Bah humbug!!!
It’s that time of year, Friends! The holidays in Israel. Chanukah. Christmas. Novigod. Sylvester. Usually a time for huge celebrations- if you know where to look.
In the North of Israel are two gorgeous communities that are exclusively Christian. The decorations get brighter each year. The Christmas markets get bigger each year. It’s a place for Christian tourists and for interested Jews. Fasuta lies smack dab on the Lebanese border.
Fasuta has a lovely third century Byzantine church and a grand market each year featuring Arabic foods and music, costumed guides and gorgeous light displays. Midnight Mass is celebrated in both the Melkite and Greek Orthodox traditions. Plus there’s an incredibly fun genuine Irish pub there. Who would’ve guessed?
This year it’s lights out, nobody home…except soldiers and tanks. Fasuta has been completely evacuated. So far they’ve seen no Hizbulla missile action- let’s hope it stays that way. But there will be no Christmas celebrations for them. So, let’s move on, shall we?
Not far from Fasuta is Mi’ilya. Another exclusively Christian town on top of a mountain. Theirs is an amazing history. Ancient 1st century wine presses. Ancient Jewish burial caves. A phenomenal Crusader castle which is now a boutique hotel and 5 star Michelin chef restaurant, Chateau duRoi. At the top of the mountain is a large Byzantine Church which, along with the town, gets all decked out for the holidays.
They have Christmas parades and a living nativity attracting tourists from all over the world. The Christian communities in Fasuta and Mi’ilya have been there for centuries, but due to Muslim persecution of Christians in other Northern cities, more families have moved in and the communities are closed for the most part (to living there if you are not of that faith).
Regardless, Mi’ilya will be celebrating this year on a very limited basis. Because you know: the war. Rockets. A few occasional sirens at sunrise and sunset (really). Unidentified aerial invasions. That sort of thing. So tourists….be cautious. There will be lights around the town and private homes and Advent services and Mass. No markets. No parades. No food trucks. They are fairly close to Lebanon, but not too close-
We’ll now move on to the birthplace of Christianity. Nazareth. Hometown of Mary and Joseph. And the young Jesus. Nazareth is famous for the largest church in the Middle East, the Basilica of the Virgin Mary. The church is built directly over the ruins of Mary’s home, the site of the Annunciation. The famed Mary’s Well is there, with a gorgeous Orthodox Church built adjacent to it. Icons. Incense. Frescoes.
Nazareth used to be 98% Christian: Greek Orthodox, Melkite, Latin Rite, Baptists and Anglicans. Due to religious, social and economic persecution by the Muslims who have moved in, Nazareth is down to about a 20% Christian population. Most have moved to communities further north or overseas. The convents and monasteries now have high walls surrounding them, like fortresses.
Nazareth was world famous for having the largest Christmas tree in the Middle East. Fantastic Christmas parades including bagpipers from the local scouts and churches, drummers, fireworks, food stalls and Christmas markets featuring local products and carved olive wood nativities.
Because the mayor and municipality (city council) is majority Muslim, there will be no Christmas tree. No lights. No fireworks. No markets. Nope. Nada. Zilch. The Grinch has come to Nazareth because you know. Israel. They started the war. The Isra-ellies. They persecute the Palestinians. Seriously. It’s a true fact. Call the municipality yourself. My Christian friends there are really really mad. Despite the fact israel is now closed to tourists, people come from all over Israel to worship and to celebrate. There will be the usual Advent services and Christmas Masses, but basically it’s lights out for Nazareth. And truly, it’s another way to hurt the Christians who have nothing to do with the Israeli government or the war at all. Humbug.
Same with Deir Hannah and Deir Al Assad and other mixed communities. Double humbug. The verdict is still out on Haifa. Whatever the Christmas celebrations will be, they are sure to be toned way down.
Chabad and the NaNachs are going to be driving up and down the streets of Haifa with brilliant car menorahs on top for Chanukah. They will be blaring joyous music out of their gigantic loudspeakers and throwing candy to the children. Seriously a fun event.
Oy. Chanukah! Oy Chanukah!!!! There’s literally no place like Chanukah Israeli style!! I went to Tel Aviv yesterday. And they are getting ready!!!!
We stopped by IKEA for a few necessities. They were totally in the Chanukah mood. Everywhere- if you’re Jewish and living outside of Israel, think about moving here. Seriously. It’s your home.
