Podcasts about Western Wall

In this interview, Yardena Schwartz discusses her book Ghosts of a Holy War: The 1929 Massacre in Palestine That Ignited the Arab-Israeli Conflict, offering a nuanced exploration of the 1929 Hebron massacre and its enduring impact on the region's history and present-day realities. Through a conversation that weaves personal narrative, historical analysis, and contemporary reflection, Schwartz illuminates how the events of 1929—when nearly 70 Jewish residents of Hebron were killed by their Arab neighbors—became a pivotal moment in the Arab-Israeli conflict. When the Shainberg family in Memphis, Tennessee, discovers a box of century-old letters from their deceased uncle David in their attic, a journey begins: not only to learn about the young man who wrote the letters from the holy city of Hebron in British Mandate Palestine, but about the massacre that took his life in 1929. Award-winning journalist Yardena Schwartz draws from these letters, along with extensive research and wide-ranging interviews of Israelis and Palestinians now living in Hebron, to tell a timely, captivating narrative.  In David's last letter home, on August 20, 1929 he wrote about a visit to the Western Wall in Jerusalem and said, “as we walked along Jerusalem's streets, we could almost imagine the streams of Jewish blood flowing at our feet, the horrible scenes of slaughter. Jewish sages, budding youth, tender babes in their mother's arms, all killed by the barbaric sword of the enemy". He was describing the slaughter from the Roman invasion of Jerusalem - yet just a few days later those same words could have been used to describe the scene in Hebron where David lost his life. The interview delves into the complexities of Hebron's past, once a city marked by coexistence, and the forces—propaganda, incitement, and shifting political landscapes—that transformed it into a symbol of division. Schwartz draws connections between the incitement and misinformation that fueled the violence in 1929 and the echoes of these dynamics in more recent events, such as the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks. She emphasizes the importance of challenging false narratives and understanding the human stories behind historical tragedies. Throughout the conversation, Schwartz reflects on the challenges of researching and recounting such a fraught history, the erasure and distortion of memory in both Jewish and Arab communities, and the enduring hope for peace despite a century of conflict. The interview provides listeners with a compelling entry point into the tangled roots of the Arab-Israeli conflict, highlighting why the lessons of 1929 remain urgently relevant today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In this interview, Yardena Schwartz discusses her book Ghosts of a Holy War: The 1929 Massacre in Palestine That Ignited the Arab-Israeli Conflict, offering a nuanced exploration of the 1929 Hebron massacre and its enduring impact on the region's history and present-day realities. Through a conversation that weaves personal narrative, historical analysis, and contemporary reflection, Schwartz illuminates how the events of 1929—when nearly 70 Jewish residents of Hebron were killed by their Arab neighbors—became a pivotal moment in the Arab-Israeli conflict. When the Shainberg family in Memphis, Tennessee, discovers a box of century-old letters from their deceased uncle David in their attic, a journey begins: not only to learn about the young man who wrote the letters from the holy city of Hebron in British Mandate Palestine, but about the massacre that took his life in 1929. Award-winning journalist Yardena Schwartz draws from these letters, along with extensive research and wide-ranging interviews of Israelis and Palestinians now living in Hebron, to tell a timely, captivating narrative.  In David's last letter home, on August 20, 1929 he wrote about a visit to the Western Wall in Jerusalem and said, “as we walked along Jerusalem's streets, we could almost imagine the streams of Jewish blood flowing at our feet, the horrible scenes of slaughter. Jewish sages, budding youth, tender babes in their mother's arms, all killed by the barbaric sword of the enemy". He was describing the slaughter from the Roman invasion of Jerusalem - yet just a few days later those same words could have been used to describe the scene in Hebron where David lost his life. The interview delves into the complexities of Hebron's past, once a city marked by coexistence, and the forces—propaganda, incitement, and shifting political landscapes—that transformed it into a symbol of division. Schwartz draws connections between the incitement and misinformation that fueled the violence in 1929 and the echoes of these dynamics in more recent events, such as the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks. She emphasizes the importance of challenging false narratives and understanding the human stories behind historical tragedies. Throughout the conversation, Schwartz reflects on the challenges of researching and recounting such a fraught history, the erasure and distortion of memory in both Jewish and Arab communities, and the enduring hope for peace despite a century of conflict. The interview provides listeners with a compelling entry point into the tangled roots of the Arab-Israeli conflict, highlighting why the lessons of 1929 remain urgently relevant today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In this interview, Yardena Schwartz discusses her book Ghosts of a Holy War: The 1929 Massacre in Palestine That Ignited the Arab-Israeli Conflict, offering a nuanced exploration of the 1929 Hebron massacre and its enduring impact on the region's history and present-day realities. Through a conversation that weaves personal narrative, historical analysis, and contemporary reflection, Schwartz illuminates how the events of 1929—when nearly 70 Jewish residents of Hebron were killed by their Arab neighbors—became a pivotal moment in the Arab-Israeli conflict. When the Shainberg family in Memphis, Tennessee, discovers a box of century-old letters from their deceased uncle David in their attic, a journey begins: not only to learn about the young man who wrote the letters from the holy city of Hebron in British Mandate Palestine, but about the massacre that took his life in 1929. Award-winning journalist Yardena Schwartz draws from these letters, along with extensive research and wide-ranging interviews of Israelis and Palestinians now living in Hebron, to tell a timely, captivating narrative.  In David's last letter home, on August 20, 1929 he wrote about a visit to the Western Wall in Jerusalem and said, “as we walked along Jerusalem's streets, we could almost imagine the streams of Jewish blood flowing at our feet, the horrible scenes of slaughter. Jewish sages, budding youth, tender babes in their mother's arms, all killed by the barbaric sword of the enemy". He was describing the slaughter from the Roman invasion of Jerusalem - yet just a few days later those same words could have been used to describe the scene in Hebron where David lost his life. The interview delves into the complexities of Hebron's past, once a city marked by coexistence, and the forces—propaganda, incitement, and shifting political landscapes—that transformed it into a symbol of division. Schwartz draws connections between the incitement and misinformation that fueled the violence in 1929 and the echoes of these dynamics in more recent events, such as the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks. She emphasizes the importance of challenging false narratives and understanding the human stories behind historical tragedies. Throughout the conversation, Schwartz reflects on the challenges of researching and recounting such a fraught history, the erasure and distortion of memory in both Jewish and Arab communities, and the enduring hope for peace despite a century of conflict. The interview provides listeners with a compelling entry point into the tangled roots of the Arab-Israeli conflict, highlighting why the lessons of 1929 remain urgently relevant today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

In this interview, Yardena Schwartz discusses her book Ghosts of a Holy War: The 1929 Massacre in Palestine That Ignited the Arab-Israeli Conflict, offering a nuanced exploration of the 1929 Hebron massacre and its enduring impact on the region's history and present-day realities. Through a conversation that weaves personal narrative, historical analysis, and contemporary reflection, Schwartz illuminates how the events of 1929—when nearly 70 Jewish residents of Hebron were killed by their Arab neighbors—became a pivotal moment in the Arab-Israeli conflict. When the Shainberg family in Memphis, Tennessee, discovers a box of century-old letters from their deceased uncle David in their attic, a journey begins: not only to learn about the young man who wrote the letters from the holy city of Hebron in British Mandate Palestine, but about the massacre that took his life in 1929. Award-winning journalist Yardena Schwartz draws from these letters, along with extensive research and wide-ranging interviews of Israelis and Palestinians now living in Hebron, to tell a timely, captivating narrative.  In David's last letter home, on August 20, 1929 he wrote about a visit to the Western Wall in Jerusalem and said, “as we walked along Jerusalem's streets, we could almost imagine the streams of Jewish blood flowing at our feet, the horrible scenes of slaughter. Jewish sages, budding youth, tender babes in their mother's arms, all killed by the barbaric sword of the enemy". He was describing the slaughter from the Roman invasion of Jerusalem - yet just a few days later those same words could have been used to describe the scene in Hebron where David lost his life. The interview delves into the complexities of Hebron's past, once a city marked by coexistence, and the forces—propaganda, incitement, and shifting political landscapes—that transformed it into a symbol of division. Schwartz draws connections between the incitement and misinformation that fueled the violence in 1929 and the echoes of these dynamics in more recent events, such as the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks. She emphasizes the importance of challenging false narratives and understanding the human stories behind historical tragedies. Throughout the conversation, Schwartz reflects on the challenges of researching and recounting such a fraught history, the erasure and distortion of memory in both Jewish and Arab communities, and the enduring hope for peace despite a century of conflict. The interview provides listeners with a compelling entry point into the tangled roots of the Arab-Israeli conflict, highlighting why the lessons of 1929 remain urgently relevant today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/jewish-studies

In this interview, Yardena Schwartz discusses her book Ghosts of a Holy War: The 1929 Massacre in Palestine That Ignited the Arab-Israeli Conflict, offering a nuanced exploration of the 1929 Hebron massacre and its enduring impact on the region's history and present-day realities. Through a conversation that weaves personal narrative, historical analysis, and contemporary reflection, Schwartz illuminates how the events of 1929—when nearly 70 Jewish residents of Hebron were killed by their Arab neighbors—became a pivotal moment in the Arab-Israeli conflict. When the Shainberg family in Memphis, Tennessee, discovers a box of century-old letters from their deceased uncle David in their attic, a journey begins: not only to learn about the young man who wrote the letters from the holy city of Hebron in British Mandate Palestine, but about the massacre that took his life in 1929. Award-winning journalist Yardena Schwartz draws from these letters, along with extensive research and wide-ranging interviews of Israelis and Palestinians now living in Hebron, to tell a timely, captivating narrative.  In David's last letter home, on August 20, 1929 he wrote about a visit to the Western Wall in Jerusalem and said, “as we walked along Jerusalem's streets, we could almost imagine the streams of Jewish blood flowing at our feet, the horrible scenes of slaughter. Jewish sages, budding youth, tender babes in their mother's arms, all killed by the barbaric sword of the enemy". He was describing the slaughter from the Roman invasion of Jerusalem - yet just a few days later those same words could have been used to describe the scene in Hebron where David lost his life. The interview delves into the complexities of Hebron's past, once a city marked by coexistence, and the forces—propaganda, incitement, and shifting political landscapes—that transformed it into a symbol of division. Schwartz draws connections between the incitement and misinformation that fueled the violence in 1929 and the echoes of these dynamics in more recent events, such as the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks. She emphasizes the importance of challenging false narratives and understanding the human stories behind historical tragedies. Throughout the conversation, Schwartz reflects on the challenges of researching and recounting such a fraught history, the erasure and distortion of memory in both Jewish and Arab communities, and the enduring hope for peace despite a century of conflict. The interview provides listeners with a compelling entry point into the tangled roots of the Arab-Israeli conflict, highlighting why the lessons of 1929 remain urgently relevant today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/middle-eastern-studies

In this interview, Yardena Schwartz discusses her book Ghosts of a Holy War: The 1929 Massacre in Palestine That Ignited the Arab-Israeli Conflict, offering a nuanced exploration of the 1929 Hebron massacre and its enduring impact on the region's history and present-day realities. Through a conversation that weaves personal narrative, historical analysis, and contemporary reflection, Schwartz illuminates how the events of 1929—when nearly 70 Jewish residents of Hebron were killed by their Arab neighbors—became a pivotal moment in the Arab-Israeli conflict. When the Shainberg family in Memphis, Tennessee, discovers a box of century-old letters from their deceased uncle David in their attic, a journey begins: not only to learn about the young man who wrote the letters from the holy city of Hebron in British Mandate Palestine, but about the massacre that took his life in 1929. Award-winning journalist Yardena Schwartz draws from these letters, along with extensive research and wide-ranging interviews of Israelis and Palestinians now living in Hebron, to tell a timely, captivating narrative.  In David's last letter home, on August 20, 1929 he wrote about a visit to the Western Wall in Jerusalem and said, “as we walked along Jerusalem's streets, we could almost imagine the streams of Jewish blood flowing at our feet, the horrible scenes of slaughter. Jewish sages, budding youth, tender babes in their mother's arms, all killed by the barbaric sword of the enemy". He was describing the slaughter from the Roman invasion of Jerusalem - yet just a few days later those same words could have been used to describe the scene in Hebron where David lost his life. The interview delves into the complexities of Hebron's past, once a city marked by coexistence, and the forces—propaganda, incitement, and shifting political landscapes—that transformed it into a symbol of division. Schwartz draws connections between the incitement and misinformation that fueled the violence in 1929 and the echoes of these dynamics in more recent events, such as the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks. She emphasizes the importance of challenging false narratives and understanding the human stories behind historical tragedies. Throughout the conversation, Schwartz reflects on the challenges of researching and recounting such a fraught history, the erasure and distortion of memory in both Jewish and Arab communities, and the enduring hope for peace despite a century of conflict. The interview provides listeners with a compelling entry point into the tangled roots of the Arab-Israeli conflict, highlighting why the lessons of 1929 remain urgently relevant today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/middle-eastern-studies

In this interview, Yardena Schwartz discusses her book Ghosts of a Holy War: The 1929 Massacre in Palestine That Ignited the Arab-Israeli Conflict, offering a nuanced exploration of the 1929 Hebron massacre and its enduring impact on the region's history and present-day realities. Through a conversation that weaves personal narrative, historical analysis, and contemporary reflection, Schwartz illuminates how the events of 1929—when nearly 70 Jewish residents of Hebron were killed by their Arab neighbors—became a pivotal moment in the Arab-Israeli conflict. When the Shainberg family in Memphis, Tennessee, discovers a box of century-old letters from their deceased uncle David in their attic, a journey begins: not only to learn about the young man who wrote the letters from the holy city of Hebron in British Mandate Palestine, but about the massacre that took his life in 1929. Award-winning journalist Yardena Schwartz draws from these letters, along with extensive research and wide-ranging interviews of Israelis and Palestinians now living in Hebron, to tell a timely, captivating narrative.  In David's last letter home, on August 20, 1929 he wrote about a visit to the Western Wall in Jerusalem and said, “as we walked along Jerusalem's streets, we could almost imagine the streams of Jewish blood flowing at our feet, the horrible scenes of slaughter. Jewish sages, budding youth, tender babes in their mother's arms, all killed by the barbaric sword of the enemy". He was describing the slaughter from the Roman invasion of Jerusalem - yet just a few days later those same words could have been used to describe the scene in Hebron where David lost his life. The interview delves into the complexities of Hebron's past, once a city marked by coexistence, and the forces—propaganda, incitement, and shifting political landscapes—that transformed it into a symbol of division. Schwartz draws connections between the incitement and misinformation that fueled the violence in 1929 and the echoes of these dynamics in more recent events, such as the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks. She emphasizes the importance of challenging false narratives and understanding the human stories behind historical tragedies. Throughout the conversation, Schwartz reflects on the challenges of researching and recounting such a fraught history, the erasure and distortion of memory in both Jewish and Arab communities, and the enduring hope for peace despite a century of conflict. The interview provides listeners with a compelling entry point into the tangled roots of the Arab-Israeli conflict, highlighting why the lessons of 1929 remain urgently relevant today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/israel-studies

In this interview, Yardena Schwartz discusses her book Ghosts of a Holy War: The 1929 Massacre in Palestine That Ignited the Arab-Israeli Conflict, offering a nuanced exploration of the 1929 Hebron massacre and its enduring impact on the region's history and present-day realities. Through a conversation that weaves personal narrative, historical analysis, and contemporary reflection, Schwartz illuminates how the events of 1929—when nearly 70 Jewish residents of Hebron were killed by their Arab neighbors—became a pivotal moment in the Arab-Israeli conflict. When the Shainberg family in Memphis, Tennessee, discovers a box of century-old letters from their deceased uncle David in their attic, a journey begins: not only to learn about the young man who wrote the letters from the holy city of Hebron in British Mandate Palestine, but about the massacre that took his life in 1929. Award-winning journalist Yardena Schwartz draws from these letters, along with extensive research and wide-ranging interviews of Israelis and Palestinians now living in Hebron, to tell a timely, captivating narrative.  In David's last letter home, on August 20, 1929 he wrote about a visit to the Western Wall in Jerusalem and said, “as we walked along Jerusalem's streets, we could almost imagine the streams of Jewish blood flowing at our feet, the horrible scenes of slaughter. Jewish sages, budding youth, tender babes in their mother's arms, all killed by the barbaric sword of the enemy". He was describing the slaughter from the Roman invasion of Jerusalem - yet just a few days later those same words could have been used to describe the scene in Hebron where David lost his life. The interview delves into the complexities of Hebron's past, once a city marked by coexistence, and the forces—propaganda, incitement, and shifting political landscapes—that transformed it into a symbol of division. Schwartz draws connections between the incitement and misinformation that fueled the violence in 1929 and the echoes of these dynamics in more recent events, such as the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks. She emphasizes the importance of challenging false narratives and understanding the human stories behind historical tragedies. Throughout the conversation, Schwartz reflects on the challenges of researching and recounting such a fraught history, the erasure and distortion of memory in both Jewish and Arab communities, and the enduring hope for peace despite a century of conflict. The interview provides listeners with a compelling entry point into the tangled roots of the Arab-Israeli conflict, highlighting why the lessons of 1929 remain urgently relevant today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/israel-studies

The Western Wall  Part 15:  The Western Wall Tunnel  -  English and Spanish.  The Kotel is 1600 feet long, but we only see a few hundred feet of the wall.  Where is the rest of the Western Wall?  Join us on an adventure as we explore the Western Wall Tunnel! Recorded July 6, 2025, this an updated version with translation of a podcast originally recorded April 28, 2023.  El Muro Occidental - Parte 15: El túnel del Muro Occidental  - Inglés y español.  El Kotel tiene 1600 pies de largo, pero sólo vemos unos pocos cientos de pies.  ¿Dónde está el resto del Muro Occidental?  Acompáñenos en una aventura mientras exploramos el Túnel del Muro Occidental.  Esta es una versión actualizada con traducción de un podcast grabado originalmente el 28 de abril 2023.

MyLife Chassidus Applied: Where YOUR questions are answeredDonate now: https://mylife500.comFor recording visit the archive page or your favorite podcast carrier.Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:How should we react to Operation Rising Lion? • What is G-d's message to us today? 05:36 • What can we learn from the operation being called Rising Lion, from the verse k'lovi yokum? 16:20 • Is the lion, the symbol of Judah, connected to Moshiach? 20:17 • What can we do about this situation? 27:40 • Should we be afraid? 31:38 • With open miracles taking place, is this an auspicious time for receiving G-d's blessings? 34:36 • Is there a deeper story unfolding? 36:59 • What are the historical and spiritual roots of this conflict? 41:00 • Are there parallels between the current war with Iran and the war with our enemies in ancient Persia concluding with our victory celebrated on Purim? 43:20 • Where is this headed? 47:15 • What did you learn from your time with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Argentinian President Milei last week? 48:30 • Is it true that you were with them at the Western Wall hours before the attack? 48:30 • Do you know why Netanyahu put on a tallis when he prayed and placed his note in the wall? 48:30 • What did he write in his note? 48:30 • What transpired and what did you experience at the Wall? 48:30 • What is the significance of that visit in context of the events that followed? 56:13 • Do these days in the year and these weekly Torah portions offer any lessons to current events? 57:58 • What can we learn from the verses about the Ark protecting the Jewish people and the trumpets used in time of war? 57:50 59:00 • Should I sound a shofar during this time? 59:20 • Is it a coincidence that Israel launched a strategic defensive attack against Iran on 6/13? 01:00:40 • Is there a connection between this week's parsha about the spies and Mossad's spying on Iran? 01:01:30 • Can we glean from the Rebbe's teachings whether he would support a preemptive strike against Iran? 01:02:33

The holiest site on earth for the Jewish People is not the Western Wall. It's the Temple Mount, in the heart of Jerusalem.

