Yerushalayim! A Special Nine Days event with Ateret Cohanim
BS”D
Crown Heights Women for the Safety and Integrity of Israel’s Shleimus HaAretz Summer Series got off to terrific start this week with our first guest speaker Daniel Luria from Ateret Cohanim. An inspiring and informative way to spend the lunchbreak hour, the series airs every Tuesday this August from 12:30 to 1:30pm EST and is hosted by Tamar Adelstein, coordinator for the organization.
Upcoming shows include talks with Nachala leaders and Regavim; Water experts Michelle Baruch founder of Israel Water Tours and Noam Bedein co-director of The Dead Sea Revival Project; a special program dedicated to Healing, Health and Wellness; and a look at the upcoming Israeli election in the lens of Shleimus HaAretz. For details, see our Events Calendar at www.ikar-at-the-alcove.com
Dedicated to restoring Jewish life in the heart of Yerushalayim’s Old City and nearby neighborhoods, Ateret Cohanim is fortunate to have the very engaging and articulate Luria as their principal spokesman and executive director.
Discussing Yerushalayim in the context of the Nine Days of Jewish mourning that culminate with Tisha B’Av, Daniel cited a fascinating dilemma that arose after the second Bais HaMikdash had been rebuilt.
Upon ascension to the throne, Queen Esther’s Jewish son, King Daryavesh, reinstated the plan to rebuild the Bais HaMikdash in Yerushalayim – upon which Ezra and Nechemia led the undertaking, eventually leading a group of some 42,000 Jews back with them to Eretz Yisrael.
Not long after its completion, a delegation of Jews from Persia traveled to Yerushalayim seeking guidance as to whether or not there remained for them, still living in exile as they were, the obligation to fast on Tisha B’Av. Countering their question with one of his own, the Navi Zecharia sharply responded by asking if they even understood the reason for fasting in the first place! That was followed by the prophet’s incredulity that with the Bais HaMikdash rebuilt, what justification could there possibly be for remaining a moment longer in Golus.
As an interesting historical side note, after seeing to the spiritual welfare of the Jews in their Kingdom (for reasons much like the Lubavitcher Rebbe gave for his not moving to Eretz Yisroel), King Daryavesh and his younger brother Koresh did, in fact, go up to Eretz Yisroel, settling in Yerushalayim with their wives and children.
Daniel’s exposition adds an interesting dimension to the discussion on the modern day return to the Land of Israel that we began earlier this summer during the Shleimus HaAretz conference we hold annually on the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s Yom Hillula on Gimmel Tammuz. To watch a replay of the conference: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuIsBTXxExdJ_R6M0yhkAWA
Another point of interest raised in Daniel’s talk concerns the complicated topic of property ownership. Despite all the media hype against the State of Israel, Arab and others’ property rights, including long-time tenants, are taken very seriously, both legislatively and in the Courts.
Ateret Cohanim’s formula for acquiring and restoring properties to the Jewish community is a win-win for everyone involved. Needless to say, investing in such reclamation efforts cost many millions of dollars but the effort is extraordinarily worthy and without a doubt blesses supporters with excellent returns. Daniel welcomes readers to take a tour with him and find out more about Ateret Cohanim’s wonderful work in Yerushalayim – www.ateretcohanim.org or contact Daniel directly at dljerusalem@gmail.com.
To watch a replay of the show: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/a3mq-RUOuo22_TuqahDxWZylFVTUR3dh3pYfbKYUA3Qxr6pklip7u479bOzB40Kl.B_IGwmt_JD6XRpvb
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