Menorahs/Chanukiyyas everywhere. Even fake potato latkes and sufganiot (jelly donuts). And speaking of donuts….!!!! Roladin (bakeries) is off the hook. Israeli Chanukah donuts are seriously a high art form. Soldiers get free donuts and coffee and potato latkes, grilled meats, donuts and fried sweets will be flooding the bases this year. You can count on it.
Each municipality will have official menorah/chanukiyya lighting ceremonies every night in multiple locations. In Tzfat (my favorite) you can visit the burial cave of the martyrs, Channah and her seven sons who refused to bow down to the Greco-Assyrian Antiochus’ evil decrees. At night, the ancient city is awash in the glow of outdoor Chanukiyyas. There will be musical tours, although limited this year, because….the war.
In Modi’in you can visit the fields where Judah Macabee fought his great battles. Then the tombs of the Macabee fighters. Unfortunately the great festivities, fairs and concerts will be limited and subdued, because…
I’m still not sure how Jerusalem will celebrate. Usually they have the walls lit up for the holiday and the citywide Festival of Lights. This year, I’m not sure. Security is more than tight. Most men 18-65 are on duty as soldiers- or reservists. So….
I know they’ll be lighting menorahs in Gaza for the first time in decades.
Now for the big news: Bethlehem. Yup Christmas again. Birthplace of Jesus. Bethlehem had always been about 99% Christian. Once it fell under the Palestinian Authority governance, things changed and now they are less than 2%. It’s almost all Muslim.
Bethlehem at Christmas was always jam packed with tourists from every country.Christians thronged to Bethlehem Square. The lights and decorations were amazing or so I’m told. This year, the mayor, Islamic said “No lights. No parades. No concerts. No trees. No decorations.” Why? I think you already know the answer: the Jews. Yes, my friends. Because of the Isra-ellies there will be no joy in Bethlehem this year. I’m guessing even the star will be outlawed. Anyway, there are no tourists, so…
As usual, for the past several years there will remain one lone tree in Bethlehem Square. It’s the infamous martyrs tree. It’s a real thing. The giant evergreen will once again be adorned with the photos and names of all the terrorists that have been killed (literally shot in the act of committing an stabbing or shooting or bomb planting or car ramming) by IDF soldiers. Because you know, the Isra-ellies.
Just got the news: Christmas in Palestine is being cancelled this year by all the major churches. There will be absolutely no festivities this year in Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Nazareth or any other towns say leaders of the Orthodox, Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist and others. There will instead hold solemn cinvocations this year. In lieu of a crèche some churches will place a baby Jesus wrapped in a kefiyyeh under a pile of rubble. (I tried to upload the link but the AP wouldn’t let me, so see for yourself. Pastor Isaac Munther, Evangelical Lutheran Church). Honestly I just can’t make this up.
I’m really not trying to be insensitive to Christians or innocent Gazan civilians, but I thought it was comfort and joy, a birth that changed the world. A time of celebration. I guess I’m wrong. Bah. Humbug…. We’re all a bit Scrooged this year-
Israel Dreams 
I sit here reading this shaking my head tears coming down and all I think of is the Grinch!
🙏
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We have been more than appalled at the stance some of the mainline Christians have taken. We feel for both sides. No one wants innocents hurt, but some people in authority fail to see the fight between good and evil here.
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I found this particular article interesting. Most often I am in agreement with you on many things but I feel that I will be at dissidence not just with you but probably with a lot of my fellow Christians.
I believe that the One that spoke the world into existence, through which every breath that every human breathes comes and goes is concerned about the suffering in the world around us.
I hear your reports of amazing Church buildings built, amazing parades, huge festivals of light, so many things that we put our time, our money, our energy, our resources into, but I find that contrary to the Christ Jesus that was born in a manger.
I have long felt that the two greatest triggers to spiritual decline in any country or any community are complacency and greed, it is not the sin of doing, the sin of commission, but the sin of not doing, the sin of omission, that we so easily fall into.
In the book of Romans, the apostle Paul says that because “they did not consider the knowledge of G-d or worth retaining, he gave them over…” (Rom. 1:28)
The G-d we serve is a gracious, gentle, merciful and just G-d who cares for the needs of the poor, the downtrodden, the oppressed. He is to be feared above all things, but the fear of G-d in its proper sense is an understanding of his great compassion and his great love for all of mankind, in addition to the truth of his laws that reveal his love.
Israel was chosen to share that love. Christ was birthed, incarnate love come down in the flesh, the sacrifice, the Lamb of G-d for the sins of the world.
If you look up in the book of Jeremiah, G-d tells us what it means to know him. (Jeremiah 22:16)
Isaiah 58 reflects what it is too fast properly before the living G-d. Not just a mourning, wishing that things were better for us, that G-d would do all that we want him to do for us, but without a concern of G-d’s heart? Creator of all things, how do YOU want me to live my life Day by day? And if I do not have the power or mind to do what You want, would you please give it to me? Do we love G-d? Or do we just want to use him for our own purposes?
The book of Job beautifully describes what love for G-d looks like. But the ultimate picture, though you see it with Abraham’s offering of Isaac and other places is in scripture, the ultimate sacrifice is seen at the cross of Messiah.
That is what love for G-d looks like. But we fall short of that and so we need to look to the One who is perfect for us. We must Rest in His grace, receiving like a small child daily from him what we do not deserve. We are deeply loved.
But all too often, like the Kings of Israel of old, King Ahaz and many of the kings of that era, we want to mix our worship of other gods in with true living worship of the G-d the created us. It doesn’t work.
The other gods do not care about us. They did not create us. They are fallen spirits that have no bodies that would like to use physical bodies for their own purposes, and so they speak into the air words that often translate into thoughts, and all too often we listen to them because we are not filling our mind with the thoughts of G-d through his Word, as He commands us in the Torah and throughout scripture.
Those fallen spirits, the gods of this world, have limited power, that is not to say they do not have power, they do have some power, but it is far short of the glory of the living G-d that created All things by the word of his mouth.
But because they did not create the Earth with the creatures that live in it, those can only steal for the short season they are still permitted to be free in this earth. And when we serve them, our own flesh included in that, we partake in the destruction and the evil of this world.
It is only when we come to the living G-d and find that all we have need of is in Him, whether we live or die, it’s only when we come into communion with him through his word, through true faith that lives by love, love of G-d, love of our neighbor, love of enemies, it is only when we submit and surrender to his grace and power and love that we can truly be world changers.
This doesn’t mean we don’t fight physically, I’m not saying that, but the greater fight is to love your enemies. But to do so giving all glory to G-d, not self. If I give my life and I do not have love, I am nothing, I have gained nothing.
But I am a beggar. I do not have such powerful love. This is not possible for me, so the only way I can gain love of this substance is by going to the Source.
So the prayers are good, the intercessions beautiful and healthy, as we learn to speak the truth of our own hatred and failures and weakness and go to the one who says okay I forgive you. His forgiveness was not cheap. It was not bought in gold covered buildings, but on a blood stained cross.
His birth – he cares for the poor. His upbringing a working man. It’s all through the Old testament. One could do a study on caring for the poor and how G-d provides for the poor and the oppressed and one could write book upon book on how to live such life as G-d teaches in the Torah and in the prophets. But do we live it? Or do we read it in church and in synagogue, quote it for all we are worth, while denying him in every one of our actions?
I know in my life I am often guilty. I pray that I grow. I pray that I stop spending money foolishly on myself, that could feed somebody that’s starving. That doesn’t mean that we cannot enjoy the blessings that we are given, but when we find more joy in buying presents for those that do not deserve it but have great need of it, then we do in buying presents for ourselves and our families and friends, then my friend, we will fear G-d and we will understand the love of G-d.
The other gods that we serve, gods of our own making, of flesh, love of so many material things, self-centeredness and pride, these idols we try to blend in with our worship of the Christ child. And there is a season where G-d permits us to go our own way worshiping both, as He did for a season prior to the fall of Israel to Babylon. And then there was a season where he steps back in love saying okay let’s see how the worship of these gods sustains you. Because no one other than the true G-d can breathe life into the dead. And ultimately the entire war from beginning of History until now is has and will always be for love of G-d. Do we love him? Do we believe how passionately He loves us?
Every culture that has known the truth about G-d but has slid away, and I believe probably that’s pretty much all of humanity, meaning the humanity that has knowledge of G-d, not all in the sense of every human, but when you look at the history in the Bible, we are fallen. We don’t care about our refugee camp neighbors. We don’t love our enemies. We are quite content to build greater and bigger buildings to celebrate the Christ child with much glory and pomp, but is that what the Christ child would have wanted? Or would perhaps He prefer the money be spent on the poor? Is it wrong to poor perfume over his feet? No. And the poor you will always have with you. But when 3/4 of the world do not have enough to eat, when there is such suffering at our doorsteps, is it the wish of the Christ child to spend so much money and time and energy in such ways? When we see him he will answer that. And that Wisdom is proved right by her children.
And so the celebrations are dark, the lights are dimmed, there is mourning. The One that was born in the manger wasn’t too concerned with a bunch of lights and stuff being given in his honor. At the point where what we celebrate as Palm Sunday, where they were cheering him on, there’s a very poignant verse that says he did not entrust himself to them because he knew the hearts of men. He knew that those who cheered him as king one day would yell crucify him the next.
And so we are in season of mourning. And perhaps this is not a bad thing, my friend. Because surely the Angels came and they sang and his grace was revealed to shepherds and Kings alike, his birth revealed. But he was born in a stable.
Why do people spend so many millions of dollars adorning with gold the place of his birth? If he had wanted that, would he have not been born in a palace?
Perhaps the millions of dollars of gold can be taken and put to the care of the poor, regardless of race, belief and we might turn ourselves away from our infatuation with so much self pleasure. Celebrating Messiah is a beautiful thing, but as I walk in the United States into the Mardel, in the Christian stores, can I confess something to you that I’ve never told anyone? And now it’s public.
It makes me want to throw up.
I have a friend who’s homeless right now. I live below poverty level and cannot help him. But bless G-d, people want to buy my children toys and when I tell them that they need underwear they are offended at me. Why are you such a bad mom that you won’t just buy your kids more toys?
Another confession? I’m equally guilty.
And such it is with the wealthy, those who have never known what it is to truly suffer. To live from the moment of birth to the moment of death with not enough food to eat every day, no medical care, continually pain. And the world cares nothing about them.
But G-d does. And Messiah does.
All things in moderation. We can celebrate him. We can choose to pick up the cross and follow Jesus Christ. We can come alongside of the one whose mother had to travel a long and arduous journey to reach Bethlehem and had to give birth in a barn.
We can do that by getting into the mix with those people that are suffering around us. I really think this is a good thing not a bad thing. Let us mourn our greed. Let us mourn our selfishness and our complacency. Let us repent before the living G-d and learn what it means to love our enemies. To learn what it means to love our neighbors as ourselves.
I suspect this will offend some and if I have sinned against G-d then I am deeply sorry. But ultimately you, each reader, my dear sister and I are going to stand before that Child. And in that moment we will no longer have any question of what we should have done. So perhaps it’s better to figure it out now, before that conversation happens.
Perhaps in this darkness, and a horrible as it is in this war, a light will dawn this Christmas and holiday season. I pray that we might trade the lights of our making for the lights of heaven, and that we might perhaps see with our eyes the angels and here with our ears their song. Glory be to G-d on high and peace on Earth good will to men on who his favor rests.
I pray that his favor rest not just on good people, but on the bad as well, because if his favor only rests on the good, then I and my family could have no Christmas, no hope, for the truth is we are not good. We are beggars, and desperate need of mercy. But, if perhaps, as Messiah spoke, that there is no one good, only G-d alone, then perhaps there is hope for me, and for my family, and for All mankind.
Peace be to Israel. And to Gaza, to Palestine, to the world, may the wickedness be destroyed, in our enemies and in ourselves. And may we truly, truly worship this Christmas in the way that the G-d of all things would desire we worship.
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I am amazed and at the ways God does things !! He is always working behind the scenes in ways we could never imagine. Those miracles are incredible. Praying that your surgery is successful and loving you!!
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Thank you so much, Claudia. I hope you are having a blessed Christmas season. So many miracles in this war, it’s hard to keep up. I only print verified stories that have been directly witnessed by at least 3 people. And I’m getting at least one almost every day. I’ll try to put together some more by week’s end-
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I can’t get on it anymore when I just type isrealdreams.com it doesn’t work. It has only worked for me when I clicked on the actual website you sent me. I don’t have that in my text anymore so I can’t get to it.
Sent from my iPhone
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