Shiloh, One of Judaism's Holiest Sites

As time goes on, since we made the move to Shiloh thirty-eight 38 years ago, I've become more and more attached to its holiness. If you read the Tanach, Bible, you'll learn that it was the first capital/central city for the Jewish People. Shiloh is one of the locations Joshua leading the Jewish People was able to enter without a battle. The Canaanites had left.

According to the Biblical text, the Mishkan, Tabernacle was assembled on a flat area, where it remained for close to four hundred years. The Kohanim, Priests were in charge, and Jews arrived to pray, especially for the Jewish Holidays. Archeologists have found enormous jugs and the remains of food. The Bible relates how Elkana would come with his family, gathering others on the way. His barren wife, Hannah, went to the holy spot to pray for a son, whom she pledged to Gd would serve Him and the Jewish People. A son was born to them, Samuel the Prophet. Women have come to Shiloh to pray ever since.


For well over a decade I've been inviting women to join me praying together on Rosh Chodesh, the first of the Jewish Month to pray together. Next Rosh Chodesh will be Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan, Tuesday October 29, 2019, 30th of Tishrei, 5780, 8:30am. We can't have our prayer group at the beginning of Tishrei, because it's Rosh Hashannah.

I know that many Jews go to pray at graves and tombs, but I feel that those places are extremely problematic. Gd has made it clear that we're not supposed to pray via dead people. That's why the location of Moshe, Moses's grave is unknown. Gd took him and his body. Also, unlike the theology of other religions, we're supposed to pray directly to Gd, not via an intermediary.

Women, unlike men, aren't required to pray with a minyan, quorum of ten or more. Please join us if you can. Our prayers are silent, except for the singing together of Hallel on Rosh Chodesh. For more information email shilohmuse@gmail.com, "Rosh Chodesh" as subject.

Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh has a special women's event a few days before Rosh Hashana, which they call "Tefilat Chana," "Hannah's Prayer." This year it will be Wednesday, September 25, 2019, 5pm, tours, music and Rabbanit Yemima Mizrachi as main speaker.

For more information contact visit@telshilo.org.il or call 02-5789111.

Shiloh, The Ideal Site for Jewish Prayer

I'm one of those who cannot justify or support the growing popularity of traveling to Uman to worship at Rebbe Nachman's grave, whether it's just any time or for Jewish Holidays. Actually, I'm turned off by the entire idea of worshipping at any grave, no matter how righteous the dead person may have been. I even stopped going to Kever Rachel years ago.

For me, the two holiest places for Jewish Prayer are the Temple Mount, Har HaBayit הר הבית and Shiloh, the location of the Biblical Tabernacle, Mishkan משכן. And after those two locations, any place from which you can see those sites and after that ordinary synagogues and places of regular Jewish Prayer.

Yes, I've said it. I know that not everyone agrees. Honestly, I have no doubt that the religious fervor that inspires worshipers at Uman can be created almost any place. It doesn't come from the dead body there. There's nothing in Judaism that supports the worship of the dead. We are only supposed to worship Gd, and worship Gd directly, not through an intermediary. We have an express person-to-person line to Gd, each and every one of us. We just have to dial the number.

We've been living in Shiloh since 1981; that's thirty-seven 37 years. Maybe if I lived someplace else I'd be less adamant about its holiness and significance. But considering that people of all religions come to Shiloh to pray, I don't think that I'm exaggerating about the centrality of Shiloh to Prayer.

Jewish theology is very firm about only worshipping Gd and the holiness and centrality of the Land of Israel. The concept of מקום makom, place,  ארץ Aretz Land is in the earliest words of the Bible, לך לך Lech Lecha, Go for your own sake...

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לך לך
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־אַבְרָ֔ם לֶךְ־לְךָ֛ מֵאַרְצְךָ֥ וּמִמּֽוֹלַדְתְּךָ֖ וּמִבֵּ֣ית אָבִ֑יךָ אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַרְאֶֽךָּ׃

The LORD said to Abram, “Go forth from your native land and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 

Shiloh is in the Center of the Holy Land and was the first Capital City of the Jewish Nation when Joshua led the Jewish People back home after the exodus from Egypt. There wasn't even the need for a battle to conquer it. Just like in June, 1967, Iyyar, 5727, Shiloh welcomed the return of the Jewish People. There were no occupying enemies.

