Yesterday ...

Yesterday

Erev Rosh Chodesh Av, my day was spent visiting Kever Rochel and Maarat HaMachpela. The ride in the bus was very scenic. So much has changed since I was here in 1995, and immensely so since the early 80's when I first splashed down as a single new Olah, full of excitement, awe and many aspirations. Well, we (now married over 23 years) are now citizens of Yerushalayim. Anyway, back to the tiyul.

What was most apparent was Israeli housing now sprawling over ancient Judea filling the landscape. Pictures below.

I couldn't believe my eyes. In Rachel Imeinu's little abode, while trying to concentrate and take everything in at the same time, I was annoyed by the noise that seemed to be from workmen on the other side of the separation.

"What is going on here, in this sacred place?" It seems so disrespectful and at the same time brought to mind what the women had to go through when they persevered the soldiers, arabs and dissention several years ago when we almost lost entry to our Mother Rochel's resting place. Nevertheless, the experience was like entering a war zone minus the gunfire – tall walls, barricades and many soldiers. But this is our Home, and Rochel Imeinu is our Mama who cries for us, her children. We need to keep coming to her inspite of the barriers.

From there we headed to Kiryat Arba, passing Efrat sprawled across a ridge encompassing seven hills.
"Abraham lived just about 10 miles South of here in Mamre (Hebron), and the story in the Torah about the sacrifice of Isaac (in present day Jerusalem) has Abraham traveling past here to dwell in Beer Sheva. Our forefathers, Isaac and Jacob lived in the neighborhood and travelled up and down these hills. In addition, there are many references in Tanach to Efrat (Efrata or Ephrata). King David spent time walking these hills, as did some of the prophets and Ruth (Book of Ruth)."

And in the Gush, Elazar [View from Efrat]

Maarat HaMachpela, is where Avraham bought "the cave" to bury Sarah Imeinu, and ultimately theresting site for Yitzchak, Yaakov, Rivka and Leah. And the entrance to Gan Eden as stated in the Zohar.

The Jewish people's first possession in Eretz Yisrael, one of three legal purchases as depicted in this Artwork of Baruch Nachshon, Hebron (Maarat HaMachpela), Jerusalem (Beit HaMikdash) and Shechem (Kever Yosef).

This is what the Arabs want. They want our Spiritual Heritage.

Meanwhile: The Sprawling Muslim Takeover of the Planet. [In their frustration, they think if they make the world Islamic, they will get Eretz HaKodesh. HaShem won't give it to them.]

The Islam in Europe blog reports on the numbers and percentages of Muslims in many European cities:

Marseilles – 25% (200,000 of 800,000)
Malmö - ~25% (67,000 of 270,000
Amsterdam – 24% (180,000 of 750,000)
Stockholm – 20% (>155,000 of 771,038)
Brussels - ~20% (some say 33%)
Moscow - 16-20% (2 million of 10-12 million)
London – 17% (1.3 million of 7.5 million)
Luton - 14.6% (26,963)
Birmingham 14.3% (139,771)
The Hague - 14.2% (67,896 of 475,580)
Utrecht - 13.2% (38,300 of 289,000)
Rotterdam – 13% (80,000 of 600,000)
Copenhagen - 12.6% (63,000 of 500,000)
Leicester – 11% (>30,000 of 280,000)
Aarhus - ~10% Zaan district (Netherlands) - 8.8 percent
Paris - 7.38% (155,000 of 2.1 million)
Antwerp- 6.7% (>30,000 of >450,000)
Hamburg - 6.4% (>110,000 of 1.73 million)
Berlin - 5.9% (~200,000 of 3.40 million)