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Rediscovering Roots: A Homecoming to Jerusalem's Western Wall Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2025-06-08-22-34-02-he Story Transcript:He: החיים בירושלים תמיד מתחילים עם קרן שמש חמה.En: Life in Jerusalem always begins with a warm ray of sunshine.He: אבן הזהב של הכותל המערבי נראית כאילו היא לוהטת באור השמש.En: The golden stone of the Western Wall looks as if it's burning in the sunlight.He: חודש יוני כבר בעיצומו, והקיץ שולט בעיר הקודש.En: The month of June is already in full swing, and summer rules the city of holiness.He: אנשים רבים התאספו במקום הקדוש, כל אחד עם תפילותיו ורגעיו השקטים.En: Many people have gathered at the sacred site, each with their prayers and quiet moments.He: אביב חזר לישראל לאחר כמה שנים של לימודים בחו"ל.En: Aviv has returned to Israel after several years of studying abroad.He: הוא התגעגע לבית, למשפחה, במיוחד לימי הילדות שבילה כאן, בכותל, עם הוריו וסבו.En: He missed home, family, and especially the childhood days he spent here, at the Wall, with his parents and grandfather.He: הוא חולם על חיבור מחודש לשורשים ולעברו.En: He dreams of reconnecting with his roots and past.He: היום הוא פוגש את נועה, בת דודתו, שהוקרה בליבה את כל מסורת המשפחה.En: Today he is meeting Noa, his cousin, who holds dearly in her heart the entire family tradition.He: היא חיה בירושלים, והמקום הפך להיות חלק מחייה היומיומיים.En: She lives in Jerusalem, and the place has become part of her daily life.He: היא חיכתה לו בקצה הכיכר, מחייכת, אורחי רוח הקיץ נשפכים על פניה.En: She waited for him at the edge of the plaza, smiling, the summer's gentle breeze touching her face.He: "שלום, אביב", היא אמרה בחום, "ברוך שובך!En: "Hello, Aviv," she said warmly, "welcome back!"He: ""שלום, נועה", אביב ענה, מרגיש קצת זר, אך גם מלא תקווה.En: "Hello, Noa," Aviv responded, feeling a bit like a stranger, yet full of hope.He: הם הולכים יחד לכיוון הכותל.En: They walk together toward the Wall.He: נועה תמיד אהבה ללמד את אביב על המנהגים והמסורות של המשפחה.En: Noa always loved teaching Aviv about the family customs and traditions.He: היא מציעה לו להניח ידיים על האבנים ולהתפלל.En: She suggests he place his hands on the stones and pray.He: היא מספרת לו על שורשים ומשמעות, על מקום מיוחד זה.En: She tells him about roots and meaning, about this special place.He: אביב מהסס.En: Aviv hesitates.He: הוא מרגיש כאילו הזמן בחו"ל הרחיק אותו מהזהות שהייתה לו פעם.En: He feels as though his time abroad distanced him from the identity he once had.He: אבל הוא יודע שעליו לנסות.En: But he knows he must try.He: לנסות להתחבר.En: Try to reconnect.He: הוא מסתכל על האנשים סביבו, שומע את קולות התפילה, ונושם עמוק.En: He looks at the people around him, hears the sounds of prayer, and takes a deep breath.He: הוא מניח יד על האבנים הקרות והמרגישות חיות תחת מגעו.En: He places his hand on the cold stones that feel alive under his touch.He: הוא מתפלל.En: He prays.He: פתאום, בין הרעש והשקט, הוא מרגיש זיקה עמוקה, חיבור לרגע הזה, למשפחה שלו ולכל התרבות שהוא הגיע ממנה.En: Suddenly, amidst the noise and silence, he feels a deep connection, a bond to this moment, to his family, and to the entire culture he came from.He: זהו רגע של הארה.En: It's a moment of enlightenment.He: הוא לוחש את שמות בני המשפחה בתפילתו, מרגיש את העבר וההווה במעין התפוצצות רגשות.En: He whispers the names of his family members in his prayer, feeling the past and present in a kind of emotional explosion.He: לאחר כמה רגעים, הוא פותח את עיניו.En: After a few moments, he opens his eyes.He: נועה מביטה בו בהבנה ובהשתתפות.En: Noa looks at him with understanding and empathy.He: "הבנתי עכשיו מה כל הטקסים והמסורות הללו באמת מתכוונים עבורי", אמר לה באושר ובעיניים נוצצות.En: "I understand now what all these rituals and traditions truly mean for me," he told her with happiness and sparkling eyes.He: נועה חייכה.En: Noa smiled.He: "אני שמחה לשמוע.En: "I'm glad to hear that.He: זהו מקום חשוב.En: It's an important place.He: עבורך, עבור המשפחה".En: For you, for the family."He: ביחד, הם הולכים לאט, סופגים את השקט ואת קולות התרנגולים מרחוק.En: Together, they walk slowly, absorbing the silence and the distant sounds of roosters.He: הם מתכננים להמשיך לחקור את שורשיהם, את המסורת המשפחתית.En: They plan to continue exploring their roots, the family tradition.He: הם מרגישים אחדות מחודשת.En: They feel a renewed unity.He: חבורת המשפחה שנאספה מחכה להם בצד.En: The gathered family group waits for them on the side.He: המפגש הופך לחגיגה של אחדות ושל חמלה.En: The meeting turns into a celebration of unity and compassion.He: אביב מרגיש שהוא חזר לא רק לבית, אלא גם לליבו שלו.En: Aviv feels that he has returned not only home but also to his own heart. Vocabulary Words:ray: קרןsacred: קדושabroad: חו"לreconnecting: חיבור מחודשtradition: מסורתedge: קצהstranger: זרdistanced: הרחיקidentity: זהותrituals: טקסיםenlightenment: הארהcompassion: חמלהbond: זיקהgathered: התאספוprayers: תפילותcustoms: מנהגיםhesitates: מהססrenewed: מחודשתabsorbing: סופגיםsparkling: נוצצותconnection: חיבורunity: אחדותexplosion: התפוצצותempathy: השתתפותplaza: כיכרcompassion: חמלהdescent: ירידהoverpowering: שולטBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

While everyone is talking about the horror of two Jewish embassy aides being shot and killed at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., on May 21, 2025, there are three major details lacking from the conversation: 1) within the same 24-hour timeframe, Israeli soldiers began shooting at a group of diplomats from Egypt, Jordan, Spain, France, Italy, the U.K., and Canada, who were touring the West Bank. Israel quickly ran cover claiming that the workers, there on a tour organized by the Palestinian Authority, were in danger and the IDF was letting them know by firing their guns in the same direction. In reality, it was likely a method of intimidation and threat against those countries. But while Israel can shoot at embassy staff and diplomats, others cannot. Israel also bombed an Iranian embassy annex building in Syria in 2024, killing six, and received virtually no condemnation, an action that mirrors their deliberate killings of aide workers and medics. 2) the importance of two Jews once again takes precedence over every other life, regardless the context 3) the crackdown on the 1st Amendment as a result of the shooting, with the ADL's David Goldenberg demanding mass censorship of social media, and Attorney General Pam Bondi - who is investigating the state of Washington for requiring clergy in the church to report child abuse, and who has yet to release the Epstein files - promising to prosecute the shooter to the fullest extent of the law. The shooter also, interestingly, has a jewish name - Elias. This also comes on the heels of the Jewish Stephen Miller talking about the suspension of habeas corpus, something already violated with the deportation programs not of illegal immigrants but of visa holders because 88 Jewish organizations called on the White House to stop illegal deportations and because Jewish spy groups like Canary Mission, and the Esther Project, demanded it. In other words, jewish leaders, organizations, and groups directly assaulting the Bill of Rights, attacking speech, protest, publication and religion, and habeas corpus - not to mention one of the biggest anti-gun lobby groups is the Jewish Bloomberg. If that weren't bizarre enough, it's the response to pointing these facts out that turn up the heat, something that wouldn't happen if one were pointing out the influence of Islamic and Muslim radicals. In response to the shooting of two Jewish workers, the President sent the Secretary of Homeland Security to Israel so she could pray at the Western Wall and honor the dead. Kristi Noem then, after praying, wrote in the visitors' book: “Israel is the chosen people, and the United States stands by you.” Regardless of one's opinion about anything relating to Israel, that statement, and the White House offering full support to Israel under any circumstance, is tantamount to treason. It is not only putting a foreign country first, or even a small group of Jews, but allowing the USA to become vulnerable to all the threats such as suicidal alliance brings. That is not America First, nor is it providing for Homeland Security; it is Jews first, not even Israeli, and a threat to national security. It also puts American Jews in danger, since they are part of the American public. So to rewrite a line from the Dark Knight: “If I say that tomorrow a group of soldiers or kids will be blown up, nobody panics, because it's all part of the plan; but if I say that two Jews get shot, then everybody loses their minds.”*The is the FREE archive, which includes advertisements. If you want an ad-free experience, you can subscribe below underneath the show description.-FREE ARCHIVE (w. ads)SUBSCRIPTION ARCHIVEX / TWITTER FACEBOOKYOUTUBEMAIN WEBSITECashApp: $rdgable Paypal email rdgable1991@gmail.comEMAIL: rdgable@yahoo.com / TSTRadio@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-secret-teachings--5328407/support.

This episode was recorded April 24 on Yom Hashoah or Holocaust Remembrance Day in Israel at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. The Western Wall is also sometimes referred to as the Wailing Wall. We talk about the meaning and manner of observance of this solemn day in Israel and around the world. The episode ends with 2 minutes of silence remembering the six million Jewish men, women and children who were murdered by the Nazis during the Shoah as the sirens wail across Israel.

Israel begins its Memorial Day with a special meaning this year, honoring the soldiers who have fallen during the wars with Hamas and Hezbollah, with the opening ceremony at the Western Wall, as Israel's military chief of staff says they will ...

Israel begins its Memorial Day with a special meaning this year, honoring the soldiers who have fallen during the wars with Hamas and Hezbollah, with the opening ceremony at the Western Wall, as Israel's military chief of staff says they will ...

Israel begins its Memorial Day with a special meaning this year, honoring the soldiers who have fallen during the wars with Hamas and Hezbollah, with the opening ceremony at the Western Wall, as Israel's military chief of staff says they will ...

Israel begins its Memorial Day with a special meaning this year, honoring the soldiers who have fallen during the wars with Hamas and Hezbollah, with the opening ceremony at the Western Wall, as Israel's military chief of staff says they will ...

Israel begins its Memorial Day with a special meaning this year, honoring the soldiers who have fallen during the wars with Hamas and Hezbollah, with the opening ceremony at the Western Wall, as Israel's military chief of staff says they will ...

Israel begins its Memorial Day with a special meaning this year, honoring the soldiers who have fallen during the wars with Hamas and Hezbollah, with the opening ceremony at the Western Wall, as Israel's military chief of staff says they will ...

Israel begins its Memorial Day with a special meaning this year, honoring the soldiers who have fallen during the wars with Hamas and Hezbollah, with the opening ceremony at the Western Wall, as Israel's military chief of staff says they will ...

Joel and Lynn Rosenberg unpack the historic appointment of Governor Mike Huckabee as the first openly evangelical US Ambassador to Israel. Hear about Huckabee’s impactful arrival over Passover and Easter, President Trump’s prayer at the Western Wall, and exclusive insights from the ambassador’s first official meetings with Israeli leaders. From special Passover celebrations in Israel’s north to the credential ceremony at the Presidential Residence, discover why this moment matters for US-Israel relations and how faith, politics, and prayer shape events in the epicenter. Episode Breakdown:(00:02) Honoring US and Israel: Flags, Anthem & Arrival(00:19) Mike Huckabee's Historic Arrival as US Ambassador(01:05) Celebrating Passover and Easter in Jerusalem(03:13) Seder Night with a Kiryat Shemonah Congregation(04:32) Stories of Resilience: Congregation Amid Rocket Attacks(06:08) Ambassador Huckabee Arrives—Good Friday Timing(07:53) President Trump’s Prayer & Western Wall Visit(10:22) Peacemaking, Politics, and Presidential Intent(11:48) How Israelis Perceive an Evangelical Ambassador(12:17) Kabbalat Shabbat: Dinner with Prime Minister Netanyahu(17:46) Quiet Shabbat & Preparing for Easter(20:35) Sunrise Service at the Garden Tomb(28:41) Credentials Ceremony at the President’s Residence(41:09) Praying for Peace, Security, and Wisdom(42:17) Epicenter Briefing at Sea: Alaska Cruise Announcement Learn more about The Joshua Fund: JoshuaFund.comMake a tax-deductible donation: Donate | The Joshua FundStock Media provided by DimmySad / Pond5 Verse of the Day:Matthew 28:6 — “He is not here, for He has risen, as He said.” Prayer:Pray for wisdom and protection for Ambassador Huckabee and his wife. Ask God to open hearts in Israel to the risen Messiah and to grant true peace to the region. Related Episodes:Mike Huckabee's Journey to Becoming US Ambassador to Israel #269 Partnership Prayers, Ministry Dreams, and the Coors' Mission in Israel #251 Mike Huckabee's Historic Journey From Evangelical Christian Leader to US Ambassador to Israel #242 Mike Huckabee's America's First Evangelical Ambassador to Israel #237Courage, Support, and Gratitude with Joel & Lynn Rosenberg #194 Links for Reference https://www.inspirationtravel.com/tja https://www.joshuafund.com/learn/latest-news/join-us-on-our-alaska-cruise Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This week's show features stories from Radio Deutsche-Welle, NHK Japan, France 24, and Radio Havana Cuba. http://youthspeaksout.net/swr250425.mp3 (29:00) From GERMANY- In yet another story constantly changing, China reacts to Trump suggested tariffs- the point here is that it is strengthening Xi Jinping in both China and much of Southeast Asia, but could expose vulnerabilities down the road. From JAPAN- The Japanese PM is being criticized for not showing strength against the tariff challenge. The Russian Easter ceasefire in Ukraine was not followed by either side. Israeli citizens are protesting the continued fighting and Netanyahu rejects a ceasefire. At a Shanghai auto show Chinese company BYD revealed electric cars that can travel 250 miles on a 5 minute charge. From FRANCE- First a press review on Italian right wing President Giorgia Meloni visiting Trump. Then press on the Ukraine talks and the US leaving the event. Press reviews on the complex legacy of Pope Francis. Finally a report from on the retaliations arising from Pakistani terrorists killing tourists in India administered part of Kashmir. From CUBA - The Colombian President Petro announced that the US government revoked his visa following his criticism of sending migrants to the prison in El Salvador. Mike Huckabee, newly appointed ambassador to Israel, broke into the al-Aqsa mosque and left a note from Trump in the Western Wall. UNRWA says that Israel has killed 600 children in Gaza since March 18th, and that the situation for Palestinians is the worst it has been since the war began. Available in 3 forms- (new) HIGHEST QUALITY (160kb)(33MB), broadcast quality (13MB), and quickdownload or streaming form (6MB) (28:59) Links at outfarpress.com/shortwave.shtml PODCAST!!!- https://feed.podbean.com/outFarpress/feed.xml (160kb Highest Quality) Website Page- < http://www.outfarpress.com/shortwave.shtml ¡FurthuR! Dan Roberts "Fortunately, somewhere between chance and mystery lies imagination, the only thing that protects our freedom, despite the fact that people keep trying to reduce it or kill it off altogether." -- Luis Bunuel Dan Roberts Shortwave Report- www.outfarpress.com YouthSpeaksOut!- www.youthspeaksout.net

Steve Bannon says Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu aggressively pressured President Trump to bomb Iran, but Trump rejected the push in favor of diplomacy. As Iran parades missiles and nears nuclear capability, leaks about Israel's aborted strike have shaken US-Israel ties. Ambassador Mike Huckabee delivered Trump's prayer at the Western Wall, while Secretary of State Rubio warned the US may exit Ukraine peace talks within days. Meanwhile, the Trump administration advances a Ukraine minerals deal, declassifies RFK files, and cracks down on Harvard's foreign funding. Sen. Van Hollen's meeting with MS-13-linked deportee Kilmar Abrego-Garcia sparks White House outrage. Trade war fallout threatens Tesla's robot plans and may spike US mortgage rates. The Trump admin now officially labels COVID-19 a Chinese lab leak.Rick Wiles, Doc Burkhart. Airdate 4/18/25Join the leading community for Conservative Christians! https://www.FaithandValues.comYou can partner with us by visiting TruNews.com, calling 1-800-576-2116, or by mail at PO Box 399 Vero Beach, FL 32961.Get high-quality emergency preparedness food today from American Reserves!https://www.AmericanReserves.com             It's the Final Day! The day Jesus Christ bursts into our dimension of time, space, and matter. Now available in eBook and audio formats! Order Final Day from Amazon today!https://www.amazon.com/Final-Day-Characteristics-Second-Coming/dp/0578260816/Apple users, you can download the audio version on Apple Books!https://books.apple.com/us/audiobook/final-day-10-characteristics-of-the-second-coming/id1687129858Purchase the 4-part DVD set or start streaming Sacrificing Liberty today.https://www.sacrificingliberty.com/watchThe Fauci Elf is a hilarious gift guaranteed to make your friends laugh! Order yours today!https://tru.news/faucielf

President Donald Trump says a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine must be reached within days or he may abandon negotiations altogether. He added that the United States wants to see the war end, as thousands of soldiers continue to die each week.Trump is also calling efforts to bring back Kilmar Abrego Garcia a “shame,” after a Maryland senator met with the alleged MS-13 gang member who was deported to El Salvador. The White House on Friday highlighted a newly surfaced allegation linking Abrego Garcia to human trafficking.U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee was in Jerusalem Friday, where he delivered a prayer from Trump at the Western Wall. On the same day, sirens sounded in the city as another projectile was fired from Yemen.

Tens of thousands participate in traditional priestly blessing at the Western Wall, IDF launches wide-scale anti-terror operation in northern West Bank near Nablus, Reuma Weizman, wife of former president Ezer Weizman, passes away at age 99See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Send us a textIn Jerusalem, at the Western Wall, a traumatized Israeli soldier gets into a debate with a rabbi about prayer notes stuck into cracks in the Wall, while nearby air raid sirens wail a warning.Bernadette Armstrong directs Gary Lamb and Dennis Gersten.Peter Prizel is the playwright. He is the author of two fiction books, The FermentedSavior and An Angelic Folly. He also writes poetry. Based in Bedford Falls, New York, he received a Master's Degree from Fordham University.Support the showFounded by playwright and filmmaker Bernadette Armstrong, Open-Door Playhouse is a Theater Podcast- like the radio dramas of the 1940s and 1950s. The Playhouse launched on September 15, 2020. At the time, Open-Door Playhouse provided Playwrights, Actors and Directors a creative outlet during the shutdown. Since its inception. Open-Door Playhouse has presented Short and One-Act plays from Playwrights across the country and internationally. In 2021 Open-Door Playhouse received a Communicator Award for Content for the Play Custody and in 2023 the play What's Prison Like was nominated for a Webby Award in the Crime & Justice Category.Plays are produced by Bernadette Armstrong, Sound Engineer is David Peters, sound effects are provided by Audio Jungle, and music from Karaoke Version. All plays are recorded at The Oak House Studio in Altadena, CA. There's no paywall at the Open-Door Playhouse site, so you could listen to everything for free. Open-Door Playhouse is a 501c3 non-profit organization, and if you would like to support performances of works by new and emerging playwrights, your donation will be gratefully accepted. Your tax-deductible donations help keep our plays on the Podcast Stage. We strive to bring our listeners thoughtful and surprising one-act plays and ten-minute shorts that showcase insightful and new perspectives of the world we share with others. To listen or to donate (or both), go to https://opend...

