Barcelona’s chief rabbi warned that the Jewish community in his city is “doomed” because Spanish authorities do not want to confront radical Islam.
Rabbi Meir Bar-Hen was quoted in The Times of Israel last week, a day after Thursday’s deadly car-ramming attack in his city. He urged Jews to leave Spain, which he called a major hub for terrorist activity in Europe.
In what was apparently a coordinated attack, 15 victims were killed in Barcelona and the resort town of Cambrils, 75 miles south of the city. One hundred twenty people were injured. Eight members of a 12-strong terror cell suspected to be behind the attacks have been killed and four others are in police custody.
Following the attack, Bar-Hen had sobering words for his congregants.
“Jews are not here permanently,” he said of the city and region. “I tell my congregants: Don’t think we’re here for good. And I encourage them to buy property in Israel. This place is lost. Don’t repeat the mistake of Algerian Jews, of Venezuelan Jews. Better [to get out] early than late.”
Part of the problem exposed by the attacks, Bar-Hen said, is the presence of a large Muslim community with “radical fringes.” Once these people are “living among you,” he said of terrorists and their supporters, “it’s very difficult to get rid of them. They only get stronger.” He also said this applied to Europe as a whole: “Europe is lost,” he added.
The rabbi said he would not attend a rally called by the mayor of Barcelona because he had been advised by security authorities to avoid public areas for a period of time because he is recognizably Jewish.
Bar-Hen emphasized that he was speaking as a private person and not for all members of his community. Other Jewish people in Barcelona rejected the rabbi’s predictions of doom and vowed to remain in Spain.
“Barcelona is a city where Jews have been living for 100 years and of which they are proud. We Jews will not leave our city,” Jewish community spokesman Victor Sorenssen said in an email to The Times of Israel.
Sorenssen said the attacks would not weaken the Jewish community’s commitment to Barcelona.
“Terrorism, with its vile mechanisms of fear, will not be able to defeat us. Barcelona is not afraid; its Jews join them in this stance. This cowardly attack will make us stronger. It is time for solidarity and social commitment. Not for sensationalist headlines,” Sorenssen added.
After last Thursday’s attack, all Jewish institutions closed for 24 hours at the request of security authorities. The Barcelona community resumed activities in time for Shabbat prayers.
Please join me in praying for the safety of Jewish people – in Spain, in Israel and around the world.
And pray for the wisdom of those in authority in these lands, that they would know how best to combat terrorism and ensure the safety of their citizens.
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Search me, O God, and know my heart. Examine me, and know my anxious thoughts, and see if there be any offensive way within me, and lead me in the way everlasting.– Psalm 139:23-24 TLV
The Hebrew month of Elul falls in August/September. It lies between the months in which Israel committed its two great sins (worshipping the golden calf and the evil report by the 10 spies) and the High Holy Days during which Jewish people believe God makes and seals His judgment on them for the following year. Thus, Elul has become a month of accounting and repentance in preparation for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
In this post-Temple era when sacrifices are no longer possible, Jewish people consider King David’s words from Psalm 51:
For You would not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it, nor be pleased by burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.
― Psalm 51:18-19 TLV
They reflect on their lives over the past year and focus on making amends and seeking God’s mercy for the coming New Year.
Elul contains 29 days. There are 40 days from the 1st of Elul to Yom Kippur. This is reminiscent of Moses’ time on Mount Sinai when he interceded for the Hebrew people who had fallen so quickly into idolatry. Because God was merciful and forgave His people, Elul is known as the month of divine mercy and forgiveness.
Traditions for the observance of Elul include an increase in gifts of charity, called tzedakah (tzeh-DAH-kah) in Hebrew, and reciting Psalm 27 twice a day throughout the season. An 18th-century rabbi added the ritual of reading through the book of Psalms with three psalms read each day between the 1st of Elul and Yom Kippur. The final 36 psalms are recited on Yom Kippur to complete the book.
The shofar is blown every morning except Shabbat during Elul. This call to worship serves as a reminder to examine one’s life and go before God in contrition. Selichot (s’lee-KHOHT) are special prayers of repentance spoken during Elul. Some Jewish sects begin adding selichot on the first day of the month while others start them closer to Rosh Hashanah.
For Jewish people, the focus of the month is to attain a right standing with God so that He will assign a favorable judgment. According to Jewish tradition, God makes this judgment for the coming year on Rosh Hashanah, the “head of the year,” and seals it on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The traditional greeting during Elul and these Holy Days is, “May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year.”
