A couple of months ago AFSI's Helen Freedman and I met in Jerusalem. We brainstormed for a theme of next May's trip to Israel. I suggested "Crisis in Leadership" as the them and invited her to bring the group to Shiloh. Shiloh is the Jewish historic/Biblical location for transition from a troubled tribal federation to a kingdom.
- And who instigated this major change? Chana
- And where did it take place? Shiloh
Today is very much like the time of Judges and Eli the High Priest. Our people are lost and rudderless. We need a leader, someone to help us escape the chaos. When Chana prayed for a son, she prayed for a successor to Eli, one strong enough to help the Jewish People return to G-d and be a strong nation. Isn't that what we need today?
That's why I thought that AFSI should follow, Chana, Samuel, Saul and David as their route. Please join the tour and visit the sites of Jewish History.
JOIN THE AFSI CHIZUK MISSION TO ISRAEL, MAY 9-17, 2010
Americans for a Safe Israel/AFSI has been leading Chizuk (support) missions to Israel for over fifteen years. Our concentration has always been on the threatened communities of Israel. Our upcoming trip, May 9-17, will follow the same mandate, although the itinerary is always different.
Participants make their own travel arrangements, and meet the group in Ben Gurion airport on Monday morning, May 10, at 8 AM when we board our private bus and head for the Shomron. One of our must visit places will be the threatened home of Major Roi Klein in the Hayovel neighborhood of Eli in Samaria. David HaIvri will be our guide through Bet El, Tapuach, Kedumim, and as many of the Shomron communities as is possible to visit. Batya Medad will give us a special introduction to Shilo. Overnight will be at the beautiful Ashel HaShomron hotel in Ariel.
We’ll continue to Yerushalayim where the festivities celebrating the re-unification of Jerusalem in 1967 will begin with a gala event at Beit Orot on Har HaZaytim. A tour of the Temple Mount with Rabbi Richman, exploring east Jerusalem with DanLuria, marching in the Yom Yerushalayim parade, and being in Ir David for the Moskowitz Zionism awards event are all part of our program.
The liberation of Hebron occurred one day after the liberation of Jerusalem, and so AFSI will be in Hebron with David Wilder to celebrate that event. Israel Danziger will guide us through the surrounding struggling communities in the southern Hebron hills. Back in Yerushalayim, Arieh King, will lead us on a special insiders tour of the communities within the Jerusalem municipal borders which are under threat.
Shabbat will be spent in Yerushalayim with Ateret Cohanim leading us on a walking tour of the Old City and Sunday will be devoted to viewing the situation in Sderot with Alon Davidi, touring the new Negev communities with Dror Vanunu and other good friends from the former Gush Katif communities, and meeting with the Shomrim, who are guarding the Jewish farms from marauding Bedouin Arabs. Our mission concludes with a gala farewell dinner in Ashkelon.
THERE IS NO OTHER TRIP THAT COMPARES TO AFSI’S IN ITS COMMITMENT TO HANDS ON SUPPORT FOR THE PEOPLE & LAND OF ISRAEL. Please call AFSI, 212-828-2424; 1-800-235-3658; or email: afsi@rcn.com to make your reservations. For reports and photos of previous AFSI missions, and a detailed itinerary of the upcoming May trip, you are invited to visit the AFSI website at: www.afsi.org
6 comments:
as i recall, chana was just praying for a regular child, not a saviour. she ended up with one of our greatest, most devoted leaders ever.
how much is the tour?
No, she pledged that she'd bring the child to Eli in Shiloh. And when she did, she said: "This is the one I prayed for..."
yes, she pledged her child to be an oblate. but this was more in the sense of serving in the 'temple' at shiloh. she did not dedicate him to be a leader of the jewish people. that he got on his own merit.
the talmud 'recounts,' with great pathos, what chana went through to have a child and how much she wanted one, and it also says there that she just wanted a normal kid.
"normal" kids didn't serve G-d in the Mishkan in Shiloh. Drash, interpretation goes many ways. Chana stood up to Elkana her husband and Eli the Priest. There was nothing "normal" or ordinary about her.
i cant imagine anyone calling chana ordinary. [oddly enough, we learn many halachot of tfillah from her, even though women are not obligated to pray for the most part.]
but all we know is that she dedicated her son to temple service. that he turned into the personality he was.
the gemara tells us she asked for a normal kid. apparently she got a whole lot more.
"normal" for her was extraordinary.
Post a Comment