Halachot, Jewish Laws for Praying are based on the story of how Chana Hannah prayed in Shiloh for a son. She soundlessly mouthed the words, because Gd does not need sound to know what we are saying. And she didn't ask Eli the High Priest, because we do not need an intermediary, live or dead.

Today, over three thousand 3,000 years after Chana's iconic prayer, we know that a lone woman's prayer has as much power as a minyan of ten men, the required quorum, Jewish community prayer.

Now, just a couple of days before Rosh Hashannah, the Jewish New Year, we must attempt to repent for our sins, no matter how unintentional or accidental they were. Gd is waiting for our prayers, our Teshuva, Repentance.

It was wonderful seeing a new generation of Jewish Women learning, praying and celebrating in Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh at the Tefilat Chana, the same Shiloh where Chana prayed to Gd thousands of years ago.

I'd also like to take this opportunity to invite Jewish women to our Rosh Chodesh Prayers, which take place the beginning of each Jewish Month at Tel Shiloh. Next will be Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan, Tuesday 30th of Tishrei 5779, October 9, 2018, 8:30am, Gd willing. תפילת נשים, ראש חודש חשון, ל' תשרי, יום ג',9/10/2019, 8:30, בשילה הקדומה, תל שילה. For more information email shilohmuse@gmail.com with Rosh Chodesh as subject.

Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh is open on weekdays and Chol Hamoed. For more information email visit@telshilo.org.il, or call 02-5789111.

Mass Women's Prayers Before Rosh Hashanah

A week before Rosh Hashanah, three quarters through the Jewish Month of Elul, and this year's deadline to do Teshuva, repent to Gd is getting closer and closer. Some Jews have been going to Uman to the grave of Rabbi Nachman, but there are other Jews who don't like the idea of praying to dead man or traveling far from the Holy Land.

Last night was the humongous gathering of women, from young girls to grandmothers and great-grandmothers at Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh. Prayers, tours, words of Torah and song. Rabbanit Yemima Mizrachi was the featured speaker, and Etti Ankori was the star entertainer.

Let the pictures speak, though they barely give the true spirit of the evening.

Before Rosh Hashanah Tefilat Chana, תפילת חנה

The Jewish Month of Tishrei is the only month without a Rosh Chodesh, first day of the month holiday. That's because the first two days of Tishrei are Rosh Hashana. So obviously we don't have our monthly women's prayers at the site of the Biblical Tabernacle at Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh.

Instead of our simple Rosh Chodesh Prayers, I will join the thousands of women of all ages who come to Tefilat Chana, תפילת חנה to tour, listen to the Torah classes, enjoy the musical performances and, yes, pray, too.

It will be this Wednesday, September 13, the 22nd of Elul. It begins at 4pm with tours, music and prayers. At 8pm Rabbanit Yemima Mizrachi will speak, and then Etti Ankori will sing spiritual songs, suited for the Eve of Rosh Hashanah. I hope to see you there, Gd willing.

You can order tickets, including for the buses to a from Shiloh by clicking here.

מכירות את זה שעוד רגע ראש-השנה אבל בלב אתן עדיין בתוך הבלאגן של סוף החופש? מכירות, בטח מכירות. אל תכחישו. ובכן, כנהוג אצלנו מדי שנה, הכנו לכן ערב שלם, מושקע ומהמם, שיכין אתכן טוב טוב לימים נוראים.

שריינו לכן: יום רביעי, כ"ב אלול // 13.9, אצלנו בשילה הקדומה.

בתכנית:

 16:00-18:00 סיור מודרך בשילה הקדומה, "מגדל הרואה" וסיור במוזאון 17:30-19:30 "בדרך אל המשכן" אתנחתא מוזיקלית ותפילה עם להקת "אחותי"

 וב-20:00 המופע המרכזי שבתוכו: הרבנית ימימה מזרחי, בשיחת לקראת הימים הנוראים ומעמד תפילת נשים מרוממת, אתי אנקרי בניגוני נשמה וניגוני תפילה, ואנסמבל "פעימה" במופע קצב סוחף.

המחיר: 30 ש"ח בלבד (הסיורים בתוספת תשלום של 15 ש"ח) ניתן להצטרף להסעות מירושלים ומתל אביב בעלות של 45 ש"ח (מומלץ להזמין כבר עכשיו מקום בהסעה, מספר המקומות מוגבל)

לינק לפרטים ולהזמנת כרטיסים  http://bit.ly/2vId3uN