Jewish Voice Ministries shares biblical insight as to why God wants you to have a heart for Israel and the Jewish people. Take this quiz to discover how much you know about the State of Israel, the Promised Land, and God's chosen people.
Messianic Judaism recognizes that Yeshua (Jesus) made eternal atonement when He laid down His life as the Lamb of God. For those who have placed their faith in Him, our position as God’s adopted sons and daughters is secured forever. Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us that we are not saved by our deeds, but by God’s grace and faith in Yeshua’s sacrifice. The Holy Spirit was given to Believers as a seal and promise of God’s acceptance and our new relationship with Him.
Because Yeshua addressed our sin once and for all, we don’t have to wonder year after year if God will have mercy on us at Yom Kippur. We don’t have to scramble to get right for an annual judgment or ramp up our giving to charity to end the year in good standing.
What a gift! What a blessing to know we have been granted right standing with God forever because Yeshua died for us on the executioner’s stake. He took our sin upon Himself and paid the price for us.
However, as Believers, we know that we continually fall short of God’s desires for the way to live our lives. Though our eternal standing is secure, our fellowship with God is affected by the sinful nature within us. So, there is always room for repentance. It is an ongoing need in our lives.
Just as the annual Thanksgiving holiday invites us to embrace gratitude each day of the year, so Elul is an opportunity for Messianic Jews and Gentile Believers to re-focus on repentance. It is a reminder to let God reign in our daily lives and seek to glorify Him more. Repentance – turning our hearts from sin and to God in restored fellowship – is a habit to pursue. Elul reminds us of that.
Elul, in Messianic Judaism, encompasses thankfulness for Yeshua’s atoning sacrifice and the Holy Spirit’s sealing as well as examining our hearts to remain in close fellowship with God. As the shofar sounds in synagogues each day during Elul, let’s also use this period to pray that God will lift the blindness from Jewish eyes and that they will receive their Messiah, Yeshua.
Jewish Voice Ministries shares biblical insight as to why God wants you to have a heart for Israel and the Jewish people. Take this quiz to discover how much you know about the State of Israel, the Promised Land, and God's chosen people.
The Taylor Force Act has cleared another hurdle and appears to be on its way to becoming law, reports the Jerusalem Post.
The bill would cut U.S. taxpayer funding of the Palestinian Authority (PA) if it doesn’t stop paying salaries to terrorists and their families. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved the measure by a 16-5 vote late last week.
The Act, named for a former U.S. Army officer who was stabbed to death by a Palestinian in Tel Aviv in March 2016, will now advance to a full Senate vote.
If it passes, the bill would compel the State Department to cut off funding to the PA if it does not suspend its practice of paying what it considers “martyr” compensation — monthly payments to terrorists if they are convicted or to their families if they are killed.
Speaking to reporters, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham praised the bill, while decrying the situation that prompts it: “The longer you’re in jail, [or] the more vicious the crime, the more money you get. That’s inconsistent with peace. It is a sick system. It needs to change.”
The Act also requires the PA to take “credible steps” against inciting violence against Israelis and Americans.
The United States currently gives the PA nearly $500 million in annual aid. The legislation would preserve only the portion designated for security assistance and humanitarian aid — roughly $60 million.
Misinformed and counterproductive– The Palestine Liberation Organization
The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) quickly responded, criticizing the bill as a “misinformed and counterproductive” measure that risks undermining the PA.
Husam Zomlot, the PLO’s Washington envoy, told the Post, “This is a 52-year-old program to support families who lost their breadwinners to the atrocities of the occupation, the vast majority of whom are unduly arrested or killed by Israel.”
“The Act does not enhance the security of Americans and Israelis,” the Palestinian further maintained. “Nor does it permit Palestine to provide for the security and well-being of its people who continue to live under a half-century-old military occupation."
The bill gained the support of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a pro-Israel lobby group. The organization says on its website that “the legislation does not affect U.S. funding for security cooperation, nor does it cut humanitarian programs if the U.S. government can certify that the PA is taking credible steps to end violence against Israelis and Americans.”
After weeks of unrest, it’s nice to hear this good news
After all of the tension, rioting and violence in Israel that resulted from the recent Temple Mount crisis, it’s a relief to hear reports that action is being taken that just might reduce terrorism in the region.
U.S. taxpayers should not be compelled to reward terrorists who kill Israelis or other Americans.
Still, we know that the roller coaster ride of political and religious conflict in the Middle East will continue until Yeshua (Jesus), The Prince of Peace, returns. He has promised to make all things right — not only for the nation of Israel, but for all nations.
We know He’ll keep that promise. While we wait for that day, our scriptural call remains the same: to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6). We continue to pray for peace in the Land of Israel and also in the hearts of each person — whether Jewish or Arab — which can only be achieved through faith in Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Messiah).
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After his diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease in 2011, Glen Campbell’s abilities to play, sing and remember songs began to decline rapidly. His wife Kim’s sense of urgency grew to get him into the studio one last time to capture what magic was left, knowing this would be the last opportunity.
“Just as our new reality began to sink in,” Kim recalled in the album’s liner notes, “fate found us spending an afternoon with Carl Jackson, Glen’s long-time banjo player and friend – and, most notably, the person who set Glen and me up on a blind date 34 years ago!
“We reminisced that day about all of the songs that were still on Glen’s ‘list’ – songs he had loved to sing but never recorded,” she said. But time had slipped away, and it hadn’t happened. Conversation sparked inspiration that afternoon, and the wheels were put in motion.
Jackson laid down some basic tracks and vocals for Campbell to study and practice in preparation for his final session. Then, more than 50 years after he recorded his first hit song, “Turn Around, Look At Me,” Campbell was ready to walk into the vocal booth one last time.
“We weren’t sure what would come of those recordings, but it felt like something that had to be done,” Kim explained. “We knew that if we were able to preserve these moments, we would be giving the world a gift – but we would also be helping Glen successfully complete a big task on his bucket list.”
The process of capturing Campbell’s vocals was heartbreaking at times.
“I’d heard Glen sing these songs so many times over the years and was trying my best to remind him of the subtle nuances and details that he’d developed – and then forgotten,” Kim recalled.
Campbell was barely able to remember the words to the songs as he sang them. Jackson would hold up sheets of paper with large print lyrics and feed them to the Country Music Hall of Fame performer one line at a time, Kim said, adding that, although he struggled, she could tell he was clearly ecstatic about being in the studio again.
“The songs flowed freely and clearly straight from his heart, and the voice and tone were still remarkably – unmistakably – his,” Kim said.
“Our son Cal described it well, saying that his dad sang ‘better than most other performers could, even with half of his brain tied behind his back.’ ’’
Once completed, the recordings were stored away. Later, as Kim coped with the trauma of watching her husband descend into late stages of dementia, she decided to crack open the vaults and, with Jackson, listen once more to those basic tracks they had recorded that day.
“It only took a few minutes to be reminded of how good he sounded and how beautifully he interpreted each phrase. We realized immediately that it would be a shame to not finish this record. We had to share it with the world.”
Kim and Jackson set out to enlist some of the best musicians in the business to give the record the polish and charm that Campbell was known for.
The result was Adiós, Campbell’s final album. The name comes from the last track on the record, one of his favorite Jimmy Webb songs. But with Campbell dying just weeks after its release, the title is heart breaking even while its music is uplifting.
The process of recording the final version of Adiós took nearly six months, Kim recalled.
“We brought in Willie Nelson to sing the other half of a duet with Glen, Vince Gill added harmonies to a Roger Miller tune, Aubrey Haynie came in to play some fiddle, and Mike Johnson added classic steel guitar tones alongside many of Nashville's top session players. Carl handled all of the guitars himself this time around,” she said.
The final days of tracking were both the most rewarding and the hardest, as Campbell’s children Ashley, Shannon and Cal each took their turns in the booth to add vocals behind their dad’s parts.
“It’s easy to get caught up in the recording process and lose track of the meaning behind the lyrics or story that each song is telling, but these sessions were different,” Kim said.
“The feelings of love, respect, and the somber realization that these would be the last Campbell family harmonies committed to tape were very present in the room. Just like their father, each of them stepped up to the microphone and performed with that rare mix of professionalism, skill, heart and soul.”
While the experience was bittersweet, Kim said it was “more than worthwhile” when she listens to the finished album today.
“What you’re hearing when listening to Adiós is the beautiful and loving culmination of friends and family doing their very best for the man who inspired, raised, and entertained them for decades – they gave him the chance to say one last goodbye to his fans, and put one last amazing collection of Glen Campbell songs onto the record store shelves,” she said.