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: A Springtime Reunion: Finding Connection in Yerushalayim Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2025-04-07-22-34-02-he Story Transcript:He: הרחובות העתיקים של ירושלים היו מלאים באור השמש האביבית.En: The ancient streets of Yerushalayim were filled with the light of springtime sunshine.He: פסח היה בעיצומו וכל העיר נראתה חגיגית ושוקקת.En: Pesach was in full swing, and the entire city looked festive and bustling.He: אוטובוס מלא בתלמידי בית ספר הגיע לעיר הבירה לטיול שנתי.En: A bus full of school students arrived in the capital for their annual trip.He: עמית, טליה ויונתן היו חלק מקבוצה זו.En: Amit, Talia, and Yonatan were part of this group.He: עמית הסתובב בין הכיתה, מנסה למצוא את מקומו.En: Amit wandered among the class, trying to find his place.He: הוא היה ילד סקרן וחושב הרבה, אך התקשה למצוא איך להתערב בתוך האנשים.En: He was a curious child who often pondered, but he struggled to figure out how to fit in with people.He: כולם מסביבו נראו שמחים וחברותיים, והוא חש כמו נעלם ברקע.En: Everyone around him seemed happy and sociable, and he felt like he was fading into the background.He: טליה, לעומתו, הייתה הרפתקנית מאוד.En: Talia, on the other hand, was very adventurous.He: היא רצה קדימה, תמיד צמאה לחוויות חדשות.En: She ran ahead, always thirsty for new experiences.He: יונתן היה חכם ושקט, תמיד מנסה לזכור את כל מה שהמדריך אומר.En: Yonatan was intelligent and quiet, always trying to remember everything the guide said.He: הוא אהב ללמוד על ההיסטוריה בזמן שכולם התרכזו באווירה.En: He enjoyed learning about the history while everyone else focused on the atmosphere.He: הקבוצה התקדמה לעבר הכותל המערבי.En: The group moved towards the Kotel HaMa'aravi (Western Wall).He: עמית חשש שהוא יתמזג בקהל ולא ימצא את עצמו.En: Amit feared that he would blend into the crowd and not find himself.He: הוא רצה להיות חלק מהחוויה, אך הרגיש חוסר ביטחון להתקרב לכנופיית הילדים שמסביבו.En: He wanted to be part of the experience but felt insecure about approaching the gang of kids around him.He: אילו רק יכול היה למצוא דרך להרגיש משמעותי.En: If only he could find a way to feel significant.He: בתוך השווקים הצבעוניים והדוכנים ההומים, עמית גילה שהוא למעשה יכול לשאול שאלות ולהתערב.En: Within the colorful markets and bustling stalls, Amit discovered that he could actually ask questions and get involved.He: הוא החל לשוחח עם טליה, שהתלהבה לראות את כל המראות החדשים.En: He began talking with Talia, who was excited to see all the new sights.He: עמית הציע פעילויות, כדוגמת כניסה לחנויות מקומיות וטעמי אוכל שלא ניסו מעולם.En: Amit suggested activities like entering local shops and tasting foods they had never tried before.He: הדבר גרם לטליה להסתקרן עוד יותר.En: This piqued Talia's curiosity even more.He: יונתן הצטרף לשיחה והתחיל לדבר על הקשר ההיסטורי של העיר.En: Yonatan joined the conversation and started talking about the city's historical connection.He: הוא הפך את ההיסטוריה לדבר מעניין ומסקרן.En: He made history interesting and intriguing.He: שלושתם נכנסו לשיחה מרתקת בזמן שהמתינו לקבוצה שלהם ליד הדוכנים.En: The three of them engaged in a fascinating conversation while they waited for their group near the stalls.He: לפתע, הם הבינו שאיבדו את הקבוצה ונשארו לבד.En: Suddenly, they realized they had lost the group and were left alone.He: רחובות העיר הסתחררו סביבם, ופתאום הם נאלצו לסמוך אחד על השני.En: The city's streets swirled around them, and suddenly they had to rely on each other.He: שלושתם, בהסתמכות על היכולות והאינטליגנציה של כל אחד מהם, חיפשו את הדרך חזרה.En: The three of them, depending on each other's skills and intelligence, searched for the way back.He: בסוף, בזכות היוזמה של עמית, הם מצאו את הדרך חזרה.En: In the end, thanks to Amit's initiative, they found their way back.He: גיל השמה כולו חיוך כאשר ראה אותם שוב.En: Gil, the teacher, beamed with a smile when he saw them again.He: עמית הרגיש שהוא הצליח לשבור את המחסום ולהתחבר לחבריו.En: Amit felt that he managed to break the barrier and connect with his friends.He: תחושת גאווה ושייכות מילאה את לבו.En: A feeling of pride and belonging filled his heart.He: מאותו יום, עמית הרגיש בטוח יותר במצבים חברתיים.En: From that day, Amit felt more confident in social situations.He: הוא למד להעריך את החברויות החדשות והרגיש שהוא מצא את מקומו בקבוצה.En: He learned to appreciate the new friendships and felt he had found his place in the group.He: ביקור בירושלים הפך למסע של גילוי אישי, מעבר לנופים וההיסטוריה של העיר עצמה.En: The visit to Yerushalayim turned into a journey of personal discovery, beyond the sights and the history of the city itself. Vocabulary Words:ancient: עתיקיםfestive: חגיגיתbustling: שוקקתwandered: הסתובבpondered: חושבsociable: חברותייםadventurous: הרפתקניתintelligent: חכםblend: יתמזגsignificant: משמעותיmarkets: שווקיםstalls: דוכניםengaged: נכנסוfascinating: מרתקתswirled: הסתחררוinitiative: יוזמהbeamed: השמהbarrier: מחסוםpride: גאווהbelonging: שייכותappreciate: להעריךdiscovery: גילויcurious: סקרןcuriosity: הסתקרןinsecure: חוסר ביטחוןrely: לסמוךconnection: הקשרintriguing: מסקרןapproaching: להתקרבsuggested: הציעBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust, calling it Operation Al Aqsa. For journalist Yardena Schwartz, the massacre was a chilling echo of the 1929 Hebron Massacre—the brutal slaughter of nearly 70 Jews, incited by propaganda that Jews sought to seize the Al Aqsa Mosque. At the time, she was deep into writing her first book, Ghosts of a Holy War: The 1929 Massacre in Palestine That Ignited the Arab-Israeli Conflict. In this episode, Yardena shares how history repeated itself, how the October 7 attack reshaped her book, and why understanding the past is essential to making sense of the present. ___ Read:  Ghosts of a Holy War: The 1929 Massacre in Palestine That Ignited the Arab Israeli Conflict Listen – AJC Podcasts: The Forgotten Exodus: Untold stories of Jews who left or were driven from Arab nations and Iran Social media influencer Hen Mazzig on leaving Tunisia Chef Einat Admony on leaving Iran Playwright Oren Safdie on leaving Syria Cartoonist Carol Isaacs on leaving Iraq Novelist Andre Aciman on leaving Egypt People of the Pod:  Latest Episode: Higher Education in Turmoil: Balancing Academic Freedom and the Fight Against Antisemitism Held Hostage in Gaza: A Mother's Fight for Freedom and Justice Yossi Klein Halevi on the Convergence of Politics and Religion at Jerusalem's Temple Mount Follow People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. __ Transcript of Interview with Yardena Schwartz: Manya Brachear Pashman: Hello, and welcome to People of the Pod, brought to you by American Jewish Committee. Each week, we take you beyond the headlines to help you understand what they all mean for America, Israel and the Jewish people. I'm your host Manya Brachear Pashman:. In October 2023 journalist Yardena Schwartz was in the middle of writing her first book exploring the rarely talked about 1929 Hebron massacre, in which nearly 70 Jews were murdered, dozens more injured by their Muslim neighbors during riots incited by the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, who spread lies that Jews wanted to take over the Al Aqsa Mosque. When she heard reports of the October 7 terror attacks by Hamas dubbed Operation Al Aqsa, she realized just how relevant and prescient her book would be, and began drafting some new chapters. Yardena is with us now to discuss that book titled Ghosts of a Holy War: The 1929 Massacre in Palestine that ignited the Arab Israeli conflict. Yardena, welcome to People of the Pod.  Yardena Schwartz: Great to be here, Manya. Manya Brachear Pashman: So full disclosure to you and our audience. You attended Columbia Journalism School 10 years after I did, and you took Professor Ari Goldman's class on covering religions 10 years after I did that, class had always traveled to Israel, and I had hoped it would be my ticket to go to Israel for the first time, but the Second Intifada prevented that, and we went to Russia and Ukraine. Instead, your class did go to Israel, and that was your first visit to Hebron, correct?  Yardena Schwartz: So it was in 2011 and we went to Hebron for one day out of our 10 day trip to Israel, and it was my first time there. I was the only Jewish student in our class. It was about 15 of us, and I was the only one who had been to Israel. I had been all over Israel, but I had never been to Chevron. And our tour was with Breaking the Silence, an organization of former Israeli soldiers who had served in Hebron or in other parts of the West Bank and wanted Israelis to know what was happening in Hebron and how Palestinians were living there, and the various restrictions that were put in place as a result of terrorist attacks. But nevertheless, you know, those restrictions were extremely disturbing, and that brief visit in 2011 made me really never want to go back to Hebron. And when I moved to Israel two years later to become a freelance journalist there, and, you know, to move to Israel because I loved Israel, and still obviously love Israel, I didn't really go back to Chevron because I, you know, was really troubled by what I saw there. But this book took me, of course, back to Chevron hundreds of times, spending hundreds of hours there. And it came to be, you know, my expertise in this conflict, in my reporting. And you know, of course, Heron is kind of the main character in this book, Manya Brachear Pashman: Tell us how you came to find out about this massacre. Was it mentioned during that class visit in 2011 or was it later that you learned about it? Yardena Schwartz: So that was one of the most interesting things about my early adventure into writing this book, was that I had of course been to have Ron, and yet, during that day that we spent there learning so much about the history of this place, this deeply holy place to so many people, there was no mention of the massacre of 1929, so, you know, I knew that Chevron is, you know, the second holiest city in Judaism, the burial place of Abraham And the matrix and patriarchs of the Jewish people. And you know the first place where King David established his kingdom before Jerusalem. So it was holy before Jerusalem. And yet I had no idea that this ancient Jewish community in Hebron had been decimated in 1929 in one of the worst pogroms ever perpetrated. We all know about the kishineff pogrom of 1904 and yet the pogrom in 1929 in Hebron, perpetrated by the Muslim residents of Hebron, against their Jewish neighbors, was more deadly and more gruesome than the kishineff pogrom, and it effectively ended 1000s of years of Jewish presence in this holy city. And so when I was told by my mentor, Yossi Klein Halevi, the amazing writer, that there was a family in Memphis, Tennessee that had discovered a box of letters in their attic written by a young American man from. Memphis, who had traveled to Chevron in 1928 to study at the Hebron yeshiva, which was at the time, the most prestigious yeshiva in the land of Israel in what was then, of course, British Mandate Palestine. And that this young man had been killed in that massacre. Yet his letters, you know, painted this vivid portrait of what Chevron was before the massacre that took his life. I was immediately fascinated. And I, you know, wanted to meet this family, read these letters and see how I could bring the story to life. And I was introduced to them by, yes, in 2019 so that's when I began working on my book. And you know, as you mentioned, I was still writing the book in 2023 on October 7, and this book I had been writing about this massacre nearly a century ago immediately became more relevant than I ever hoped it would be.  Manya Brachear Pashman: The young American man from Memphis. His name was David Schoenberg. Give our listeners a history lesson. Tell us about this 1929 massacre. So Yardena Schwartz: On August 24 1929 also a Shabbat morning in crevorone, every Jewish family had locked their doors and windows. They were cowering in fear as 1000s of Muslim men rioted outside their homes, throwing rocks at their windows, breaking down their doors and essentially hunting down Jews, much like they did on October 7, families were slaughtered. Women and teenage girls were raped by their neighbors in front of their family members. Infants were murdered in their mother's arms. Children watched as their parents were butchered by their neighbors, rabbis, yeshiva students were castrated and Arabic speaking Jews, you know, Sephardi, Mizrahi, Jews, who composed about half of the Jewish population in Hebron at the time, and were very friendly with their Arab neighbors. You know, they went to each other's weddings and holidays, went to each other's shops, and these people were also slaughtered. It wasn't just the yeshiva students who had come from Europe or from America to study there, or, you know, the Ashkenazi Jewish families. It was, you know, Arabic speaking Jews whose families had been there for generations and had lived side by side in peace with their Muslim neighbors for centuries. They too were slaughtered. Manya Brachear Pashman: Why did their Muslim neighbors turn on them so suddenly and violently? The Yardena Schwartz: rioters that day were shouting Allahu Akbar. They claimed to be defending Islam and Al Aqsa from this supposed Jewish plot to destroy Al Aqsa in order to rebuild the Third Temple. This is what they had been told by their leaders and by Imams and their mosques and in Hebron, that Lai had also extended to the tomb of the patriarchs and matriarchs, which is known in Arabic as the Ibrahimi mosque. Imams there had told Muslims in Hebron that the Jews of Hebron were planning to conquer Ibrahimi mosque in order to turn it into a synagogue. So this incitement and this disinformation that continues to drive the conflict today. Really began in 1929 the rumors about this supposed Jewish plot to destroy Al Aqsa that began in 1928 around the same time that David Schoenberg arrived in Palestine to study at the yeshiva. Manya Brachear Pashman: So in addition to the letters that David Schoenberg wrote to his family back in Tennessee. How else did you piece together this history? How did you go about reporting and researching it? Who kept records?  Yardena Schwartz: So it's really interesting, because I was so surprised by the lack of literature on this really dramatic moment in history, in the history of Israel, the history of this conflict. And yet, despite the fact there are really no books in English, at least, about the massacre and about these riots and what led to them, there were mountains of, you know, testimony from victims and survivors. The British carried out this commission after the riots that produced this 400 page report filled with testimony of British officials, Arab officials, Jewish officials, survivors. So there was just so much material to work with. Also, survivors ended up writing books about their experiences in Hebron, very similar to David's letters, in a way, because they wrote not only about the riots and the massacre itself, but also what they experienced in Hebron before they too, wrote about, you know, the relatively peaceful relations between the city's Jewish minority and the Arab majority. And I also relied on archival newspaper reports so the. Riots really occupied the front pages of American newspapers for about a week, because it took about a week for the British to quell the riots, and they did so with an air, land and sea campaign. They sent warships and war planes from across the British Empire and sent troops from other parts of the British Empire. Because one of the reasons the riots were so effective, in a way, you know, were so deadly, especially in kharag, was because there was just no military force in Palestine. At the time, the British did not have a Palestine military force, and it was only after the 1929 riots that they did have troops in Palestine. Until then, they had the Palestine police force, and that police force was mostly Arabs. In Hebron, for example, there were about 40 policemen under the stewardship of one British police chief, and all but one of those policemen were Arabs, and many of them participated in the massacre or stood by outside of Jewish homes and allowed the mobs to enter the homes and carry out their slaughter. And Manya Brachear Pashman: I'm curious. There was a lot of newspaper coverage, but what about the international community's response beyond the British Empire? Yardena Schwartz: So there were actually protests around the world against the massacre in New York. 35,000 people marched through the streets of Manhattan to protest the British failure to protect their Jewish subjects from these riots. Most of the marchers were Jewish, but nevertheless, I mean 35,000 people. We didn't see anything like that after October 7. Of course, we saw the opposite people marching through the streets of New York and cities around the world supporting the mass of October 7. You know, I mentioned this March in New York, but similar protests were held around the world, mostly in Jewish communities. So in Poland, Warsaw and in England, there were protests against the British failure to protect Jews in Palestine from these riots. And the American government was livid with the British and they sent statements put out, statements to the press, criticizing the British inaction, the British failure to protect the Jewish subjects and the American citizens who were in Palestine at the time, there were eight Americans killed in Hebron on August 24 1929. Out of the 67 Jewish men, women and children who were killed, and all of them were unarmed. The Haganah at the time, you know, the underground Jewish Defense Force that would later become the nucleus of the IDF, the Haganah was active then, mostly in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, there were no Haganah members in Hebron. The Hebron Jewish community was very traditional, very religious, and when Haganah came to Hebron two days before the riots erupted, they because they knew that these riots were going to happen. There had been calls from Arab officials to riot, to attack Jewish communities across Palestine. And so the Haganah came to Hebron to warn Jewish leaders of Hebron that they could either come there to protect them or evacuate them to Jerusalem to safety until the riots subsided and the Jewish leaders of Hebron were unanimous in their opposition. They said, No, you know, we're friends with our Arab neighbors. They'll never hurt us. We trust them. If anything happens elsewhere, it won't happen here. And they believed that because, not only because they had such a good relationship with their Arab neighbors and friends, but also because in previous outbursts of violence in other years, like in 1920 1921 when they were much smaller riots and much less deadly riots. When those riots reached other parts of Palestine, they didn't reach Hebron because of those relations and because they weren't fueled by incitement and disinformation, which was what led the riots of 1929 to be so massive and so deadly, and what led them to be embraced by previously peaceful neighbors. Manya Brachear Pashman: How did that disinformation travel in 1929 How did it reach those neighbors in Hebron? Yardena Schwartz: When we talk about disinformation and misinformation today, we think of it as this, you know, modern plague of, you know, the social media era, or, you know our fractured media landscape. But back in 1929 disinformation was rampant, and it also traveled through Arabic newspapers. They were publishing these statements by Arab officials, mostly the Grand Mufti Hajime Husseini, who was the leader of Palestinian Muslims under British rule, he began this rumor that the Jews of Palestine were plotting to conquer Al Aqsa mosque to rebuild their ancient temple. Of course, Al Aqsa is built upon the ruins of the ancient temples. Temple Mount is the holiest place for Jews in the world. And in 1929, Jews were forbidden from accessing the Temple Mount because it was considered, you know, a solely holy Muslim site. But the closest place they could pray was the Western Wall, the Kotel. And Jews who were demanding British protection to pray in peace at the Western Wall without being attacked by Muslims as a result of this disinformation campaign were then painted by the Arabic press as working to conquer the Western Wall, turn it into a synagogue, and then from there, take Al Aqsa Mosque.  So this disinformation traveled from the very highest of Muslim officials. So the imams in mosques across Palestine, specifically in Al Aqsa and in Hebron, were repeating these rumors, these lies about this supposed Jewish plot. Those lies were then being published in flyers that were put in city squares. Jewish officials were warning the British and telling, you know, they should have known and they should have done more to end this campaign of disinformation, not only to achieve peace in this land that they were ruling over, but also because they were responsible for installing hajamina Husseini, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, into his position they had chosen him for that position, that all powerful position. And so they were responsible, in a way, for all of these lies that he was spreading. And yet they took no responsibility.  And even in the commission that they sent to Palestine from London to investigate the causes of the riots, despite the fact that, you know, if you read these, you know, 400 pages, I don't recommend it. It's a tough reading. But, you know, I did that for this book. And it's so clear from all of these hearings that this disinformation campaign was very obvious, very clear and very clearly to blame for the riots. And yet, because saying so would have made the British responsible for so much death, their conclusions in this commission was that it was Jewish immigration to Palestine and Jewish land purchases at the time that had sparked the riots, and that it was this Jewish demonstration, peaceful demonstration at the Western Wall on to Shabaab in August of 1929 that had sparked these riots.  So there's just, you know, this absolute lack of accountability, not only for the Mufti, who retained his position and became even more powerful and more popular as a leader after these riots, but also for the British and instead, you know, the Jewish victims were blamed for their suffering. At the time, Jews were just 20% of the Palestinian population, which was just 1 million people. Of course, today, Israel is home to more than 10 million people. So you know, clearly there was room for everyone. And the Jews at the time were very peaceful. The Haganah was a very, you know, weak, decentralized force, and after these riots, it became much stronger, and Sephardi Jews and Mizrahi Jews, more traditional Jews who had not joined the Haganah before 1929 had not really embraced Zionism before 1929 now agreed that if Jews were going to be safe in our homeland, then we would need our own army. Manya Brachear Pashman: Can we talk a little bit about the turn toward radicalization and extremism during this time, and what role that has played in the years since? Yardena Schwartz: you know, the Zionist leadership was very adamant that Jews in Palestine should not be carrying out attacks against Arabs in Palestine. You know, it should be really about defending Jews, preventing attacks, but not carrying out retaliatory attacks. But as we've seen throughout the century, of this conflict. You know, extremism begets extremism. And you know, when violence is being used by one side, it is going to be used by the other side as well. And so the rise of a more militant form of Zionism was a direct result of 1929 and this feeling of just helplessness and this feeling of relying on this foreign power, the British, to protect them, and realizing that no foreign power was going to protect the Jews of Palestine and that Jews would have to protect themselves, and the radicalism and the extremism within the Muslim population, particularly the Muslim leadership of Palestine, really just accelerated after the massacre, because they saw that it succeeded. I mean, the British punished the Jewish population of Palestine for the riots by vastly limiting Jewish immigration, vastly limiting Jewish land purchases. Notice, I use the word land purchases because, contrary to a lot of the disinformation we hear. Much today, none of this land was being stolen. It was being purchased by Jews from Muslim land owners. Many of them were absentee landowners. Many of them were from the wealthiest families in Palestine. And many of them were members of, you know, this anti Zionist, pro Mufti circle, who were then telling their own people that Jews are stealing your land and evicting you from your land, when, in fact, it was these wealthy Arab landowners who were selling their land to Jews at exorbitant prices. Manya Brachear Pashman: Did you establish a motive for the Mufti and what were his intentions spreading this disinformation? Yardena Schwartz: Great question. So it was very clear. I mean, he never admitted this, but it was very clear what his motives were, and that was to counter the criticism and accusations of corruption that had dogged him for years, until he began this campaign of propaganda which led much of that criticism and much of those stories of his corruption within the Arabic press and among his Arab rivals to essentially disappear, because now they had a much more threatening enemy, and that enemy was the Jewish community of Palestine, who was plotting to destroy Al Aqsa, conquer Al Aqsa, rebuild their temple, take over Palestine and his campaign worked. You know, after that propaganda campaign became so successful, there were very few people willing to stand up to him and to criticize him, because after 1929 when he became so much more powerful, he began a campaign of assassinations and intimidation and violence used against not only his political rivals and dissidents, but also just Anyone who favored cooperation between Arabs and Jews in Palestine. So there were various mayors of Arab cities who wanted to work together with the Jewish community of those cities or with other Jewish leaders to bring about various economic initiatives, for instance. And some of those mayors were assassinated by the muftis henchmen, or they were just intimidated into silence and into kind of embracing his platform, which was that Palestine is and has always been and should always be, a purely Muslim land, and that there is no place for any kind of Jewish sovereignty or Jewish power in that land.  So, you know, the Mufti, in 1936 he ended up leading a violent rebellion against the British. And the British at that point, had gotten tired of ruling Palestine. They realized it was much more work than they were interested in doing, and they were interested in leaving Palestine, handing over governance to the local population to the Jews and Arabs of Palestine, and they had been interested in figuring out what could be done. Could there be a binational state with equal representation, or representative governance? If Jews are 40% of the population and Arabs are 60% then there could be some kind of governance on those ratios, all of those solutions, including a two state solution, which was presented in 1937 all of those solutions were rejected by the grand mufti, and his platform was embraced by the other Arab officials within Palestine, because if it wasn't, they could face death or violence. And he even rejected the idea of Jews remaining in Palestine under Arab rule. You know when the British said to him, okay, so what will be done with the 400,000 Jews who are in Palestine right now? He said they can't stay. So he didn't only reject the two state solution. He rejected, you know, this bi national, equal utopian society that we hear proposed by so many in pro Palestine movement today. You know, all of these solutions have been on the table for a century and always. They have been rejected by Palestinian leaders, whether it was the Grand Mufti or his apprentice, his young cousin, yas Arafat. Manya Brachear Pashman: Ah, okay, so what happened to Grand Mufti Husseini? Did he stick around? So The Mufti was eventually, finally wanted for arrest by the British after his rebellion claimed the life of a British official. Until then, it had only claimed the lives of Jews and Arabs, but once a British official was killed, then the British had decided that they'd had enough of the Mufti, and they ordered his arrest. He fled Palestine. He ended up in Iraq, where he was involved in riots there the far hood in which many Jews were massacred, perhaps hundreds, if not over 1000 Jews were slaughtered in Baghdad, which was at the time home to about. 100,000 Jews. He then fled Iraq and ended up in Berlin, where he lived from 1941 to 1945 in a Nazi financed mansion, and he led the Arab branch of Joseph Goebbels Ministry of Propaganda. He was the Nazi's leading voice in the Arab world, he spread Nazi propaganda throughout the Muslim world and recruited 10s of 1000s of Muslims to fight for the Nazis, including in the Waffen SS and when the war ended, when world war two ended, and the UN wanted him for Nazi war crimes, he was wanted for Nazi war crimes, placed on the UN's list of Nazi war criminals. Once again, he fled, first to France, then to Cairo, eventually settling in Beirut, where he continued to lead his people's jihad against the Jews of Palestine. So when, in 1947, when the UN voted to partition British Mandate Palestine into an Arab state and a Jewish state so that the British could finally leave Palestine. He declared jihad, and he rejected the Partition Plan, along with every other Arab state which also rejected it. Of course, the Jews of Palestine embraced it, celebrated it, and the very next day after the UN vote, riots erupted throughout Palestine, and he helped. He was kind of pulling the strings of that Jihad taking place in Palestine. And in fact, 1000 Muslim men who he had recruited for the Waffen. SS joined that holy war in Palestine. The Mufti helped create the army of the holy war. Yasser Arafat, who was also in Beirut at the time, also assisted the army of the holy war. He actually fought in the war that began in 1947 alongside the Muslim Brotherhood. So, you know the legacy that the Mufti had? You know, it doesn't end there. It continued to his dying day in 1974 and Arafat took over his mantle as the leader of the Palestinian people. And you know, we see how the disinformation and incitement and rejection of Jewish sovereignty in any part of the ancient land of Israel has continued to be a prominent force in Palestinian politics no matter who was in charge. You know, the Fatah, Mahmoud, Abbas and Hamas, of course, perpetuate the same lies about Al Aqsa. They perpetuate the same denial of a Jewish right to live in peace in our homeland, deny the history of Jewish presence in Israel. So, you know, it's really astounding to me how little is known about the Grand Mufti and how little is known about his impact on this conflict, and particularly in the very beginnings, the ground zero of this conflict in 1929 Manya Brachear Pashman: It's so interesting. We talk so much about Hitler, right? And his antisemitism, but we don't talk about Husseini. Yardena Schwartz: Yeah, and they were good friends. I mean, they met in 1941 shortly after the Mufti arrived, he had a private chauffeur. He was lavishly paid by the Nazis, and he was good friends with Himmler. He toured concentration camps. He knew very well about the final solution. Hitler himself considered the Mufti an honorary Aryan. I mean, the Mufti had blue eyes, fair skin, light hair. Hitler believed that Husseini had Roman blood, and he saw him as someone who could lead the Nazi forces once they arrived in the Middle East. He saw him as, you know, a great ally of the Nazis. He didn't just participate in the Nazis quest to eradicate the Jewish population of Europe and eventually arrive in Palestine, but he also the Mufti worked to convince various European leaders not to allow Jewish refugees from fleeing Europe and not allowing them to come to Palestine. He told them, send them to Poland, and he knew very well what was happening in Poland. Manya Brachear Pashman: So I want to go back to this family in Tennessee, the genesis of this story, and I'm curious. David Schoenberg's niece said that at one point in the book, she said they're Southern, so they sweep ugly under the rug in the south. And so they just didn't talk about that. And when I read that, I thought, actually, that's kind of a Jewish approach, not a southern approach, except we wouldn't say we sweep things under the rug. We move on, right? We treasure our resilience, and we move on from that pain and we build anew. But is moving on really in the Jewish community's best interest? Is that how we end up forgetting and letting this history and this very important history fade?. Yardena Schwartz: Yeah, absolutely. You know, I think it is possible to do both. It is possible to take great pride in our resilience and in our strength and our ability to experience so much devastation and suffering, and yet every time emerge stronger.  I mean, think about the Holocaust. First of all, for many years, we did sweep that under the rug. Survivors were discouraged from speaking about what they went through. They were seen as, you know, especially in Israel, they were seen as, you know, people who went like sheep to the slaughter. It wasn't something to talk about. It was something to move on from. And yet now we are able to hold both in both hands. You know. We're able to honor and commemorate the memory and speak about the atrocities that millions of Jews suffered during the Holocaust, while also celebrating where we went after the Holocaust. I mean, three years after the Holocaust, Israel was born. You know, that's just, on its own, you know, a remarkable symbol of our resilience and our strength as a people. But I think the way we commemorate the Holocaust is a really great example of how we do both how we honor the memory and use that as a lesson so that it never happens again.  And yet, I think that when it comes to the conflict and the various forces that have led us to where we are today, there is this tendency to kind of try to move on and not really speak about how we got here. And it's really a shame, because I think that this is the only way we'll ever find a way out of this tragic cycle of violence, is if we learn how we got here, the forces that continue to drive this conflict after a century, and you know, the people who brought us here. Not only the Grand Mufti, but also, you know, the leaders today who are very much capitalizing on fear and religion, exploiting religion for their own, their own interests, and utilizing disinformation to remain in power. And I think that, you know, we can't afford not to speak about these things and not to know about our own history. It's really telling that, you know, even in Jewish communities, where people know so much about Israel and about this conflict, there is just a complete lack of knowledge of, you know, the very bedrock of this conflict. And I think without that knowledge, we'll never get out of this mess. Manya Brachear Pashman: Yardena, thank you so much. This is such a wonderful book, and congratulations on writing it.  Yardena Schwartz: Thank you so much.  Manya Brachear Pashman: If you missed last week's episode, be sure to tune in for my conversation with Dr Laura Shaw Frank, Director of AJC Center for Education Advocacy. We discussed the delicate balance between combating antisemitism, safeguarding free speech, and ensuring campuses remain safe for all students.  Thank you for listening. This episode is brought to you by AJC. Our producer is Atara Lakritz. Our sound engineer is TK Broderick. You can subscribe to People of the Pod on Apple podcasts, Spotify or Google podcasts, or learn more at ajc.org/PeopleofthePod. The views and opinions of our guests don't necessarily reflect the positions of AJC. We'd love to hear your views and opinions or your questions. You can reach us at PeopleofthePod@ajc.org. If you've enjoyed this episode, please be sure to tell your friends. Tag us on social media with hashtag People of the Pod and hop on to Apple podcasts to rate us and write a review to help more listeners find us. Tune in next week for another episode of People of the Pod.

