av, when Jews worldwide remember the loss of their historic temples. She writes in part: Post-Temple Judaism managed, for the … Continue reading

Posted in Haram/ Temple Mount, Holidays, Israel-Palestine Scene, Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, JERUSALEM, Temple | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Through the American Colony Lens: A JERUSALEM FOURTH

People or communities who intentionally transplant themselves on foreign soil for any length of time usually experience a certain tension: the need to maintain links to “home” and their native culture versus immersing themselves unreservedly in their new surroundings. In … Continue reading

Posted in American Colony, Fourth of July, Jerusalem People, Modern History, Photography, PHOTOS | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Following the Road to Emmaus (before it’s too late)

It was the first Easter, two thousand years ago. Two confused, disheartened disciples are on their way out of Jerusalem, encounter a stranger on the road, and quickly find themselves as students in the infant Church’s first Sunday School class! — … Continue reading

Posted in Antiquities, Easter, Jerusalem Antiquities, Josephus, New Testament, Roman Period, VIDEOS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment