Celebration and cheer: Jewish Feast

I still had sometime to spend in Israel and so I thought I would visit this Facebook friend of mine, who practically gave me a guided tour of the country before I came here. This guy was great at showing concern when you told him of a need.

Therefore, I thought that I must visit him and so I flew south to Eilat.As I got off at Ovada airport, I gave this friend of mine a call, and he answered saying “Shalom Mr. Shah, Mah Shlomcha”, we then had a delightful conversation and I got to know that he was at Be’er Milhan and was scheduled to arrive at Ovada Airport the next day to fly to Jerusalem for the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles. We ended the call with a “Kol Tuv”. I then took a room in a nearby motel until the next day.

As Stephen and I were in the plane, he was explaining to me what the Feast of Tabernacles was about. He said that it marked the end of the fruit harvest and this was to be attended only in Jerusalem. We would be living there in tents for 7 days, just as their ancestors did in the desert for 40 years. He told me that this day also marked the dedications of the first temple by King Solomon.

We stayed for 7 days at this camp; and I must say that although I was a guest there, the warm welcome given to me was just priceless. I met the Josephs’ here again and I showed Yakov that I still had his yamaka souvenir. The 7 days here were like a harvest festival which I had never seen but I felt so energized here as though I was on the top of Mount Everest and getting closer to this God. Most of the food we had here was stuff we would not get anywhere else at any other time.

Before I left this place I asked Stephen the meaning of the term “Jew”. He told me that this term was derived from the name Judah, who was one of Jacobs 12 sons, out of whom came the 12 tribes of Israel but in the 5 Century BCE, the Assyrians conquered Israel and only Judah was left behind and from then on the term Jew applied to every Israelite. Stephen then told me that he was Messianic Jew and he said it with such joy that I felt it bring a tear to my departure.

I left thanking Stephen and the Josephs’ for this awesome feast I was invited to. I must say that these guys know their people’s history better than anyone I’ve known.