Rosh Chodesh Elul-- Rosh Hashanah's Only a Month Later

Summer is almost over... it'll soon be Rosh Chodesh Elul, and then a month later, Rosh Hashanah. Tishrei is the only "new moon" which isn't celebrated in it's own right, because it's the beginning, "head" of the Jewish Year. There is no Rosh Chodesh Tishrei. Rosh Chodesh Elul will be the very last Rosh Chodesh in 5786. That's a good reason to join us at Tel Shiloh for Rosh Chodesh Prayers. 

Tel Shiloh is an Ancient Jewish Holy Site. It was in Shiloh where the Tabernacle rested for close to four hundred 400 years as a center for prayers to Gd. The Biblical Chana prayed for a son in Shiloh, promising Gd that if He have her a son, she would give the son back to Gd to serve the Jewish People. Her son Shmuel was later born, and when he was old enough, she brought him to Shiloh to study with Eli the High Priest. Later Shmuel led the Jewish People and anointed our first two kings, Saul and David.

Since Rosh Chodesh is traditionally a "women's holiday," and Shiloh is known for women's prayer I began inviting women to pray there together on Rosh Chodesh decades ago.

Ancient Tel Shiloh is a well developed archeological site with a large variety of activities and exhibits for all ages. For more information +972 2-578-9111 and visit@telshilo.org.il. Ancient Shiloh can also be reached by public transportation.

Rosh Chodesh Adar Soon-- No Joke!

It's said that the month of Adar increases joy. One can look at it as the tail end of winter, and we're very ready for the warmth of spring and tapering off of rain. There's also the fact that the Purim holiday is in the middle of Adar, and it celebrates Gd's love for the Jewish People, His miracles against all odds, even in the Diaspora.

Rosh Chodesh Adar 5783 (2023) is actually two days, the 30th of Shevat and the 1st of Adar. Our Women's Rosh Chodesh Prayers at Tel Shiloh will, Gd willing, be Tuesday February 21, 2023, 8:30am.

תפילת נשים ראש חודש אדר בע"ה יהיה יום ג' 21\02\2023 ל' שבט תשפ"ג ב8:30 בשילה הקדומה

You're invited to join us. There's also a lot to see and do in Tel Shiloh where the Biblical Tabernacle was located for close to four hundred 400 years. For more information contact Shiloh Hakeduma 02-5789122, visit@telshilo.org.il.

Rosh Chodesh Iyyar Women's Prayers at Tel Shiloh

 

As soon as Passover is over, here in Israel we get started on Holocaust Memorial Day and Memorial/Independence Day planning and programs. I don't forget to squeeze in Rosh Chodesh Iyyar. This year it's two days, technically, and the women who usually join me for Rosh Chodesh Prayers at Tel Shiloh have chosen Sunday, May 1, the 30th of Nissan, 8:30am.

תפילת נשים

ראש חודש אייר

שילה הקדומה

יום ראשון 1\05\2022

ל' ניסן תשפ"ב

כולן מוזמנות

If you haven't been to Tel Shiloh for awhile, it's worth planning on spending a few hours there. There's always a lot to see and do. For more information 025789111 and visit@telshilo.org.il.

Rosh Chodesh Elul 5780, Join Us ראש חודש אלול תש"פ

תפילת ראש חודש אלול נשים

בשילה הקדומה, תל שילה

יום ו' 21\08\2020 8:15 בבוקר

כולן מוזמנות

WOMEN'S ROSH CHODESH ELUL PRAYERS

Ancient Shiloh, Tel Shiloh

Friday 21\08\2020 8:15am

All Welcome

For more information, email shilohmuse@gmail.com subject: Rosh Chodesh

שילה הקדומה פתוח ימי א-ו לפרטים נוספים 

02-5789122, visit@telshilo.org.il

Ancient Shiloh is open Sunday- Friday, for more information Phone: 02-5789122, visit@telshilo.org.il

Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh, Perfect Outdoor Site for All Ages

Kenes Shiloh #9

Rosh Chodesh Av

This week I was at Biblical Shiloh aka Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh twice. It's walking distance from my house, although the trek uphill from there to my house isn't easy. Yes, sometimes even I take rides. Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh is an outdoor archeological site with indoor and outdoor activities, plus shaded areas. It's the actual Biblical location of Shiloh, where Chana prayed for a son, and the Tabernacle stood for close to four hundred years.

Sunday afternoon/evening was the 9th Kenes Shiloh, Shiloh Conference. Attendees came from all over the country, though fewer than usual.

As usual it began with an archeological tour of Tel Shiloh. Even this year when the foreign archaeologists and their crews weren't able to dig, there were still home-grown archaeologists, and we got reports.

The second section of the program was streamed online for those who couldn't attend in person. And those of us who did attend had the choice to sit indoors or outdoors.

This morning I went back down to Tel Shiloh, since it's Rosh Chodesh Av, the beginning of the Jewish Month Av. I've been organizing Women's Prayers at Tel Shiloh for many years. This time we were surprised to find a group of man just finishing off their prayers. Since Tel Shiloh is outdoors the permitted number of attendees is larger than in a synagogue. They finished just as we were about to say the Hallel, which we sing out loud.

Our attendees were both live on site and via zoom. I have a feeling that even when these restrictions are over, speedily in our days, people will still request to attend by zoom, since it's convenient for those not able to travel.

Rosh Chodesh Ellul will be two days, and I'll publicize exact time etc as soon as we decide, Gd willing.

On our way out, we discovered another outdoor prayer group. I'm very happy that people are coming from all over the country to doven/pray here in Holy Shiloh.

For more information about Biblical Shiloh aka Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh Phone: 02-5789122,  Fax: 02-9948011,  visit@telshilo.org.il or click here.

Ancient Beauty, Glass and More in The Israel Museum

One of my all-time favorite exhibitions in the Israel Museum is Glass through the Ages. During my recent visit, besides getting a last view of the Israeli Fashion exhibition, which has now closed, I entered the Archeology section to see the Glass exhibit and the giant Shiloh jug. For me visiting the jug is like paying proper respect to ancient ancestors.

Shiloh was the first Religious and Administrative Capital for the Jewish People, after the Return Home from slavery in Egypt. It was in Shiloh, and archeologists and Bible/Tanach scholars agree that my village Shiloh is that very Shiloh where Joshua had the Mishkan, Tabernacle erected to serve as a place for central Jewish prayer. The Tabernacle remained standing in Shiloh for 369 years.

This ancient jug/jar is much larger than others found in archeological sites, because Shiloh was a place of pilgrimage and had to be prepared to welcome large numbers of people to pray at the Tabernacle.

Following the capture of the Holy Ark and the death of Eli, the Head Priest, leadership was transferred to Samuel the Prophet who anointed the first two Jewish kings, Saul and David. King David decided to make the more central Jerusalem as Capital (main city,) the location of Mount Moriah, the "place," מקום Makom of miracles including Akeidat Yitzchak, The Binding of Isaac.

And now for some photos of the Ancient Glass. I truly find it ironic that something as fragile and delicate as glass could have survived thousands of years. We can liken glass to the Jewish People and Judaism. No other Ancient People/Religion has survived thousands of years the way we Jews have. We still celebrate the Holidays commanded to us thousands of years ago. We read the Torah and Gd's words. And we live in the same Land from which long dead nations had banished us. Please remember this on Seder night. Passover holiday is so soon.

How Time Flies, Rosh Chodesh Adar I Next Week

The other night, I looked at the sky and saw the moon. It was just a half circle, and we know what that means. There's only a week left of Shevat. Rosh Chodesh Adar Alef is a week away. This year is a Jewish Leap Year, meaning that we have two months of Adar, an "extra" month of winter before the late winter holiday of Purim.

The Jewish Calendar is a totally brilliant combination of lunar and solar calendars. The solar calendar divides the year into four basic seasons, while the lunar calendar follows the cycles of the moon. There are twelve plus a bit of those lunar cycles in the 365 day solar calendar. That causes seasonal chaos. If, like the muslims, you strictly follow the lunar calendar, not only will your holidays move from season to season, but you'll find yourself "older" than your solar calendar birthday-mates.

Since Judaism is intrinsically connected to living in the Land of Israel, our Jewish Holidays must fall in the correct season. So, unlike Islam, Judaism found a way to celebrate holidays at the right time. It's one of those simple proofs that This Land is Ours, not theirs. There's a carefully calculated formula which adds periodic days to specific months, so there are thirty 30 instead of twenty-nine 20, and some years an additional Adar, winter month, is added, so that Pesach, Passover will be in the spring.

Before our sages compiled/computed pre-computers a set calendar, I guess the decision for an extra Adar was made in the years when the almond trees had no flowers on TU B'Shvat, or something rather similar.

So, even though next Rosh Chodesh is Adar, we aren't supposed to party to prepare for Purim yet. There's another month to wait.

Ladies, please join us at Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh, for Women's Rosh Chodesh Prayers.

30th of Shevat, 5779, Tuesday 5-02-2019, 8:30am.

כולן מוזמנות, תפילת נשים, ראש אדר א' , ל' שבט, יום ג' ,5/02/2019 , 8:30, בשילה הקדומה, תל שילה

We sing Hallel out loud, but the rest of the prayers are said silently and as individuals. There will be a tour of the Tel and Divrei Torah, Gd willing, in both Hebrew and English. If you'd like more information, please contact me shilohmuse@gmail.com with "Rosh Chodesh Prayers" as subject.

Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh, is a recognized Israeli tourist and archaeological site. Archeologists agree, that Shiloh is the Shiloh of the Bible, where Chana prayed for a son. Later, when her son Samuel had been weaned, she took him back to Shiloh, so he could be educated by Eli, the High Priest.

The archaeological site of Shiloh Hakeduma is open on weekdays, offers guides and special activities for the entire family. For more information, contact them directly at visit@telshilo.org.il, 02-5789111.

Meet Me at Tel Shiloh, Rosh Chodesh Tevet Women's Prayers

It's already day two of Chanukah. That means we must make plans for Rosh Chodesh.

The first day of Tevet will be this coming Sunday! Gd willing we'll have an inspiring Tfilat Nashim, Women's Rosh Chodesh Prayer session at Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh, the location of Chana's Prayer for a son to lead the Jewish People out of the anarchy of the Judges, Shoftim.


Gd willing we will have our Women's Rosh Chodesh Prayers at Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh, site of the Mishkan, Holy Tabernacle on the 1st of Tevet 5779, 9-12-2018, 8:30am.

כולן מוזמנות, תפילת נשים, ראש חודש טבת, א' טבת, יום א' ,9/12/2019 , 8:30, בשילה הקדומה, תל שילה

We sing Hallel out loud, but the rest of the prayers are said silently. There will be a tour of the Tel and Divrei Torah, Gd willing, in both Hebrew and English. If you'd like more information, please contact me shilohmuse@gmail.com with "Rosh Chodesh Prayers" as subject.

Shiloh Hakeduma is a recognized Biblical archaeological site and is open for tours and activities daily, except for Shabbat and the Jewish Holidays when traveling is forbidden. For more information contact visit@telshilo.org.il, 02-5789111.

Chanukah is the Jewish Holiday which celebrates turning darkness into light.

29 and going strong, bli eyin haraa!

Last night, we in Shiloh celebrated our 29th Anniversary of the return of Jewish Life to the Ancient Capital of the Jewish Nation!

There were two parts to the celebration. One was exhibit of the some of the various and varied Shiloh artisans. Pictured here is Gretta, who has been our premier art teacher since arriving in Shiloh. In addition, there were ceramics, weaving, woodwork, silk screen, graphics and more.

And then there was the party, which was attended by the young and young at heart. That's Shiloh.