The Western Wall  Part 14:  Wilson's Arch  -  English and Spanish.  One of the ancient gates in King Herod's Western Wall was located above a massive archway.  The remains of the arch can still be seen today as a testimony to the majesty of Herod's temple!  This an updated version with translation of a podcast originally recorded March 18, 2023. El Muro Occidental, parte 14: Arco de Wilson -  Inglés y español.  Una de las antiguas puertas del Muro Occidental del rey Herodes estaba situada sobre un enorme arco.  Los restos del arco aún pueden verse hoy en día como testimonio de la majestuosidad del templo de Herodes.  Esta es una versión actualizada con traducción de un podcast grabado originalmente el 18 de marzo de 2023.

King Herod (born 72; died 4 or 1 BC) was an infamous tyrant, but he was also known for his colossal construction projects throughout Judea. Among these works are the rebuilding of the Second Temple in Jerusalem and the expansion of its base—the Western Wall being part of it. Dan Snow's History Hit podcast available at https://amzn.to/48HlmtH Books by Seth Schwartz available at https://amzn.to/49US5vJ ENJOY Ad-Free content, Bonus episodes, and Extra materials when joining our growing community on https://patreon.com/markvinet SUPPORT this channel by purchasing any product on Amazon using this FREE entry LINK https://amzn.to/3POlrUD (Amazon gives us credit at NO extra charge to you). Mark Vinet's HISTORY OF NORTH AMERICA podcast: www.parthenonpodcast.com/history-of-north-america Mark's TIMELINE Video channel: https://youtube.com/c/TIMELINE_MarkVinet Website: https://markvinet.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.vinet.9 Twitter: https://twitter.com/HistoricalJesu Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denarynovels Mark's books: https://amzn.to/3k8qrGM Audio credit: Dan Snow's History Hit podcast (Episode 1337: King Herod with Seth Schwartz, professor of Classical Jewish Civilization at New York City’s Columbia University). Audio excerpts reproduced under the Fair Use (Fair Dealings) Legal Doctrine for purposes such as criticism, comment, teaching, education, scholarship, research and news reporting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Western Wall in Jerusalem holds great significance for the Jews and Christians alike. During this episode of the Blessors of Israel Podcast, Dr. Matthew Dodd visits the Western Wall and shares the historical and biblical significance of this location for Judaism and Christianity. Visit the Blessors of Israel Website: https://www.blessors.org/ Thank you for supporting Blessors of Israel. Donate Online: https://blessors.org/donate/Please Subscribe and Like our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUfbl_rf8O_uwKrfzCh04jgSubscribe to our ⁠Spotify Channel⁠: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/blessorsofisrael Subscribe to our Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blessors-of-israedl/id1699662615Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlessorsofIsrael/Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlessorsIGettr: https://gettr.com/i/blessorsofisrael Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-1670015Thank you for watching. Please like and share this video.We would love to hear your comments.Those who bless Israel will be blessed (Genesis 12:3).Pastor Rich JonesPastor Matthew DoddDr. Matthew DoddRich Jones Blessors of IsraelMatthew Dodd Blessors of IsraelBlessors of IsraelBlessers of IsraelTags:Pastor Rich JonesPastor Matthew DoddRich JonesDr. Matthew DoddRich Jones, Blessors of Israel, Rich Jones, Blessers of Israel, Matthew Dodd, Blessors of Israel, Matthew Dodd, Blessers of Israel, Blessers of Israel, Blessors of Israel, Two-State Solution, Palestine, Modern Palestinian Problem, Israel, Jesus Christ, Anti-Semitism, Prophecy Update, End Times Prophecy, Latter Days, Bible Prophecy, The Great Tribulation, Hamas, Gaza Strip, Terrorism, Hezbollah, Iran, Russia, Persia, Gog and Magog, BRICS, China, CCP, Persia, Iran, Turkey, Russia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, India, Yahya Sinwar, Nasrallah, Ismail Haniyeh, Deif, United Nations, Terrorism, Antisemitism, Syria, Bashar al Assad, HTS, Damascus, Mount Hermon, Erdogan, Netanyahu, Trump, Putin, Ceasefire, Hostages

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Passover Connections: Finding Roots and Renewal in Jerusalem Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2025-03-23-22-34-02-he Story Transcript:He: בריוק בשבוע הראשון של פסח, כאשר העיר העתיקה של ירושלים מתעוררת לחיים עם הריחות והצבעים של האביב, אילעור וטובה נפגשים לראשונה.En: Exactly in the first week of Passover, when the Old City of Jerusalem awakens to life with the scents and colors of spring, Il'or and Tova meet for the first time.He: הרחבה של הכותל המערבי הייתה מלאה בעולי רגל, תיירים, ותושבי המקום, כולם מתרפקים על האווירה הנשגבת.En: The plaza of the Western Wall was full of pilgrims, tourists, and locals, all savoring the sublime atmosphere.He: אילעור עמד קצת מרוחק, מביט באבן החיה הגדולה.En: Il'or stood a little apart, gazing at the massive living stone.He: ליבו חפש מקום שלווה ומטרה חדשה.En: His heart sought a place of peace and a new purpose.He: הוא תמיד היה מהרהר ומחפש משמעות.En: He had always been one to ponder and search for meaning.He: מלא בלבטים, עכשיו עמד חשוף, מתפלל למצוא כיוון, שקט פנימי.En: Full of doubts, he now stood exposed, praying to find direction, inner peace.He: טובה, לעומתו, הגיעה לבדוק את שורשיה.En: Tova, on the other hand, arrived to explore her roots.He: היא רצתה להבין את מורשתה, להשתייך, להרגיש את ההיסטוריה בתוכה.En: She wanted to understand her heritage, to belong, to feel history within her.He: עם כל טיפה של אמונה, היא לקחה אוויר עמוק והביטה מסביב – הקירות העתיקים, התפילות המתעופפות ברוח, ופניה של אלו הסובבים.En: With every drop of faith, she took a deep breath and looked around - the ancient walls, the prayers floating in the wind, and the faces of those around her.He: כשעיניהם נפגשו, היה משהו משותף במבטי הגילוי והסקרנות.En: When their eyes met, there was something mutual in their looks of discovery and curiosity.He: אילעור הרגיש את דפיקות ליבו וניסה לשמור על קור רוח.En: Il'or felt his heart pounding and tried to maintain his composure.He: הוא התקרב אליה והתחיל לדבר.En: He approached her and began to speak.He: "שלום, אני אילעור," הוא אמר בקול שקט אך ברור.En: "Hello, I'm Il'or," he said in a quiet yet clear voice.He: "הי," ענתה טובה בחיוך, "אני טובה.En: "Hi," Tova responded with a smile, "I'm Tova."He: "שיחתן התחילה בזהירות, כל מילה נבחרת בקפידה.En: Their conversation started cautiously, each word chosen carefully.He: הם סיפרו אחד לשני את תקוותיהם, את החששות שמנקרים בלב, והסיבה שהביא אותם למקום הקדוש הזה.En: They shared with each other their hopes, the worries pecking at their hearts, and the reason that brought them to this holy place.He: ככל שהשיחה נמשכה, הם גילו יותר דומה מאשר שונה ביניהם.En: As the conversation continued, they discovered more similarities than differences between them.He: "אני מרגיש קצת אבוד," הודה אילעור.En: "I feel a bit lost," admitted Il'or.He: אחד הסודות שנשא תקופה ארוכה פתאום נחשף.En: One of the secrets he had carried for a long time was suddenly revealed.He: טובה הציעה חיוך מעודד.En: Tova offered an encouraging smile.He: "כולם מרגישים כך לפעמים," היא אמרה ברכות.En: "Everyone feels like that sometimes," she said gently.He: "אבל אני מאמינה שהמסע שלנו הוא מה שנחשב.En: "But I believe our journey is what matters."He: "בדקות האחרונות של השיחה, הכתלים שלהם נשמטו, והאמת הגדולה התגלתה - שניהם היו כאן מאותה סיבה.En: In the last minutes of the conversation, their walls dropped, and a significant truth was revealed - both of them were here for the same reason.He: פסח, חג של חירות והתחדשות, הפך לנקודת תפנית בחייהם.En: Passover, a holiday of freedom and renewal, became a turning point in their lives.He: במקום חומות, נוצר חיבור.En: Instead of walls, a connection was formed.He: כשהשמש יורדת והשמיים הופכים כתומים-זהובים, הם סיימו את השיחה בתקווה.En: As the sun sets and the sky turns golden-orange, they ended the conversation with hope.He: אילעור חזר הביתה עם תחושת מטרה חדשה, חיבור עם שורשיו, וטובה, עם ביטחון ואמונה מחודשים בדרכה.En: Il'or returned home with a sense of new purpose, a connection with his roots, and Tova, with renewed confidence and faith in her path.He: ביחד, הם גילו בתחילה ידידות שמוכיחה, שעם שיתוף והתמסרות, זרים יכולים להפוך לבעלי ברית עמוקים.En: Together, they discovered the beginnings of a friendship that proved, with sharing and dedication, strangers can become deep allies.He: האביב הביא איתו פריחה חדשה גם בחייהם האישיים.En: The spring brought with it a new bloom in their personal lives as well. Vocabulary Words:pilgrims: עולי רגלsublime: נשגבתponder: מהרהרdoubts: לבטיםcompose: קור רוחmutual: משותףcomposure: שלווהcautiously: בזהירותpecking: מנקריםsignificant: גדולהrenewal: התחדשותturning point: נקודת תפניתallies: בעלי בריתbloom: פריחהawakened: מתעוררתscents: ריחותmassive: גדולהgazing: מביטpurpose: מטרהheritage: מורשתהcuriosity: סקרנותencouraging: מעודדunveiled: נחשפהcompose: קור רוחascent: עלייהexposed: חשוףexplore: לבדוקbelong: להשתייךconfidence: ביטחוןdedication: התמסרותBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

The message was delivered on Sunday, March 16, 2025, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Randy Lewis, Assistant Minister. DESCRIPTION What does it mean to remember? And what does it mean to forget? In a world where history is being rewritten, censored, and erased, we must ask: Who holds the pen? From the echoes of prayers at the Western Wall to the solemn silence of Dachau, this journey confronts the uncomfortable truths that shape our present. What happens when one nation chooses to reckon with its past while another buries it? As history teeters on the edge of repetition, will we stand as witnesses to truth, or let power dictate what remains? SUBSCRIBE TO AUDIO PODCAST: WATCH THIS MESSAGE ON YOUTUBE: SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL: GIVE A DONATION TO HELP US SPREAD THIS LOVE BEYOND BELIEF: or text AllSoulsTulsa to 73256 LET'S CONNECT: Facebook: Instagram: All Souls Church Website:

The Western Wall  Part 13:  Putting Notes in the Western Wall  -  English and Spanish.  Every year, millions of people, both Jewish and Christian, write prayers to God and slide the paper into the cracks between the stones of the Western Wall.  Join us as we examine the ancient custom!  This is translation of a podcast originally recorded February 23, 2023. El Muro de las Lamentaciones - Parte 13: Poner notas en el Muro de las Lamentaciones - Inglés y español.  Cada año, millones de personas, tanto judíos como cristianos, escriben oraciones a Dios y deslizan el papel en las grietas entre las piedras del Muro Occidental.  Acompáñenos a examinar esta antigua costumbre.  Esta es la traducción de un podcast grabado originalmente el 23 de febrero de 2023.

I want to introduce you to our guest this time, Fred Dummar. I met Fred through Susy Flory who helped me write Thunder Dog. Fred is taking a class from Susy on writing and is well along with his first book. I look forward to hearing about its publishing sometime in 2025.   Fred hails from a VERY small town in Central Nevada. After high school Fred went to the University of Nevada in Reno. While at University, Fred joined the Nevada National Guard which helped him pay his way through school and which also set him on a path of discovery about himself and the world. After college Fred joined the U.S. army in 1990. He was accepted into the Special Forces in 1994 and served in various locations around the world and held ranks from Captain through Colonel.   Fred and I talk a fair amount about leadership and how his view of that subject grew and changed over the years. He retired from the military in 2015. He continues to be incredibly active serving in a variety of roles in both the for profit and nonprofit arenas.   I love Fred's leadership style and philosophy. I hope you will as well. Fred has lots of insights that I believe you will find helpful in whatever you are doing.       About the Guest:   Colonel (Retired) Fred Dummar was born and raised in the remote town of Gabbs, Nevada. He enlisted in the Nevada National Guard in 1986 and served as a medic while attending the University of Nevada. He was commissioned as an Infantry Officer in the U.S. Army in April 1990.   Fred was selected for Special Forces in 1994 and went on to command at every level in Special Forces from Captain to Colonel. He trained and deployed in many countries, including Panama, Venezuela, Guyana, Nigeria, Zambia, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Most notably, Col Dummar participated in the liberation of Kurdish Northern Iraq in 2003, assisting elements of the Kurdish Peshmerga (resistance fighters) with the initial liberation of Mosul.   Colonel Dummar's last tour in uniform was as the Commander of the Advisory Group for Afghan Special Forces from May 2014 to June 2015. Immediately after retiring, he returned to Afghanistan as a defense contractor to lead the Afghan Army Special Operations Command and Special Mission Wing training programs until May 2017.   Beginning in 2007 and continuing until 2018, Fred guided his friend, who was blinded in Iraq, through 40 Marathons, several Ultra marathons, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, running with the bulls in Pamplona, and a traverse of the Sahara Desert to raise funds and awareness for Special Forces Soldiers. He personally ran numerous Ultramarathons, including 23 separate 100-mile runs and over a hundred races from 50 miles to marathon.   Fred graduated from the U.S. Army Command and Staff College and the U.S. Army War College with master's degrees in military art and science, strategy, and policy. He is currently pursuing a Doctoral Degree in Organizational Psychology and Leadership.   Since retiring from the Army in 2015, Fred has led in nonprofit organizations from the Board of Directors with the Special Forces Charitable Trust (2015-2022) as the Chief of Staff for Task Force Dunkirk during the evacuation of Afghan Allies in August 2021, as a leadership fellow with Mission 43 supporting Idaho's Veterans (2020-2023), and as a freshwater advocate with Waterboys with trips to East Africa in 2017 and 2019 to assist in funding wells for remote tribes.   Fred has led in the civilian sector as the Senior Vice President of Legacy Education, also known as Rich Dad Education, from 2017-2018 and as the startup CEO for Infinity Education from 2021-2022, bringing integrity and compassion to Real Estate Education. Fred continues investing in Real Estate as a partner in Slate Mountain Homes, Idaho and trains new investors to find, rehab, and flip manufactured homes with Alpine Capital Solutions.   Fred is married to Rebecca Dummar, and they reside in Idaho Falls, Idaho, with three of their children, John, Leah, and Anna. Their daughter Alana attends the University of Michigan.   Ways to connect with Fred:   Here is a link to my webpage - https://guidetohuman.com/ Here is a link to my Substack where I write - https://guidetohuman.substack.com/   About the Host:   Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog.   Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards.   https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/   accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/   https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/       Thanks for listening!   Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!   Subscribe to the podcast   If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset .   Leave us an Apple Podcasts review   Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.       Transcription Notes:   Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson ** 01:21 Well, hi everyone, and welcome to another edition of unstoppable mindset where inclusion diversity and the unexpected meet, but it's more fun to talk about unexpected than inclusion or diversity, although it is relevant to talk about both of those. And our guest today is Fred Dummar. It is pronounced dummar or dumar. Dummar, dummar, see, I had to do that. So Fred is a person I met Gosh about seven or eight months ago through Susy Flory, who was my co author on thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust at ground zero. And Susy introduced us because Fred is writing a book. We're going to talk about that a bunch today, and we'll also talk about Fred's career and all sorts of other things like that. But we've had some fascinating discussions, and now we finally get to record a podcast, so I'm glad to do that. So Fred Dummar, welcome to unstoppable mindset.   Fred Dummar ** 02:22 Yeah, no. Thanks for having me. Michael, yeah, we've had some some interesting discussions about everything unstoppable mind and blindness and diversity. And yeah, it's good to be on here.   Michael Hingson ** 02:34 Yeah. And one of the things I know that you have done is ran with a blind marathoner, and I'm anxious to hear about that, as well as what an ultra marathon is. We'll get to that, however. But why don't we start by you may be talking a little bit about kind of the early freight growing up and all that you grew up in, in Nevada, in a in a kind of remote place. So I'm going to just leave it to you to talk about all   Fred Dummar ** 02:57 that. Yeah, Michael, so, and actually, that's part of my, part of my story that I'm writing about. Because, you know, obviously, where we're from forms a large basis of how we sometimes interact with the world. And I came from a very remote town in Nevada. It's dying, by the way. I'm not sure how long that town will be with us, but, yeah, being from a small town where, you know, graduating class was 13 kids, and it's an hour to the closest place that you could watch a movie or get fast food, those types of things, it's definitely a different type of childhood, and much one, much more grounded in self reliance and doing activities that you can make up yourself, right? Instead of being looking for others to entertain you.   Michael Hingson ** 03:50 Yeah, I hear you. So what was it like growing up in a small town? I grew up in Palmdale, California, so it was definitely larger than where you grew up, we had a fairly decent sized High School senior graduating class. It wasn't 13, but what was it like growing up in that kind of environment?   Fred Dummar ** 04:12 Yeah, it was. It was one where you know, not only did you know everybody, everybody else knew you, and so you could pretty much count on anyone in the town for for assistance or, or, you know, if, I guess, if you were on the house for not, not assistance, so, but no, it was. It was a great place to have many, many, many friends from there. But it was, certainly was an adjustment, because I think growing up, there are our sort of outlook on life for us, you know, certainly from the people that that ran our high school and the other adults, most people were seen as, you know, your life after high school would be going to work at one of. The mines, or going to work on one of the, you know, family cattle ranch or something like that. So making the jump from there to, you know, even a few hours away to Reno, you know, to start at the University of Nevada, that was a big it's a big jump from for me, and because the school is so small, I ended up graduating from high school when I was 16, so I barely had a driver's license, and now I am several hours away and Reno, Nevada, going to the university. And, you know, quite an adjustment for me.   Michael Hingson ** 05:32 It's interesting. A few days ago, I had the opportunity to do a podcast episode with someone who's very much involved and knows a lot about bullying and so on, and just listening to you talk, it would seem like you probably didn't have a whole lot of the bully type mentality, because everyone was so close, and everyone kind of interacted with each other, so probably that sort of stuff wasn't tolerated very well. Yeah,   Fred Dummar ** 05:59 it was, it was more so outsiders. I mean, kids that had grown up there all sort of, you know, knew where they were or weren't in the pecking order. Things and things sort of stayed kind of steady stasis, without a lot of bullying. But yeah, new kids coming in. That's where you would see for me, from my recollection of growing up to that's where, you know, I remember that type of behavior coming out when, when you know, a new kid would come into the town,   Michael Hingson ** 06:31 was it mainly from the new kids or from the kids who are already there?   Fred Dummar ** 06:34 From the kids? Sometimes it was the integration, right? Some people integrate into new environments better than others. And you know, generally, no problems for those folks. But some, you know, it takes a bit more. And in a place like that, if you're you know, if you're seen as different, so you know to your theory on or your you know the topics you cover on diversity and inclusion. Sometimes when you're the one that that looks different or acts different in an environment like that, you definitely stick out, and then you become the target of of bullying.   Michael Hingson ** 07:10 What? What happens that changes that for a kid? Then, you know, so you're you're different or in one way or another. But what happens that gets kids accepted? Or do they?   Fred Dummar ** 07:21 Yeah, I don't know. I think, I think it's learning to embrace just who you are and doing your own thing. I think if you know, if you're trying to force yourself into an environment that doesn't want to accept you, I'm not sure that that's ever an easy battle for anyone. But just being yourself and doing your own thing. I think that's, that's the way to go, and that's certainly, you know, what I learned through my life was I wasn't one of the kids that planned on staying there and working in the mind, and I wasn't, you know, my family was, you know, at that point, my mom and dad owned the, the only grocery store in town, and I certainly wasn't going back to run the family business. So, you know, look, looking for a way, you know, for something else to do outside of that small town was certainly number one on my agenda, getting out of there. So being myself and and learning to adapt, or, as you know the saying goes, right, learning to be instead of being a fish in a small pond, learning to be a fish in a much larger pond,   Michael Hingson ** 08:27 yeah, well, and there's, there's a lot of growth that has to take place for that to occur, but it's understandable. So you graduated at 16, and then what did you do after   Fred Dummar ** 08:38 my uh, freshman year at college, which I funded by, you know, sort of Miss, Miss misleading people or lying about my age so that I could get a job at 16 and working construction and as an apprentice electrician. And that funded my my freshman year of college. But, you know, as as as my freshman year was dragging on, I was wondering, you know, hey, how I was going to continue to fund my, you know, continued universe my stay at the university, because I did not want to go, you know, back back back home, sort of defeated, defeated by that. So I started looking into various military branches of military service, and that's when it happened upon the National Guard, Nevada National Guard, and so I joined the National Guard. And right after, you know, I think it was five days after I turned 17, so as soon as I could, I signed up, and that summer after my freshman year, I left for training for the National Guard. Missed first semester of my sophomore year, but then came back and continued on with my university studies using, you know, my the educational benefits that came from being in the National Guard.   Michael Hingson ** 09:55 So you're in the National Guard, but that wasn't a full time thing, so you were able to go back and. Continue education. Yeah,   Fred Dummar ** 10:01 it was, you know, it's a typical one weekend a month, one weekend a month for duty. Typically, we would go in on a Friday night, spend Saturday and Sunday for duty. So we get a, you know, small check for that. And then we were also allowed to draw, you know, the GI Bill and the state of Nevada had a program at the time where you didn't get paid upfront for your classes, but at the end of every semester, you could take your final report card and for every class, for every credit that you had a C or higher, they would reimburse you. So yeah, so they were essentially paying my tuition, and then, you know, small stipend every month from the GI Bill. And then, you know, my National Guard check, so and in the 80s, you know, when I was going to school, that that was enough to keep, you know, define my education. And where did you go to school? At the University of Nevada in   Michael Hingson ** 10:59 Reno, in Reno, okay, yeah, so, so you kind of have ended up really liking Reno, huh?   Fred Dummar ** 11:07 Yeah, I, yeah. I became sort of home city. Obviously, no one would ever really know where. You know, if I would have mentioned that I grew up in a town called gaps, most people would, you know, not, not really understand. I sometimes, if they're, you know, press and say, hey, you know, where are you really? Because, you know, often say, Hey, I went to school in Reno. If they say, where did you grow up? I'll, you know, it's a longer conversation. I'll be like, okay, so if you put your finger, like, right in the middle of Nevada, in the absolute middle of nowhere, that's where I grew up.   Michael Hingson ** 11:40 Well, you know, people need to recognize and accept people for who they are, and that doesn't always happen, which is never fun, but Yeah, gotta do what you can do, yes, well, so Reno, on the other hand, is a is a much larger town, and probably you're, a whole lot more comfortable there than you than you were in Gabs, but that's okay. So yeah, so you went to the university. You got a bachelor's, yep, and then what did you do?   Fred Dummar ** 12:11 Yeah. Well, so along the way, while I was in the National Guard, you know, being a medic, right? I was convinced by a lieutenant that met me. I was actually doing the physical, because it was one of the things our section did when I was first in, you know, we gave the medical physicals, and this lieutenant said, you know, you should come transfer our unit. The unit was an infantry unit, and I became their only medic. And so that was much better than working in a medical section for a helicopter unit where I'd been and and the lieutenants, you know, said that I should consider joining ROTC, since I was already going to the university. So I did in my junior year, started the Reserve Officer Training Corps there at the University of Nevada. And so when I graduated college in the winter of 89 I accepted a commission into the army. So then a few months later, I was, I was off on my my Grand Army adventure,   Michael Hingson ** 13:11 alright, and then what did you do?   Fred Dummar ** 13:15 So, yeah, that was, you know, because it was an infantry Lieutenant went to Fort Benning, Georgia, and I believe now the army calls it fort Moore, but yeah, I trained there for about a year, doing all of the tasks necessary to become an infantry officer. And then I went down to Panama, when the US still had forces in the country of Panama. And I spent two and a half years down there was that past mariega, yeah, right after, because I had graduated from college in December of 89 while operation just caused to get rid of Noriega was happening. So year after my infantry training, I sort of ended up in Panama, and sort of as at the time, thinking it was bad luck, you know, because if you're in the army, you know, you want to, kind of want to go where things are happening. So I'm in Panama the year after the invasion, while Saddam Hussein is invading Kuwait, and everyone else is rushing to the desert, and I'm sitting in the jungle. So, you know, as a as a young person, you start to think, you know, oh, you know, hey, I'm missing. I'm missing the big war. I should be at the war, you know. So that was an interesting take, not what I would have now, but you know, as a young man,   Michael Hingson ** 14:31 what caused you to revise that view, though? Or time,   Fred Dummar ** 14:37 yeah, yeah. Just, just time. And, you know, later in life, you know, after, uh, serving combat rotations in Iraq and Afghanistan, I realized it wasn't something one needed to rush towards,   Michael Hingson ** 14:48 really quite so bad, where you were, yeah. So,   Fred Dummar ** 14:52 yeah, I spent a couple years in Panama, then I came back to Fort Benning, uh, Fort Moore, and worked at the Army's Airborne School. So. Uh, you know, the place that teaches people how to jump out of airplanes. And I did that for for a year. So it's, it's really fun because watching, you know, watching people go through the process of of training to jump out of an aircraft, and then sort of their very first time on an aircraft might takes off, and you can see the, you know, sort of the realization that they're not going to land with the plane for the first time in their life. You know, they're they're not going to be in the plane when it lands. That's always, you know, it's always a good time. And then, of course, when you know, then there's another realization, moment when the doors pop open right, and the doors, doors on the aircraft are opened so the jump masters can start making checks, you know, and out, yeah, and they're looking, you know, their eyes get larger and larger, you know, as as preparations for the jump. You know, when they're stood up and they're hooked up inside the aircraft, and then finally, you know, told to exit. Yeah, it's interesting. And during the time when I worked there, that's when I was eligible, because I was a senior lieutenant at that time, that I could apply to become a Green Beret. I could go through special forces training if I was selected. So I left from Fort Benning, I went up to Fort Bragg, now fort liberty, and went through the selection, Special Forces Assessment, selection, and was selected to become a Special Forces soldiers that I went to Fort Bragg, you know, spent the year or so becoming qualified to be a special forces team leader, and then the next I spent the next 20 years of my Army career in various units at at Fort liberty, and third Special Forces Group, Special Forces Command, seven Special Forces Group, Special Operations recruiting, just, you know, bouncing around in different assignments and then, but obviously during that time, 911, happened, and you know, was on the initial invasion in 2003 up in, up into the north. We were flying in from Romania, you know, before the war started. And so being there during that phase of the Iraq combat in Iraq, and then going to Afghanistan and and spending multiple, multiple tours and multiple years in Afghanistan. So, so   Michael Hingson ** 17:25 did you do much jumping out of airplanes?   Fred Dummar ** 17:29 Yeah, in combat, no. But over the years, yeah, I accumulated quite a few jumps. Because what, you know, every, every unit I was ever assigned to while I was in the army was always one that was, you know, airborne, which are, you know, the designation for units that jump out of airplanes. So   Michael Hingson ** 17:47 have to, yeah, yeah. Well, you're a pretty level headed kind of guy. What was it like the first time you jumped? I mean, you described what it looked like to other people. Do you think that was basically the same for you, or did you, yeah, kind of a thicker skin,   Fred Dummar ** 18:01 yeah, no, no, I think, I think that's why I was able to, you know, in large measure, that's how a lot of us are able to have empathy, right? If we've, if we've, if we've been through it, and we are able to access the memory of, okay, what was it like when I was doing it? It allows us to be, you know, more compassionate to the people that are going through it at that moment for the first time, but yeah, I can remember being in the plane, and then you know, that realization is like, hey, you know, in the pit of your stomach, I'm not, I'm not landing with this plane. And then, you know, the doors opening up, you're like, you know, kind of hey, those, I don't know what the gates of hell look like, but right now, that's that's in my mind, what, what they would look like, you know, and then going out the first time, and and then I think the second time might have been worse, because it was the anticipation of, oh, wait a minute, we're doing that again. And by the but if you do five jumps to qualify before you're given your parachute as badge, so I think by the third one, I'd come to terms with, with, with dealing and managing. You know, you know the fear of it, of leaving an airplane. And people you know often ask, you know when, when you're older and you're past the 100 jump mark, you know it's like, still, is there still fear and like, I think, I think, if there's not, I mean, then you know, there's probably something wrong with you, but, but it's not, it's nowhere near you know how it is when you know your First learning and your first learning to trust yourself and trust the equipment and trust the process. Well,   Michael Hingson ** 19:45 what you're learning a little bit along the way is to how to control fear. And you mentioned my book earlier, the one that's coming out live like a guide dog, which is all about trying to teach people to control fear, because we have so many things happen to. Us, or we think about so many things, that we develop so many fears consciously or not, that when something does unexpectedly happen to us, especially something that isn't necessarily a positive thing, we just automatically go into a fear reaction mode. And the the reality is it doesn't need to be that way you can learn to control fear, which is what we talk about in live like a guide dog, because it's important that people recognize you can learn to control fear. I would never say, Don't be afraid. Yeah, but I think you can learn to control fear, and by doing so, then you use that fear to help guide you and give you the the the the tools to really be able to move forward and focus. But most people don't really spend much time doing that. They don't learn introspection. They don't learn how to to slow down and analyze and develop that mind muscle so that later you can analyze incredibly quickly.   Fred Dummar ** 21:06 Yeah, we in the army, we call that stress inoculation, good description, you know, it's, you know, once you're, once you're, you've learned to deal with stress, or deal with, you know, stressful, fearful things. Then, you know, the next time you're you're better equipped. And that fear and that stress can be, you know, can be continually amped up. I used to laugh when I was doing Special Forces recruiting, because the you know, it would require a special physical for candidates to go get a special physical before they could come to training. And one of the boxes we would joke about was, I have no fear of heights or enclosed spaces. No everybody has those fears, is whether you can, you can manage those fears and deal with. You know, things are very uncomfortable. Well, that's   Michael Hingson ** 22:05 really it. It's all about managing. And so I'm sure that they want you to check no, that you don't have those fears when you're when you're going through. But at the same time, what you're hopefully really saying is you can manage it. Yeah,   Fred Dummar ** 22:20 that you can manage and that's why I was saying, that's why I would always laugh, because of course, everyone has those fears and but learning to deal with them and and how you deal with them, and that that's, you know, one of the things I discuss in one of the chapters of the book I'm writing is, is, you know when fear, when fear comes to You, you know, how do you deal with it and how do you overcome it? I think people are more and more recognizing you know that there are techniques through stress inoculation, you know, things like that. They'll teach you how you can overcome fear. And you know simple breathing techniques to you know, slow down your breathing and engage your brain, not just your brain stem, right? When you breathe, it fast, your brain stem is in charge, not your brain and yeah, and think your way through things, rather than just reacting as a, you know, as a frightened animal,   Michael Hingson ** 23:19 right? And it's one of the things that that, as I discuss in the book, and I talk to people about now a lot, that although I didn't realize it for many years, after September 11, I had developed a mindset on that day that said, You know what to do, because I had spent a lot of time learning what to do, how to deal with emergencies, what the rules were, and all that, and all of that just kicked in on September 11, which is as good as it could get.   Fred Dummar ** 23:45 Yeah. Well, Michael, you have a you have a distinct advantage. You had a distinct advantage a couple of them, but, but one being, you know, because you already live in a world without light in your sight, you're not dependent on that. And so another, when other people are, you know, in, you know, when I'm reading the book, I'm nodding my head knowingly, you know, as you're talking about being in the stairwell and other people being frightened, and you're just like, this is okay. This is an average, I mean, maybe unusual circumstances, but an average day for me,   Michael Hingson ** 24:21 yeah. But they side of it is, I know lots of blind people who would be just as much in fear as anyone else. It's the fact is, of course, we didn't know what was going on. Yes, September 11, a   Fred Dummar ** 24:35 bit of ignorance is bliss, right? Yeah. And   Michael Hingson ** 24:38 that was true for everyone. I had a great imagination. I could tell you that I imagine things that could happen that were a whole lot worse than in a sense, what did, but I, but I like science fiction and horror, so I learned how to imagine well, but the fact is that it isn't so much being blind that's an advantage, really. Really was the preparation. And so the result was that I had done that. And you know, of course, the airplane hit 18 floors above us on the other side of the building. So the reality is going down the stairs. None of us knew what happened. We figured out an airplane hit the building because we started smelling the fumes from burning jet fuel. But by the same token, that was all we knew. We didn't even know that tower two had been hit until, well, much later, when we got outside, colleagues saw David Frank, my colleague saw tower two was on fire, but we still didn't know what it was from. So yeah, the the fact is that blindness may or may not really be an advantage, but preparation certainly was, yeah,   Fred Dummar ** 25:43 how you reacted, how you reacted to being blind. Because, yeah, you can just, just like anything, right? You can react in in several different ways, and how you acted, how you built your life around,   Michael Hingson ** 25:54 sure. And most people, of course, just rely on reading signs. And so they also have the fear, what if I can't read the signs. What if there's smoke and all that? And again, they they build fears rather than doing the smart thing, which is just to learn what to do in the case of an emergency when you're in a building like that. But you know, it is part of what what we do talk about, and it is, it is pretty important that people start to learn a little bit more that they can control fear. I mean, we have in our in our whole world, politicians who just do nothing but promote fear, and that's unfortunate, because we all buy into it, rather than stepping back and go, Wait a minute. It doesn't need to be that way.   Fred Dummar ** 26:37 Yeah, I think the other thing, like you talked about your your preparation and training. And I always that was one of the way ways, or one of the things that brought me to ultra marathoning, you know, after my initial training in Special Forces, was, you know, if you're, if you're going to push your capacity to see, you know what you're what you're really capable of, or build, you know, build additional reserves. So, you know, if you are counted on to do something extraordinary or in extenuating circumstances, what do you really have, you know, yeah, how far can you really push yourself? And so it really brought me into the sport of ultra running, where, you know, the distances, or those distances that exceed a marathon. So a marathon being, you know, 26 miles, yeah. So the first ultra marathon is a 50k because, you know, Marathon is 42 so eight kilometers farther. And then the next, general, you know, length is 50 miles. And then there's some other, you know, 100k which is 62 miles. And then, kind of the, although, you know, now we see, see races longer, but kind of the the longest distance being 100 mile race and so, and the gold standard in 100 mile racing being, you know, for most, most courses, every course being different, but for most courses, is to finish under 24 hours, so within one one day, but to keep moving for one, you know, one entire day while, you know, while fueling yourself and and, and some people say, Well, you Know, wow, that pace doesn't seem that fast. Troy   Michael Hingson ** 28:22 yourself then and see, yeah,   Fred Dummar ** 28:24 and, like a lot of things, it doesn't, it doesn't exactly seem fast until you're factoring in, okay, but you're still gonna have to stop at some point to you, you know, relieve yourself, and you're gonna have to, you know, walk while you eat. And, you know, there's hills to climb and all these other sorts of obstacles. So, yeah, finishing under 24 hours is, you know, sort of the, you know, the standard, I guess, for the people want to achieve. And anyway, yeah, I became, for a bit there, became addicted to it. And then, so when I met Ivan, my friend, who you were talking about, who, who was, was blinded in in Iraq in 2006 when I met him, he had already been injured, and I realized that he really wanted to run marathons. He'd run one, and had to use, like, several different guides, right? You know, there were different people jumping in and out, and it really wasn't an ideal situation for him and he and he also needed someone who who wanted to do that, who would be a reliable training partner, right? Because it's not like, okay, you know, you might be able to find people that show up on marathon day. Want to run the marathon, or a few people, but, you know, day in, day out, to be training. And so I was like, Hey, this is one of those things that ends up in your path, right, that you can, maybe you can walk around it, but, but for me, when I, you know, when I saw. I was like, Okay, this was, this was something that, you know, for whatever reason, is on my path. I meant to do it. I meant to be the guy that does this. And so, yeah, we started training together. And, you know, ended up running 40 plus marathons together, you know, from London, Chicago, you know, every, every the Marine Corps Marathon, just everywhere. And, you know, summiting Mount Kilimanjaro and running with the bulls together. And then our last race was, it's often referred to as, you know, the world's toughest foot race. It's the marathon to Saab, and it's a, it's a distance race of 150 some miles across the Sahara Desert. And they break it up into stages. So on different days, some days, you run 30 miles. Some days, you know, 26 one day is a 50. I think we were at 53 miles on one of the days. But anyway, and you start the you start that race with whatever you're going to eat and whatever you're going to need, you know, in terms of gear on your back. And the only thing that's provided to you during the race is water. So, and that was our kind of, you know, he's like, I don't know how much longer I'm going to be able to run, and so I just want to do that before I stop. I stopped, right? So, but anyway, yeah, so that was how I ended up meeting my friend Ivan, and, you know, over the course of a decade and a half, we did all of these, you know, what some people think are incredibly dumb things, but, you know, sort of embracing the discomfort of training and competing to, you know, to make ourselves better, you know? Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 31:44 so while you were in the military, I know you mentioned earlier something about doing some work in as a medic. Did you do that most of your time? Were you specializing in that? Or what?   Fred Dummar ** 31:54 No, no, that was only when I early on, when I was a soldier, I was a medic, and then when I was commissioned, I was commissioned, I was commissioned as an infantry officer, and then, and then, when it became Special Forces, you know, the officer is, sort of has, has no specialty other than leading the team. The team has medics and weapons guys and engineers and communicators and all that. But, you know, the officers sort of assigned as the as the planning the planning agent, you know, the to lead the team, rather than have any of the specialties,   Michael Hingson ** 32:30 right? And you participated long enough that you rose to the rank of colonel. Yeah, yeah, my participation   Fred Dummar ** 32:38 trophy was attaining the rank of colonel. And I would often tell people the arm don't think the army doesn't have a sense of humor. I was promoted to Colonel on April 1, so April Fool's days when, when I was promoted? And yeah, and I, after almost 30 years in uniform, retired in 2015 so I don't know that I would have went that long. But you know, they're about the middle of my career, from 1986 to 2015 you know 911 happened, and for me, it wasn't, it wasn't really a choice to to leave. Then, you know, it was like, Okay, we, you know, we have to do this. These Iraq and Afghanistan. In fact, my my very last, my last year in in uniform. I was in Afghanistan as an advisor to the Afghan commandos. And when I returned from that tour, you know, was told that, hey, I had to, I had to finally leave Fort Bragg after 20 years and and either go to, you know, the Pentagon or another headquarters. And that's when I decided to retire. Because it was like, okay, you know, if, if the wars don't need me anymore, then I, I can go home and do other things. Yeah, I can do other things. If the wars don't need me, you know, then I can probably hang it up. So   Michael Hingson ** 34:11 when did you get married? So   Fred Dummar ** 34:15 over the course of my Army career, I was divorced twice. Yeah, it's just not an easy No, it's not. It's just not an easy lifestyle. I'm not making any excuses for my own failings in that regard. But, you know, it is, it is, I think, easier to become emotionally detached from someone, especially, you know, as in my case, I think I often put the army, first, the army, my soldiers, the mission, you know, as the first on my mind. And you know, for someone else, you know that to be a pretty strong person, to sit in the back seat during that so. And I did not have any children and then, but after I retired, when went through my second and four. I met someone. And so, yeah, we were married in in 2020, and so I had a, I was able, you know, after not having children, my first son was born when I was 50. So I have a son who's, you know, four, four years old, four going on five. And then we decided that, you know, he should have someone to be with. So we were going to have a second child. And my wife had twins, so I have twin, three year old girls. So, yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 35:37 you're going to do it. You might as well go all the way, huh?   Fred Dummar ** 35:40 Yeah, and and, and I haven't, and I adopted Rebecca's older, the child that she that she had. And so now we have four children, Alana being much older, she's already finished for freshman year at the University of Michigan, and this get ready to go back to Ann Arbor and continue her studies and and then we have, you know, the small pack of humans that are still here in their pre, pre kindergarten phase. So   Michael Hingson ** 36:10 she is a a Wolverine fan, and there will ever be an Ohio State Buckeye,   Fred Dummar ** 36:18 yeah, something like that. Yeah, that rivalry is pretty intense. And, you know, never being part of a school that was, you know, in that, in that division, you know, not really realizing, well, you know, watching college football, I kind of understand the rival, all the rivalries. But once she started going to Michigan, and, you know, attending a football game there myself. And then, unfortunately, you know, we were able to go to the Rose Bowl this year, which, you know, when Michigan played Alabama. So we were able to go to that together. So, yeah, it was, it's interesting to learn that dynamic. And like, I tell her, it's like, never, never take for granted being part of a big school like that without those sorts of traditions. Absolutely.   Michael Hingson ** 37:06 Yeah, I went to UC Irvine, so we didn't really have a lot with with football, but my wife did her graduate work at USC, and I always like to listen to USC football games. I judge a lot about sports teams by the announcers they hire, I gotta say. And so we've been always so blessed out here in California, although I think that announcing isn't quite what it used to be, but we had good announcers that announced for USC out here on I think it was originally on Kx, and then it went to other stations. But anyway, when we got married, the wedding started late because a bunch of people were sitting out in their cars waiting for the end of the USC Notre Dame game. And so the wedding was 15 minutes late starting because everybody was waiting to see who was going to win the game. And I am quite pleased to say that we won, and God was on our side, as opposed to Notre Dame. And, yeah, the marriage lasted 40 years, so until she, she passed away in 2022 but I love to tell people that, you know, God clearly was on our side, especially when I tell that to my Notre Dame friends,   Fred Dummar ** 38:15 yeah, the touch touchdown, Jesus wasn't, wasn't there for them, not   Michael Hingson ** 38:19 that day. Yeah, but, but, you know, and there's college football is, is in a lot of ways, I just think so much more fun, or it has been than professional. But, you know, now a lot more money is getting into it, which is unfortunate too. Yeah,   Fred Dummar ** 38:37 I think that's caused some of the you know, teams re evaluate what they what they do happen, how they operate. And I think it's forced some of the older coaches to leave the game, yeah, because it's not the game they recognize, so not   Michael Hingson ** 38:53 what they had well. So you've been to a variety of different places. You've been a leader. And I think it's pretty clear that you really still are, but how did all the the different experiences, the different places that you went to, and all the the experiences that you participated in, how does that affect and shape your leadership style?   Fred Dummar ** 39:19 Yeah, Michael, you know, I think one of the first things, right, if you when your surface looking, and some people never go below the surface. So when you talk about things like diversity and inclusion, the things, the things that they will think about that make people divert diverse are not generally what I think about. Because, you know, when you look below the surface, you see a lot of commonalities in the human experience. You know, from my time living, living in Panama and operating in Central and South America, some countries in the in the you know, the Caribbean when I was first in special operations, and then. Obviously, I went and did some time in in Africa, some peacekeeping operations in Nigeria, some other exercises down in the south, southern countries in Africa, and then my time in Iraq and Afghanistan. People, you know, they're they come in different colors. They they have different their path to God or the universe or the higher power that they recognize that the cultural artifacts that they use may may look different, but you know, they're generally pointing if you if you can step aside from your own preconceived notions about things, you can see that they're they're just different signposts to the same God, right to the same, to the same, power to the same, to the same things, and people want the same things, you know, for their families, you know, for for security and prosperity, and you know that that sort of thing. So it's, that's where I, kind of, you know, came to my leadership philosophy, which is pretty easy to remember. It's just lead, lead with love. And you know, if you use, and I haven't tell people, doesn't really matter what denomination you are. If you read, you know, the Gospels of the New Testament purely as a leadership guide. You know it's, it's hard to find a a better leadership example than than what, what Jesus was was doing, you know, the way he was serving others the way he was leading. It's, it's, it's pretty powerful, pretty powerful stuff. And you know, even, even at the end, right during the Last Supper, when he tells people, you know, who, who's the most important is the most important person, the person sitting at the table getting ready to eat, or the person serving, you know. And of course, you as humans, you know, is based on our, you know, the way we think about the world. We think the most important person is, you know, not only the person sitting at the table, but the person at the nicest table, or the head of the table, and not the person serving. And so that was something I tried to embrace during my time in the military, and what I try and embrace now is, you know, being the person that serves others and using your position. You know, if you if, if and when you are promoted or asked to lead that, you approach it from a position of, you know, what? What can I do from this position to help other people and and just be compassionate to their actual circumstances. And that doesn't mean, you know, when people, people hear me say that they're, you know, they think, Well, that's pretty how does that reconcile with you being a Green Beret and being around, you know, a bunch of you know, meat eating savages, you know, how do you how do you reconcile that and like, well, leading with care and compassion doesn't mean you know that I'm coddling anyone, because I'm certainly not coddling anyone you know. You know, I demand high performance for myself and from from people in those positions like that. You know, when I was a member of a special forces organization, but not everybody's supposed to be doing that. And so I think recognizing the circumstances and the people and what the organization's supposed to do or and how it can care for people, I think those are things that became really, really important to me   Michael Hingson ** 43:33 well. And I think you raised some really valid points. The reality is that September 11, for example, was not a religious war, a religious event. It was a bunch of thugs who wanted to have their way with the world. But most people who truly practice the Islamic faith are the same as the rest of us, and they and they seek God just like we do, like Jewish people do and others do, and we've got to keep that in mind, but it's, it's so hard, because we mostly don't step back and evaluate that and realize that those 19 people on those four airplanes are just a bunch of thugs, pure and simple.   Fred Dummar ** 44:15 Yeah, that, yeah, that, and, and the organizations they represent, right? You know, they're, they're, they're, and they're not the only ones, right? People from of all faiths have harnessed, you know,   Michael Hingson ** 44:30 their various back to the Crusades, yeah, you know, you know, their   Fred Dummar ** 44:33 various religions have harnessed themselves up to, you know, to sway people to to hate, or to, you know, to engage in combat or whatever. So yeah, to to lump that all in. I think our, some of our responses, and then also some of the way people think, has really led it led us to a more a more divided we're. Well, then you know that are more inclusive and and you know, thinking of ourselves as one we we think of ourselves as, you know, many and different, and sometimes things that we think would bring us together or help us make things more fair, like, you know, talking about diversity and inclusion, if we aren't really thinking about what we're trying to do and what that looks like, we can end up making the world more divided and less inclusive.   Michael Hingson ** 45:34 And unfortunately, we're seeing way too much of that, and it isn't helping to do that. And hopefully at some point we'll, we'll figure that out, or we'll realize that maybe it's a little bit better, or can be a little bit better than we think. Yeah, and I know you in 2003 did a lot to help the Kurds in northern Iraq, right?   Fred Dummar ** 45:55 Yeah, that was primarily, you know, my, my experience in Iraq was, you know, before the 2003 invasion, I was in Romania with my special forces company. And, yeah, we flew into northern Iraq and linked up with a group of Kurds and from where they were at and primarily our mission, you know, at that point, nobody really knew what Saddam might do when the main offensive of, you know, conventional army, conventional Marine Corps, British, you know, other allies, started from the south towards Baghdad. What would Saddam do? Would he, you know, send his forces in the north against the Kurds to create a destabilizing effect, you know, one both killing Kurds, but causing Kurds to flee to Syria and Iran, and, you know, probably most importantly for people that were planning to Turkey, you know, to further destabilize the region. So obviously, out of a desire to protect, help protect the Kurds and help stop or prevent something like that from happening. You know, we went in a couple weeks before the actual ground war started, we were in place with the Kurds and started organizing them to to defend themselves. And do you know, take back the land that they considered theirs, because, after, you know, Desert Storm, the you know, the 90s, the 90s war against Iraq, Saddam had pushed into Kurdish territory and established, you know, what he referred to as a, you know, his, his buffer zone. And then, you know, the US had been forcing a, you know, a no fly zone up in the Kurdish areas, but the Kurds had still never been allowed to go back to some of the cities that they considered theirs. So, you know, when we got in there with them, we were able to get, you know, move currents that have been forced out of those towns moved back into their towns and and our particular sector we we cleared down to Mosul Iraq, which, you know, people in the Bible will recognize As as the city of Nineveh. Or maybe not know that, but yeah, so we were, I was able to go drive through the, you know, the biblical, the some of the remains of the, you know, city of Nineveh as we got to Mosul. And then once we were there, that was sort of when, you know, we stole the Kurdish allies that, hey, you guys can go back to go back home, and then at that point us, we're only there a few days before us conventional forces. Now this is a couple months into the war, but us conventional forces made their way up there, and, you know, started doing stabilizing the city, and it was probably best to get the Kurdish militia out of there at that point, for things between the Kurds and the Arabs continue to deteriorate. So yeah, but it was a it was a great experience for me being with the Kurds and helping them, you know, sort of move through and retake towns that they had historically lived in. And, you know, along the way we passed and were able to clear Assyrian monastery that's on one of the mountains on the route to Mosul. So some, definitely, some history along the way, history lessons along the way. I   Michael Hingson ** 49:38 had the pleasure of going to Israel last year in August, okay? And spent a day in Jerusalem, so we got to go to the Western Wall and so on. And I really appreciated, and do appreciate, the history and just the awesomeness of of being there and touching the the temple and the wall that's been there for so long. And, you know, there is so much history over there that I really wish people would more appreciate and and on all sides, would figure out how they could become better at working with each other. One of these days, there's going to have to be peace, or it's going to really get a whole lot worse, very quickly,   Fred Dummar ** 50:21 yeah, for sure. Yeah, it was. It was interesting, though, when we were there, obviously watching the various groups of, you know, Syrians, Kurds, Arabs and others that had various claims to different parts of Mosul and different parts of the area around it. So it's fascinating, you know, to watch history try and unwind itself from some of the decisions that were made. You know, post World War Two, when lines were being drawn in the desert to create countries and and the ramifications of that? Yeah. Well,   Michael Hingson ** 51:06 you certainly have a perspective that's built on a lot of knowledge and being there, which I think is great on the other hand, well, not on the other hand. But then you left the military that that had to be a major change in terms of what you had been doing and what you were used to after almost 30 years. What's it like when you decide to make that kind of a major change and then, in your case, go back into civilian life? Yeah. So   Fred Dummar ** 51:38 my first, my first step, wasn't that far away from the military. And I started referring it. Referred to my first job as sort of an addiction clinic, because I went, I went to work as a house, yeah, I went to work as a contractor, or, you know, defense contractor. I went back to Afghanistan for about a year and a half running training programs for some of the Afghan special operations forces. So, you know, it was, it was really, you know, there was, if I, if I was a heroin addict, you know, I was in the methadone clinic, you know, trying to, trying to get off of it. And then, yeah, I realized, you know, kind of needed to go home. And my marriage, you know, dissolved, and so it's like, Hey, I probably time to, like, go home and have, you know, a different kind of life. And I moved into a civilian job with a friend, a friend at the time, who was doing investment training around the world. And he's like, Hey, we, you know, I know you're, you will travel. There's a lot of people that, when I talk to him about travel, it's involved with our business, you know, they don't, don't really want to do that. And he's like, but I know, you know, from where you're at. And he's like, hey, I'll buy, buy a ticket. Fly to Hong Kong, see what our business is about. So I went there and learned about the investment training they were doing in Hong Kong and throughout Southeast Asia. And then they had an office in Johannesburg, and, you know, one in London, Canada and the US and doing all this training. And so for about a year, little over a year, I worked in that business and and learned, you know, the various things that they were doing. You know how they were teaching people to invest in real estate and stocks and that sort of thing. Started doing it myself less, as I wish I would have known earlier in my life, but started doing that, and then when I left that company, that's a lot of what I've been doing. I've taken some smaller jobs and smaller contract projects. But by and large, that's basically what I've been doing since then, is, you know, working in real estate investing or real estate projects   Michael Hingson ** 53:50 and continuing to hone your leadership skills. Yeah,   Fred Dummar ** 53:54 yeah. Well, you know, I kept continue to work with or a couple of, you know, jobs where I was helping people start up businesses, you know, as either in CEO role or in an operations role to help help them start their businesses. So I did some of that which, which is always fun. It's great working with new talent and establishing procedures and helping people grow that way. So that was, that was really fun. And then got to be part of a couple of nonprofits, Special Forces, Charitable Trust, probably my longest stint. I did that for, you know, about seven or eight years on the board of directors, you know, running, helping to develop activities and programs to support our Special Forces veteran. So, yeah, it was, it's been, it's been fun. And then obviously having a new family and spending a lot of time in my role as a dad has been probably the most rewarding.   Michael Hingson ** 54:53 Yeah, I bet. And that is, that's always so much fun, and you get to help bring some. New people along into the world and hopefully help to make a difference that way. And on top of that, you continue to study. You're getting a PhD. You mentioned it earlier, but you're getting a PhD in organizational psychology and leadership. There we go with the leadership again.   Fred Dummar ** 55:14 Yeah, you know, it's, it's fun, because, you know, when I do get the opportunity to speak at events. I move around and speak at different events. I know you do a lot of speaking. You probably do much more than I do, but the events I do speak at, I want to make sure that sometimes being a practitioner of something doesn't always mean that you have the exact language or the academic credentials to go along with being a practitioner. And I've been a practitioner of leadership for so many years, but now studying it and applying, you know, one working towards an academic credential in this says, Hey, this, this guy knows what he's talking about. But then also having, you know, the the latest developments. And studies on leading people effectively and and how people are doing it wrong, and how you can help them. I think it's, it's been, it's been, been a great journey to be on as well, especially keeping my mind active in in all things leadership and helping organizations do it better.   Michael Hingson ** 56:21 Well, you, you have been a leader for a long time, but now you're studying it. Would you say that you're also discovering new things along the way? And you know, I guess what I'm getting at is, of course, none of us are ever so much an expert that we can't afford to learn more things. Oh   Fred Dummar ** 56:39 yeah, for sure, both, both learning new things, learning why I might have done things wrong based on, you know, studies, you know, like, okay, you know, if you if you have this type of personality, you might do this wrong, or things I was doing right, but not exactly, knowing all of, You know all of the mechanisms that were going into why I was making that decision. But you know, when you look at the psychology behind it, and you look at organizational structure structures, you look at cultural artifacts within organizations, then you can start to you start to unwind why teams do what they do, why leaders are developed, the way they're developed, and why people make certain decisions. And, yeah, it's been fascinating, you know, and then also looking back, as you said, back at things that you did, decisions that you made, and what you know, what you could have done better as you as you look that, through that, and how you can help someone else, and that's also really helped me further, you know, synthesize down this way that I look at at leading people with with love and compassion and why it's so important to be that servant type of leader, you know, not just a transformational leader that's trying to transform an organization to move that, but then, you know, how do you serve and care for the care for the people that are that are going to be part of that transformation?   Michael Hingson ** 58:10 Yeah, because if you are just looking at it from the standpoint of being a transformational leader, I'm going to change this organization that that doesn't really work. And I think that the most important aspect is being a servant leader, is being a person who serves, because that also opens you up to learning along the way and learning how to serve better.   Fred Dummar ** 58:34 Yeah. And you know, as I learned in the many organizations that I was part of over, you know, my time in Special Forces is, you know, just because, you know, alluding, you know, we were discussing roles, and I was saying, you know, this officer's role to often, to plan and to lead, but that other people are the experts. And that's something you know. The sooner you embrace that fact, the faster, the faster you become effective, and the more effective you are when you realize that understanding the people and and caring and serving them, and then getting their their best performance and understanding what they know and what they can do, and where you need to put them to maximize their potential, then those things start to become the most important thing that you're doing, how you know, how people play against each other, who works well with who? How that works, how that betters the organization. Those are all, all all things that are fascinating, you know, to me, and things that kept me up at night, trying to figure out, you know, how to how to be more efficient, how to take better care of people, while, you know, getting, not only getting the best out of them, but them, realizing they were giving their best and being happy and proud of what they. Were doing   Michael Hingson ** 1:00:01 and getting the best out of you as well.   Fred Dummar ** 1:00:03 Yeah, yeah, that, yeah, bringing the best out of them is bringing the best out of me, right?   Michael Hingson ** 1:00:08 So you've gotten work also in the nonprofit sector. You're continuing to do that, yeah,   Fred Dummar ** 1:00:13 yeah, yeah. Now, after leaving this Special Forces Charitable Trust, I realized, you know, after I'd moved out to Idaho, where I live now that I wasn't as connected to the regiment as I'd been my first retired and I was still kind of in the North Carolina area or but after moving out here, you know, just felt like that. I probably there were other guys more recently retired, knew more of the things that needed to be done. So stepping down from that organization. And then, obviously, one of the other things that happened was, you know, the the rapid withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan and the fall of Afghanistan, and I found myself with many other Afghan veterans, sort of, you know, both wondering, you know what it all meant, why? You know, and then, but then also what we can do. You know, not dwelling too long. I know, you know, poor me. You know what? You know. Why did I go? What did it mean? But more so, hey, you know, we had a bunch of people that we made promises to, a bunch of people that follow alongside America, some certainly, you know, in the interest of Afghanistan. But there were also many, many of the especially on the Afghan Special Operations sides, that were not always necessarily doing things at the behest of the Afghan government, but operating with US forces on things that the US wanted to do, but then, you know, we're sort of left hanging when during the withdrawal. So, you know, working alongside other veterans to try and get as many of those people out during the withdrawal and then. But so now I work with an operation or a organization called Operation recovery that is still following these families, following these cases, people that are either still in Afghanistan, some in hiding, some in other countries, illegally, but trying to help them resolve visa issues and either get to Canada or the United States or someplace in Europe, just someplace safe for them and their family, away from the from the Taliban. And so that's been it, and it's, it's hard work, you know, because the in work like that, we're trying to make government bureaucracies realize that they should be issuing visas or allowing people to move, it's not always a rapid process. So feels like, and, you know, and I'm not pointing fingers as if anyone should still, you know, be completely focused on Afghanistan. But you know, other things happen. You know, Ukraine, the war in Ukraine draws attention away. You know, the war in Israel. You know, hurricanes, storms, everything that's going on. You know, Assassination comes. You know, assassination attempts, you know, all of that stuff diverts people's you know, draws people attend. You know their attention to that. And I'm not sure many people, you know, they support the troops. And you know, you often hear them, you know, you know, thanking troops for their service. And the only response I can have to that, you know, for for for years, I struggled with how to respond to that. When someone would say, Thank you for your service, you know, just Okay, thank you. You know, I don't know, thanks for your support, but you know, I heard a good response, and I've been using it since, and it's like, America's worth it. So,   Michael Hingson ** 1:03:54 yeah, on top of everything else that you do, you've also been dabbling or going into real estate a little bit, yeah,   Fred Dummar ** 1:04:01 yeah. So that's, that's a lot of what I've been doing, you know, for because, you know, providing for your family, right? So, yeah, I started doing some investment real estate, and out here, got a partner, we did, worked on a couple of mobile home parts, larger projects. And I still, once a week, I still teach a clas

The Western Wall  Part 12:  HaKotel HaKatan The Little Western Wall -  English and Spanish.   The Western Wall Plaza is known throughout the world as a place for prayer.  There is another Western Wall area specifically for egalitarian, mixed prayer.  But there is yet another part of the Western Wall preferred by some worshippers...HaKotel HaKatan...The Little Western Wall.  Join us as we study this unique spot!  This is a translation of a podcast originally posted on March 31, 2023.  El Muro de las Lamentaciones Parte 12: HaKotel HaKatan El pequeño Muro de las Lamentaciones - Inglés y español.   La plaza del Muro Occidental es conocida en todo el mundo como lugar de oración.  Hay otra zona del Muro Occidental específica para la oración igualitaria y mixta.  Pero hay otra parte del Muro Occidental preferida por algunos fieles... HaKotel HaKatan... El Pequeño Muro Occidental.  Acompáñenos en el estudio de este lugar único.  Esta es una traducción de un podcast publicado originalmente el 31 de marzo de 2023.

The Western Wall  Part 11:  The Mughrabi Gate  -  English and Spanish.  High above the women's prayer section of the Western Wall, stretches a wooden ramp ascending to a gate...the Mughrabi Gate. Why is this gate especially important today for all Jews and Christians.? Join us as we examine the troubled history of this gate and the bridge.  This is a translation of a podcast originally posted on March 24, 2023. El Muro de las Lamentaciones - Parte 11: La Puerta de los Magrebíes - Inglés y español.  En lo alto de la sección de oración de las mujeres del Muro Occidental, se extiende una rampa de madera que asciende hasta una puerta... la Puerta de los Magrebíes. ¿Por qué es esta puerta especialmente importante hoy en día para todos los judíos y cristianos? Acompáñenos mientras examinamos la turbulenta historia de esta puerta y del puente.  Esta es una traducción de un podcast publicado originalmente el 24 de marzo de 2023.

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Renewing Family Bonds at the Western Wall Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2025-01-27-23-34-02-he Story Transcript:He: יום חורפי קריר בירושלים.En: A cool winter day in Yerushalayim.He: השמיים אפורים והאוויר צלול.En: The skies are gray, and the air is clear.He: נעם, יעל ואריאל מתקרבים אל הכותל המערבי, מקום שבו הזמן עומד מלכת.En: Noam, Yael, and Ariel approach the the Western Wall, a place where time stands still.He: נעם חש את המרחק בינו לבין אחיו ואחותו.En: Noam feels the distance between him and his brother and sister.He: "החיים משתנים," הוא חושב לעצמו.En: "Life changes," he thinks to himself.He: כל אחד עסוק בענייניו, והקשר שהחזיק אותם קרובים בעבר כבר לא כמו שהיה.En: Each is busy with their own affairs, and the bond that kept them close in the past is not what it used to be.He: בין אבני הכותל, נעם חשב על רעיון.En: Between the stones of the Kotel, Noam thought of an idea.He: חג ט"ו בשבט מתקרב, חג שמסמל צמיחה והתחדשות.En: The Tu BiShvat holiday is approaching, a holiday symbolizing growth and renewal.He: נעם הציע: "בואו נשתול עץ יחד, סימן לקשר שלנו."En: Noam suggested: "Let's plant a tree together, a sign of our connection."He: הכותל המערבי, מקום של תפילה ורוחניות, מתאים לשינוי הזה.En: The Western Wall, a place of prayer and spirituality, suits this change.He: המקום הומה אנשים, אך יש בו שקט מיוחד שמזמין לעומק ולחשיבה.En: The place is crowded with people, yet it has a special silence that invites depth and reflection.He: נעם, יעל ואריאל התאספו ליד קטע פתוח קרוב לכותל, עם שתיל צעיר בידם.En: Noam, Yael, and Ariel gathered near an open section close to the wall, with a young sapling in their hands.He: האוויר היה קר, אך עוטף.En: The air was cold but embracing.He: נעם התחיל לדבר: "אני מרגיש שאנחנו מתרחקים.En: Noam began to speak: "I feel that we are drifting apart.He: רוצה לחזור להיות קרובים."En: I want to go back to being close."He: יעל הסתכלה בנעם, עיניה רכות.En: Yael looked at Noam, her eyes soft.He: "גם אני מרגישה כך," היא ענתה בקול שקט.En: "I feel that way too," she answered in a quiet voice.He: "פשוט החיים... לוקחים אותנו לכל מיני כיוונים."En: "It's just that life... takes us in different directions."He: אריאל, בדרך כלל שקט, לפתע דיבר: "אני מתגעגע.En: Ariel, usually quiet, suddenly spoke: "I miss it.He: לא ידעתי איך להגיד את זה."En: I didn't know how to say it."He: נעם חייך. "בואו נתחיל מחדש, כמו העץ הזה."En: Noam smiled. "Let's start anew, like this tree."He: הם חפרו יחד בבוץ הקר, ידיהם לחות ואדמה על הידיים.En: Together they dug in the cold mud, their hands damp with soil.He: כל אחד צחק קצת, שיתף רגשות, דמעות וחיוכים.En: Each laughed a bit, shared feelings, tears, and smiles.He: הייתה תחושת פורקן באוויר.En: There was a sense of release in the air.He: כשסיימו, הסתכלו על העץ.En: When they finished, they looked at the tree.He: הוא קטן, כחוש, אבל מלא פוטנציאל.En: It was small, frail, but full of potential.He: כמו הקשר המחודש שלהם.En: Like their renewed bond.He: אחרי החיבוק החם, נעם ידע שזהו רק ההתחלה.En: After the warm hug, Noam knew this was only the beginning.He: יש עוד מה לעשות, צריך לטפח את הקשר.En: There is more to do, the relationship needs nurturing.He: אך הייתה תקווה חדשה בליבו.En: But there was new hope in his heart.He: החיבור ביניהם לא נעלם, רק זקוק לתשומת לב.En: Their connection hadn't disappeared, it just needed attention.He: הם השאירו את העץ הצעיר מאחוריהם, עומד זקוף ליד הכותל, לזכר התחדשותם כמשפחה.En: They left the young tree behind, standing tall by the Kotel, in memory of their renewal as a family. Vocabulary Words:approach: מתקרביםdistance: מרחקbond: קשרsuggested: הציעsapling: שתילreflection: חשיבהembracing: עוטףdrifting: מתרחקיםdirections: כיווניםrelease: פורקןfrail: כחושnurturing: לטפחpotential: פוטנציאלsilence: שקטspirituality: רוחניותprayer: תפילהrenewed: מחודשmemory: זכרattention: תשומת לבreflect: לעומקtears: דמעותsmiles: חיוכיםrenewal: התחדשותaffairs: ענייניםquiet: שקטunite: לאחדdepth: עומקsuggest: להציעgathered: התאספוhorizon: אופקBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

The Western Wall  Part 10:  The Trumpeter Stone  -  English and Spanish.  Near the southwest corner of the Western Wall, a stone cries out, testifying about the Temple rituals as well as the life and return of Messiah!  Join us as we discuss the trumpeter stone!   Translated from a podcast originally posted on March 17, 2023. El Muro Occidental Parte 10: La Piedra Trompetera - Inglés y Español.  Cerca de la esquina suroeste del Muro Occidental, una piedra grita, ¡dando testimonio de los rituales del Templo, así como de la vida y el regreso del Mesías!  Únase a nosotros para hablar de la piedra trompetera.   Traducido de un podcast publicado originalmente el 17 de marzo de 2023.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara filed the state’s response to High Court petitions on Haredi military enlistment, stating that there is no limit on the numbers of ultra-Orthodox men recruited into the Israel Defense Forces from mid-2026. This comes as coalition members have often insisted that the IDF is not capable of absorbing the estimated 70,000 Haredi young men currently eligible for service. We dive into the divisive issue and why the army needs more soldiers. The IDF said that this past week, 338 members of the ultra-Orthodox community enlisted in the military for mandatory service — 211 combat soldiers and 127 combat support. We hear the breakdown of numbers and also how the army said it had completed sending out a wave of 7,000 draft orders to members of the ultra-Orthodox community, after 3,000 were sent out over the summer. What have been the results so far? We learn about the ongoing manhunt in the West Bank after the fatal shooting on Monday near the Jewish settlement of Kedumim. The shooting attack, which targeted a bus and two cars, occurred inside the Palestinian village of al-Funduq, which straddles a major artery used by thousands of Israelis and Palestinian drivers daily. And finally we discuss the deployment of the IDF in the Gaza Strip and in southern Lebanon, among efforts by US envoy Amos Hochstein to lengthen the 60-day truce with Hezbollah. For news updates, please check out The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog. Discussed articles include: Survey: Public support for conscripting ultra-Orthodox has surged throughout war First 50 ultra-Orthodox soldiers drafted to IDF’s new Haredi brigade Soldier killed fighting in Gaza as IDF withdraws brigade from northern Strip Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ben Wallick. IMAGE: Israeli soldiers and ultra-Orthodox Jews at the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site in the Old City of Jerusalem, July 10, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Western Wall  Part 9:  The Isaiah Stone  -  English and Spanish.  Near the southern end of the Western Wall, just below Robinson's Arch, a verse from the Scriptures is engraved into a Herodian stone. A leading archaeologist described it as 'one of the most dramatic and memorable finds of the excavations that followed the Six Day War.' This centuries-old paleo-Hebrew inscription has a message for us today!  Translated from a podcast originally recorded on January 17, 2023. El Muro Occidental - Parte 9: La piedra de Isaías - Inglés y español.  Cerca del extremo sur del Muro Occidental, justo debajo del Arco de Robinson, hay un versículo de las Escrituras grabado en una piedra herodiana. Un destacado arqueólogo lo describió como «uno de los hallazgos más espectaculares y memorables de las excavaciones que siguieron a la Guerra de los Seis Días». Esta inscripción paleohebrea de siglos de antigüedad tiene un mensaje para nosotros hoy.  Traducido de un podcast grabado originalmente el 17 de enero de 2023.  

Saturday, 28 December 2024   “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. Matthew 6:5   “And when you may pray, not you will be just as the hypocrites, for they love to pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the plazas – having stood – that they may be seen of men. Amen! I say to you, they obtain their reward” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus continued His thought about doing charitable deeds in secret. Now, He goes from that subject to the subject of prayer, beginning with, “And when you may pray.”   The verb is subjunctive, and thus this is a hypothetical intended for any such situation, “when you may pray.” At any time someone finds himself desiring to pray to God, Jesus instructs the disciples that “not you will be just as the hypocrites.”   The meaning is that there is actually a wrong way to pray, represented by the two-faced people He will continue to speak about. As seen in verse 6:2, the hypocrites say one thing but do another. In this case, it involves praying, something that is to occur between a person and God.   If one is going to speak to another about private matters, the two will withdraw and speak privately. The same is true with speaking to God. If one is to have a private prayer, why would he feel it is acceptable to openly pray it? But this is what Jesus will next speak of, saying, “for they love to pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the plazas.”   Here are two new words, gónia, a corner, and plateia, a wide place. One can trace the word plaza back to this Greek word which corresponded to the Latin platea. That followed into later languages, such as the Spanish and English word “plaza.”   In cities with walls, there was usually a plaza inside of the gate where people could congregate. This is because the gate was normally the place where judgments were rendered and business was transacted.   By having a plaza, a wide place, in front of the gate, people could gather to see these things conducted, bring matters to attention, sell to those gathered, etc. It was also the place where the hypocrites went to pray so that everyone could witness their drummed-up attention-seeking.   Like the busybodies who hang everyone's dirty laundry out for everyone to see, these are the types who want to be heard by everyone else. And so, they openly would pray for everyone else to watch.   Obviously, Jesus is not speaking of group prayers or settings which call for someone to pray over another person. He is referring to people who want to trumpet their supposed piety in front of everyone else, just like those described in the previous verse who trumpeted their alms-giving in front of others. In order to get this attention, He next continues with, “having stood.”   Just as teaching in rabbinic circles involved sitting, praying often involved standing. This continues to this day as Jews gather and pray in open settings. For example, those who gather at the Western Wall of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem stand in the open and pray towards the wall. This is normally accompanied by all kinds of body motions like rocking back and forth and the like.   This type of praying is so that they can be seen by others, demonstrating a supposed humility before God. But Jesus says it is really “that they may be seen of men.”   The position of standing makes one more visible. The rocking back and forth is like a magnet to others' eyes. The prayer is audible so that those around can hear. The entire purpose of such actions is to draw attention to oneself. And that is exactly what happens. When it does, Jesus says, “Amen! I say to you, they obtain their reward.”   People who do these things are looking for the reward of being seen. They receive what they desire. As such, they should expect nothing else from God the Father. The obvious implication is that no positive response to any prayers will be provided by Him.   Life application: Praying is something that is spoken of by Paul in most of his epistles. In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, he says, “pray without ceasing.” The meaning is that one can talk to the Lord at any time and anywhere. This does not contradict what Jesus is going to say about praying in the coming verse.   Rather, Jesus is explaining the attitude of people in Jewish society who thought that their open, showy prayers somehow merited God's attention because they brought about the attention of those around them.   Paul's words mean that we can simply walk along the road and talk to God. We can thank Him for the beautiful scenery. If someone comes to mind who is having trouble, we can say a prayer under our breath for their situation.   God knows our thoughts, and He hears our silent prayers. As this is so, we don't need to trumpet our words out loud –   “And it happened, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli watched her mouth. 13 Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk. 14 So Eli said to her, ‘How long will you be drunk? Put your wine away from you!' 15 But Hannah answered and said, ‘No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord. 16 Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now.' 17 Then Eli answered and said, ‘Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him.'” 1 Samuel 1:12-17   Glorious God, we know You hear our prayers, even when silently uttered to You in moments of grief and despair. Thank You for hearing and being attentive to our words. Amen.  

