Hanukkah 2014

These days (very close to Xmass) we celebrate Hanukkah ,a family Festival of lights.

First Candle with the Shamash lightened on an old Candelabra originally used with oil.

4 Candles lightened on the 4th day of Hanukkah.

 

Known as the Festival of Lights, Feast of Dedication, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple (the Second Temple) in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire of the 2nd century BCE. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, which may occur at any time from late November to late December in the Gregorian calendar.

The festival is observed by the kindling of the lights of a unique candelabrum, the nine-branched menorah or Hanukah, one additional light on each night of the holiday, progressing to eight on the final night. The typical menorah consists of eight branches with an additional visually distinct branch. The extra light is called a Shamash and is given a distinct location, usually above or below the rest. The purpose of the Shamash is to have a light available for practical use, as using the Hanukkah lights themselves for purposes other than publicizing and meditating upon Hanukkah is forbidden.^[2]

Other Hanukkah festivities include playing dreidel and eating oil based foods such as doughnuts and latkes.

More information can be found on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah

Our grand Daughter almost one year old and her first Candle.

Akko

    The Old city of Acre is one of the fascinating old cities in Israel. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Rich in history, spanning from the Greek periods, this ancient city has fascinating points of interest as well as a charming location along the Sea. Acre is well known as one of the main Crusaders cities

   Acre/Akko was inhabited from the Bronze age to the Roman period in a tell (mound) east of the old city, on the north bank of the Na'aman river.  It was abandoned at the Hellenistic/Roman period.  (See a detailed review of Tell Akko - the  biblical site of Akko).

• Current location

   The Romans built a breakwater and expanded the harbour at the present location of the harbour.

At the Arab period the old city was built at the present location, later fortified by the Crusaders. The following list shows a long chain of conquests and ruling empires over thousands of years.

The market in the old city is full of colors ,great smells and interesting place to walk and watch the action as the merchants are trying to sell their merchandise to the potential byers.

The alleys are narrow and with good imagination you can feel the how people lived here many years ago.

The port is one of the most important parts of the old part of the city,fisherman come and go with fresh fish delivering them directly to the market place,boat rides can be taken just for 10IL (2.5US$) and if you have a strong stomach he will take you beyond the the harbour to the open sea.

 

The city ancient walls ,the light house can be seen from every angle and so are some Mosque and Churches ,Muslims,Christians and Jews enjoy together what the city offers.

Years ago when people traveled with camels they would stop for the night in the HAN, where they can rest ,feed the animals and continue the journey in the next day

The old city is small and can be seen easily in one day including having a good fresh meal in a local restaurant facing the Mediterranean sea even in the winter-like we did today.