Thursday, March 12, 2020

Famous Blessings, Sayings, and Songs About Hanukkah

Famous Blessings, Sayings, and Songs About Hanukkah The name of this Jewish holiday can be spelled many different ways, but the two most widely accepted are Hanukkah and Chanukah. The holiday is also known as the Festival of Lights. In honor of the celebration of Hanukkah, here are some blessings, proverbs, thoughts, and even a song from famous people such as American film producer Ralph Levy, American author Dave Barry, poet Hannah Senesh, and many others. Dave Barry In the old days, it was not called the Holiday Season; the Christians called it Christmas  and went to church; the Jews called it Hanukkah and went to synagogue; the atheists went to parties and drank. People passing each other on the street would say Merry Christmas!  or Happy Hanukkah! or (to the atheists) Look out for the wall! Chinese Proverb It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness. Allen Ginsberg From: Psalm III Let the crookedness and straightness bespeak the light. Ralph Levy Now, near the Winter Solstice, it is good to light candles. All the nice meanings of bringing light to the world can be beautiful. But perhaps we are concentrating on lighting the world because we dont know how to light up our own lives. Hanukkah Blessing May This Festival of Lights bring Blessings upon you and All Your Loved Ones for Happiness, for Health, and for Spiritual and Material Wealth, and May the Lights of Chanukah Usher in the Light of Moshiach and a Better World for All of Humankind. Rabbi David Hartman The major question, which we must ponder on Hanukkah, is whether the Jewish people can develop an identity that will enable it to meet the outside world without feeling threatened or intimidated. The choice, hopefully, need not be ghettoization or assimilation. We can absorb from others without being smothered. We can appreciate and assimilate that which derives from foreign sources and at the same time feel firmly anchored to our particular frame of reference. Emma Lazarus, The Feast of Lights Kindle the taper like the steadfast star Ablaze on evenings forehead oer the earth, And add each night a lustre till afar. Ralph Levy Hanukkah - Another View We have focused on the miracle-thing and I think we often overlook the message of Hanukkah. To me, the core of the holiday is the cleaning of the temple... The accomplishment was in restoring the temple to the purpose for which it was built. Now think of the temple as a symbol. Perhaps it represents my life. The world has tried to use me for its own (perhaps good, but none-the-less extrinsic) purposes. But now I can rededicate myself to my own original purpose. II Maccabees 10. 6-7 They celebrated it for eight days with gladness like Sukkot   and recalled how a little while before, during Sukkot,   they had been wandering in the mountains and caverns like wild animals. So carrying lulavs ... they offered hymns of praise   to God who had brought to pass the purification of His own place. Charles Reznikoff From the poem: Meditations on the Fall and Winter Holidays The miracle, of course, was not that the oil for the sacred light - in a little cruse - lasted as long as they say; but that the courage of the Maccabees lasted to this day: let that nourish my flickering spirit. Adam Sandler From the song: The Hanukkah Song   Put on your yarmulke, Here comes Hanukkah! So much funukah, To celebrate Hanukkah! Hanukkah is the festival of lights. Instead of one day of presents, we have eight crazy nights. Hannah Senesh Blessed is the match consumed in kindling flame. Blessed is the flame that burns in the secret fastness of the heart.

Sunday, March 8, 2020

Argos and Corinth essays

Argos and Corinth essays Argos was founded by Phoroneus; he named it after his son, Argos. It was the second largest city-state in Ancient Greece, and for centuries, the most important one. Argos was subsidiary to Mycenae until the Dorian invasion in the 12th century BC. Then Argos became the most prominent Greek city-state in the northeastern Peloponnese. Argos and the Early Hoplite Greek lists begin in 680 BC proper, which coincides with the dates attributed to the rise of King Pheidon of Argos, who is attributed with formalizing the hoplite system and reuniting the Argolid city-states under Argive rule.Though, Argos became held in disgrace by other city-states in 480 BC when Athens and Sparta asked Argos polis to send supplies, and Argos refused. Argos had a very successful military. Argos has always been productive during times of war and peace. Argos and Sparta were competing city-states Argos weather is usually hot since its polis is located on a plain. The Argives soil is not very fertile, compelling them to fight the elements for food. This was a major hardship for them, but inspite of this, Argives were superior and an envy to th0e other Greek city-states. In 146 BC Argos became part of the Roman province of Achaea (province of Argos) and flourished as a center of arts and trade during the Roman period. Argos was most famous for its statues of athletes; magnificent and rippling with muscle. The were also famous for their wonderful musicians and poets. Argos was the first place in all of Greece where plays were performed in open-air theatres; they drew crowds of over 20,000. Drama reached new heights in Argos polis. Corinth, as a coastal city, had its own bank and successful works program. From this, their history flourished. Though, Corinth was never the mo ...