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Rekindling Family Bonds: A Hanukkah Tale of Reunion Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2024-12-08-23-34-01-he Story Transcript:He: ירושלים.En: Yerushalayim.He: העיר העתיקה.En: The Old City.He: הרחבה מול הכותל המערבי מתמלאת באנשים מכל העולם.En: The plaza in front of the Western Wall fills with people from all over the world.He: הם באים להתפלל, להדליק נרות ולחגוג את חג החנוכה.En: They come to pray, light candles, and celebrate the holiday of Hanukkah.He: שמחה ואורות מנרות החנוכייה מאירים את הלילה הקר.En: Joy and lights from the Hanukkah menorah brighten the cold night.He: רוחות של חורף זורמים ברחבה, אבל החום של האווירה חודר ללבבות.En: Winter breezes flow through the plaza, but the warmth of the atmosphere penetrates hearts.He: שירה עומדת בין המון האנשים, מביטה אל האבנים העתיקות.En: Shira stands among the crowd, gazing at the ancient stones.He: החגיגה אמורה להיות שמחה, אך בליבה הקור והמתח.En: The celebration is supposed to be joyful, but in her heart, there's coldness and tension.He: היא מחפשת את אחיה, איתן.En: She is searching for her brother, Eitan.He: הקשר ביניהם ניתק לפני זמן רב.En: Their connection was severed a long time ago.He: צעדי העבר הלא מובנים השאירו קטעים שצריך לחבר מחדש.En: The incomprehensible steps of the past left pieces that need to be reconnected.He: איתן נמצא בצדו האחר של הרחבה, מביט בחוסר נוחות.En: Eitan is on the other side of the plaza, watching with discomfort.He: הוא מרגיש זר במשפחתו, לא מתקבל ולא מובן.En: He feels like a stranger in his family, unaccepted and misunderstood.He: הכאב הפרטי שלו מסתיר אותו מהחגיגות שמסביב.En: His personal pain isolates him from the festivities around him.He: הקרבה של אנשים לא מעניקה לו נחמה, אלא רק מזכירה לו על המרחק שבינו לבין משפחתו.En: The closeness of people doesn't bring him comfort; it only reminds him of the distance between him and his family.He: נעם, בן הדוד שלהם, עומד ליד שירה ומחייך.En: Noam, their cousin, stands next to Shira and smiles.He: הוא תמיד היה הפשרן במשפחה, ומאמין שהחג הזה יוכל להיות הזדמנות להדליק מחדש את הקשר בין האחים.En: He has always been the mediator in the family and believes this holiday could be an opportunity to rekindle the bond between the siblings.He: "בואי, שירה," אומר נעם, "זה הזמן לנסות.En: "Come on, Shira," Noam says, "this is the time to try.He: החנוכה הוא חג של אור, של תקווה.En: Hanukkah is a holiday of light, of hope."He: "שירה נושמת עמוק, צעד משמעותי קדימה.En: Shira takes a deep breath, a significant step forward.He: היא רוצה לפגוש את איתן, לשים את הכבוד האבוד בצד וליצור קשר חדש ומלא תקווה.En: She wants to meet Eitan, to set aside lost pride and create a new, hopeful connection.He: היא ניגשת אליו, ועיניה מלאות ברצון טוב ובזיכרונות.En: She approaches him, her eyes filled with goodwill and memories.He: "הי, איתן," היא אומרת בעדינות, "אתה זוכר איך היינו מדליקים את החנוכייה במרפסת של סבא?En: "Hey, Eitan," she says gently, "do you remember how we used to light the Hanukkah menorah on Grandpa's porch?"He: "איתן מתבונן בה רגע, המילים המוכרות מחזירות אותו לאחור.En: Eitan looks at her for a moment, the familiar words taking him back.He: היא ממשיכה, "אני מתגעגעת לזה.En: She continues, "I miss that.He: לחגיגה שלנו יחד.En: Our celebration together."He: "קול התפילות והשירים מסביב ממלאים את השקט ביניהם.En: The sound of prayers and songs around them fills the silence between them.He: איתן לאט לאט משחרר את שריריו, מתחיל לדבר על מה שהכביד עליו, על התחושות שהרחיקו אותו.En: Slowly, Eitan relaxes his muscles and begins to talk about what troubled him, about the feelings that drove him away.He: בעודם עומדים מול הכותל המרשים, שירה ואיתן מתחילים לשוחח, לשתף ולספר, להתקרב אחד לשני דרך זיכרונות וחלומות לעתיד.En: As they stand before the impressive Kotel, Shira and Eitan start to converse, share, and recount, growing closer through memories and dreams for the future.He: הכותל מקשיב, כמו עטוף בסיפורים שכבר שמע במשך הדורות.En: The wall listens, wrapped in stories it's heard through the generations.He: לבסוף, האחים מתחבקים.En: Finally, the siblings embrace.He: האהבה נשפכת מחדש ביניהם, והסדקים הפנימיים מתחילים להתמלא.En: Love flows again between them, and the internal cracks start to fill.He: נעם מצטרף אליהם, ובשלשתם מדליקים את נרות החנוכייה האישיים ברחבה.En: Noam joins them, and the three of them light their personal Hanukkah menorah candles in the plaza.He: כל נר מסמל הבטחה חדשה, איחוד מחדש, אור חדש בחייהם.En: Each candle symbolizes a new promise, a reunification, a new light in their lives.He: החום של הנרות מאיר את פניהם, והחגיגה שבחוץ עכשיו היא גם חגיגה פנימית עבורם.En: The warmth of the candles illuminates their faces, and the celebration outside is now also an inner celebration for them.He: השינוי מתחיל להתחולל ביניהם, ואיתן מרגיש פחות לבד.En: Change begins to take root between them, and Eitan feels less alone.He: שירה לומדת להקשיב, להבין ולקבל.En: Shira learns to listen, understand, and accept.He: האורות מהרחבה שולחים קרני אור, מקשרים את כולם בחג החנוכה הזה, חג של תקווה וחיבור.En: The lights from the plaza send out beams, connecting everyone in this Hanukkah, a holiday of hope and connection. Vocabulary Words:plaza: רחבהcandles: נרותbreezes: רוחותatmosphere: אווירהpenetrates: חודרgazing: מביטהancient: עתיקותtension: מתחsevered: ניתקincomprehensible: לא מובניםdiscomfort: חוסר נוחותunaccepted: לא מתקבלisolate: מסתירmediator: פשרןrekindle: הדליק מחדשbond: קשרsignificant: משמעותיgoodwill: רצון טובmemories: זיכרונותimpressive: מרשיםconverse: לשוחחrecount: לספרembrace: מתחבקיםilluminates: מאירsymbolizes: מסמלreunification: איחוד מחדשinternal: פנימייםcracks: סדקיםbeam: קרני אורcommemorate: להנציחBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Harmony at the Wall: A Hanukkah Tale of Collaboration Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2024-11-29-23-34-02-he Story Transcript:He: השמש שקעה לאיטה על הכותל המערבי.En: The sun set slowly over the Western Wall.He: האוויר היה צונן, מלא בטעמי הסתיו וריחי הכתלים העתיקים.En: The air was crisp, filled with the scents of autumn and the aromas of the ancient walls.He: הכיכר הומה בתיירים ובמשפחות שבאו להדליק נרות חנוכה.En: The plaza was bustling with tourists and families who had come to light Hanukkah candles.He: אנשים מתרגשים, ילדים מחזיקים ספינים, והאורחים ממשיכים להגיע.En: People were excited, children were holding spinning tops, and guests continued to arrive.He: באמצע הכיכר עמד דוכן מידע חדש.En: In the middle of the plaza stood a new information booth.He: זה היה התפקיד של אביטל ואיתן להקים אותו.En: It was Avital and Eitan's job to set it up.He: אביטל אהבה סדר ודיוק.En: Avital loved order and precision.He: היא בדקה שכל המידע על הדוכן מסודר נכון ושכל כפתור עובד.En: She checked that all the information on the booth was arranged correctly and that every button worked.He: עיניה סקרו בעיון את המשימות שנותרו לעשות, ודאגה שהכל יהיה מושלם.En: Her eyes meticulously scanned the remaining tasks, ensuring everything would be perfect.He: איתן, לעומת זאת, היה נינוח יותר.En: Eitan, on the other hand, was more relaxed.He: הוא חיפש איך להוסיף מגע אישי לדוכן.En: He sought ways to add a personal touch to the booth.He: הוא חשב על המוזיקה.En: He thought about the music.He: תמיד רצה לחלוק את האהבה שלו למוזיקה עם אחרים.En: He always wanted to share his love for music with others.He: בעיניו, המוזיקה יכולה להוסיף חוויה מיוחדת למבקרים.En: In his eyes, music could provide a special experience for visitors.He: אך המחלוקת נרקמה במהרה.En: But soon, a disagreement unfolded.He: אביטל רצתה שהכל יימסר בזמן, בלי עיכובים.En: Avital wanted everything delivered on time, without delays.He: איתן רצה להוסיף עוד ועוד שירים והפתעות.En: Eitan wanted to add more and more songs and surprises.He: הם התווכחו על איך למצוא את האיזון.En: They argued about how to find the right balance.He: "אנחנו חייבים לסיים בזמן," אמרה אביטל.En: "We have to finish on time," said Avital.He: איתן חייך ואמר, "אבל המוזיקה יכולה לעשות את כל ההבדל.En: Eitan smiled and said, "But the music can make all the difference."He: "כשהערב ירד והחנוכה התקרב, הם ידעו שעליהם לקבל החלטה.En: As the evening descended and Hanukkah approached, they knew they had to reach a decision.He: אביטל הבינה שהלחץ לא מוביל לפתרון.En: Avital realized that pressure was not leading to a solution.He: היא נתנה לאיתן להוסיף את המוזיקה.En: She allowed Eitan to add the music.He: איתן, בתורו, הבין שהוא צריך להתפשר ולשתף פעולה.En: In turn, Eitan understood he needed to compromise and collaborate.He: ברגע השיא, כשהתוכן המוזיקלי כבר היה מוכן להשתחרר, התגלתה תקלה.En: At the climax, when the musical content was ready to be released, a glitch was discovered.He: המוזיקה התחילה לקרטע.En: The music started to stutter.He: המתח היה גבוה, אבל אביטל במהירות הבינה איך לתקן את הבעיה.En: Tension was high, but Avital quickly realized how to fix the problem.He: יחד הם הצליחו לאחד את המוזיקה עם המידע, והכל עבד נפלא.En: Together, they managed to merge the music with the information, and everything worked beautifully.He: כשמנגינות חג החנוכה התנגנו ברקע, המבקרים נהנו מחוויה מותאמת וייחודית.En: As the melodies of the Hanukkah holiday played in the background, visitors enjoyed a personalized and unique experience.He: אביטל גילתה את חשיבותה של גמישות ויצירתיות, ואילו איתן מצא את הערך של סדר ושיתוף פעולה.En: Avital discovered the importance of flexibility and creativity, while Eitan found the value of order and collaboration.He: העבודתם המשותפת הפכה את הדוכן למקום של שמחה ואור.En: Their joint effort transformed the booth into a place of joy and light. Vocabulary Words:crisp: צונןaromas: ריחיbustling: הומהspinning tops: ספיניםbooth: דוכןprecision: דיוקmeticulously: בעיוןremaining: נותרוpersonal touch: מגע אישיdisagreement: מחלוקתbalance: איזוןdescended: ירדglitch: תקלהstutter: לקרטעtension: מתחmerged: לאחדflexibility: גמישותcreativity: יצירתיותcollaboration: שיתוף פעולהunfolded: נרקמהdelivered: יימסרcompromise: להתפשרclimax: רגע השיאsolution: פתרוןtransformed: הפכהjoint effort: העבודתם המשותפתpersonalized: מותאמתunique: ייחודיתrealized: הבינהensuring: דאגהBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

Reena Friedman-Watts, host of the popular Better Call Daddy podcast, shared the challenges she faced in scheduling a mammogram due to the complexity of the healthcare system. Despite being insured, navigating referrals and regulations proved difficult. Reena's conversation with Dorothy conversation highlights the importance of advocating for oneself and the systemic changes needed to improve access to crucial health screenings. Key Questions Answered 1.) What is a "God box" and what is its purpose? 2.) Why is it important for uninsured women to have a physician referral for mammograms? 3.) What difficulties did Reena face in scheduling a mammogram? 4.) Why should young women advocate for themselves in medical settings? 5.) What alternatives to mammograms are available for nursing women? 6.) What cultural shifts in health checkups did Reena observe between generations? 7.)What advice does Dorothy give to Reena regarding mammogram scheduling? Timestamped Overview 00:00 Comfortable performing with supportive company. 05:24 Experience in reality TV led to career growth. 08:39 Evolving podcast satisfied my passion for stories. 10:40 Co-hosted a podcast, then started own show. 15:53 Mom's cancer; prayed at Western Wall during trip. 19:03 Physician blends Western and Eastern medicine practices. 21:23 Discreet prayer list burned each week. 22:57 Writing goals amplifies their chances of realization. 28:03 Nursed child four years, concerned about mammograms. 30:32 Breast cancer requires various tests; insurance challenges.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode. Today is election day in the United States and yesterday, the Israel Democracy Institute released a poll of some 750 Israelis — Jews and Arabs — and asked, “In terms of Israel's interests, which of the two candidates for the US presidency would be better?” Horovitz weighs in on the response and some of the factors that went into the responses. The IDF will be sending out another 7,000 draft orders to members of the ultra-Orthodox community next week and as of this morning, we are hearing that the coalition may have lost the votes it needs to pass the controversial so-called Daycare Law being pushed by the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party to preserve subsidies for Haredi draft-evaders. We hear which politicians are dissenting and what this symbolizes. Investigators suspect that the theft of classified intelligence documents from Israel Defense Forces databases and the transfer of those files to people in the Prime Minister's Office was “systematic,” and the publication of one such document in foreign media is a source of “ongoing” danger to the lives of both soldiers and hostages in Gaza. Horovitz updates us on new details of the continuing investigation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly ordered that a “solution” be found for Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara's “adversarial” relationship with his government, as ministers railed against her office and called for her ouster Monday. We learn how this comment was somewhat pulled back by the prime minister and why. For news updates, please check out The Times of Israel's ongoing live blog. Discussed articles include: Poll: Some 65% of Israelis believe Trump victory would be best for Israel Senior Likud MK says he won't back daycare subsidies bill for Haredi draft-evaders Theft of sensitive IDF intel, transfer to ‘people at PMO' was ‘systematic' – report Netanyahu demands ‘solution' to ‘adversarial' AG as ministers call for her ouster Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves. IMAGE: Illustrative: A Haredi man looks at Israeli soldiers gathered at the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem, March 14, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Full Text of ReadingsTuesday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 474The Saint of the day is Saint John Paul IISaint John Paul II's Story “Open wide the doors to Christ,” urged John Paul II during the homily at the Mass where he was installed as pope in 1978. Born in Wadowice, Poland, Karol Jozef Wojtyla had lost his mother, father, and older brother before his 21st birthday. Karol's promising academic career at Krakow's Jagiellonian University was cut short by the outbreak of World War II. While working in a quarry and a chemical factory, he enrolled in an “underground” seminary in Kraków. Ordained in 1946, he was immediately sent to Rome where he earned a doctorate in theology. Back in Poland, a short assignment as assistant pastor in a rural parish preceded his very fruitful chaplaincy for university students. Soon Fr. Wojtyla earned a doctorate in philosophy and began teaching that subject at Poland's University of Lublin. Communist officials allowed Wojtyla to be appointed auxiliary bishop of Kraków in 1958, considering him a relatively harmless intellectual. They could not have been more wrong! Bishop Wojtyla attended all four sessions of Vatican II and contributed especially to its Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World. Appointed as archbishop of Kraków in 1964, he was named a cardinal three years later. Elected pope in October 1978, he took the name of his short-lived, immediate predecessor. Pope John Paul II was the first non-Italian pope in 455 years. In time, he made pastoral visits to 124 countries, including several with small Christian populations. John Paul II promoted ecumenical and interfaith initiatives, especially the 1986 Day of Prayer for World Peace in Assisi. He visited Rome's main synagogue and the Western Wall in Jerusalem; he also established diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Israel. He improved Catholic-Muslim relations, and in 2001 visited a mosque in Damascus, Syria. The Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, a key event in John Paul's ministry, was marked by special celebrations in Rome and elsewhere for Catholics and other Christians. Relations with the Orthodox Churches improved considerably during his papacy. “Christ is the center of the universe and of human history” was the opening line of John Paul II's 1979 encyclical, Redeemer of the Human Race. In 1995, he described himself to the United Nations General Assembly as “a witness to hope.” His 1979 visit to Poland encouraged the growth of the Solidarity movement there and the collapse of communism in central and eastern Europe 10 years later. John Paul II began World Youth Day and traveled to several countries for those celebrations. He very much wanted to visit China and the Soviet Union, but the governments in those countries prevented that. One of the most well-remembered photos of John Paul II's pontificate was his one-on-one conversation in 1983, with Mehmet Ali Agca, who had attempted to assassinate him two years earlier. In his 27 years of papal ministry, John Paul II wrote 14 encyclicals and five books, canonized 482 saints and beatified 1,338 people. In the last years of his life, he suffered from Parkinson's disease and was forced to cut back on some of his activities. Pope Benedict XVI beatified John Paul II in 2011, and Pope Francis canonized him in 2014. Reflection Before John Paul II's funeral Mass in St. Peter's Square, hundreds of thousands of people had waited patiently for a brief moment to pray before his body, which lay in state inside St. Peter's for several days. The media coverage of his funeral was unprecedented. Presiding at the funeral Mass, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger—then dean of the College of Cardinals and later Pope Benedict XVI—concluded his homily by saying: “None of us can ever forget how, in that last Easter Sunday of his life, the Holy Father, marked by suffering, came once more to the window of the Apostolic Palace and one last time gave his blessing urbi et orbi (‘to the city and to the world'). “We can be sure that our beloved pope is standing today at the window of the Father's house, that sees us and blesses us. Yes, bless us, Holy Father. We entrust your dear soul to the Mother of God, your Mother, who guided you each day and who will guide you now to the glory of her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.” Learn more about Saint John Paul II! Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

We all know the horrid tale of what happened in Israel on October 7, 2023. Waves of gunmen attacked families in their homes and young people attending a music festival. The marauders filmed their murders on GoPro cameras. They burned families alive in their safe rooms; raped, and mutilated their victims; and took hostages back to Gaza on golf carts. Why did they do it? For many critics of Israel, the horrific violence of October 7 was the predictable response to the “occupation”—never mind that Israel pulled out of Gaza in 2005. To them, October 7 was a jailbreak from what progressives often call “an open-air prison.”  But for the belligerents, in their own words, this war is for the defense of a mosque on top of a mountain. They called their massacre “Al-Aqsa Flood,” named for one of the two mosques that sit atop what is known to the Jews as the Temple Mount. This is where King Solomon's temple once stood, and at its base is the Western Wall, where Jews have prayed since its construction in the second century BCE. It's also known to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif, a noble sanctuary. It's where Muslims believe the prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven in a dream. An October 10 Hamas communiqué justified their attack as resistance to thwart “schemes and dreams of Judaizing Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa.” This reveals something very important about the Israel-Palestine conflict: That it is not a territorial dispute. It's a holy war, with roots in an ancient city with significance far beyond its 2.5 miles of limestone walls. The world knows it as Jerusalem. The Palestinians call it Al-Quds. Hamas claims there is a plot by Israel to destroy Al-Aqsa—the mosque atop the Temple Mount that sits in the center of Jerusalem—and build a third Jewish temple where it now stands. It's a lie. A lie that goes back a century. The man who first began to spread the libel was from one of Jerusalem's great families that traced its lineage back to the prophet Muhammad himself. He was a seminary-school dropout, a fanatic antisemite, and a Nazi collaborator. His name was Hajj Amin al-Husseini. Today, Eli Lake tells the story of al-Husseini, the origins of the 100-year holy war, and why it persists to this day.  If you liked what you heard from Honestly, the best way to support us is to go to TheFP.com and become a Free Press subscriber today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2432 - The pinnacle moment that shook the nation! In the midst of reforms, the last Torah scroll is discovered, and the words written therein change everything. The Bearded Bible Brothers travel from the top of the Temple Mount, to the depths of the Western Wall tunnels revealing Josiah's ultimate decision of humility that moves God's heart.