David  Ha'ivri is a Councilman on the Shomron Municipal Council. He has  traveled around the world speaking for Israel, in his capacity as an  Israeli political strategist he has led leadership delegations to meet  with elected officials in Washington D.C., London, and Brussels.

Featured  in a number of documentary films, David has been a dedicated  spokesperson on the contentious issues of settlements on the holiest  land on earth, widely discussing the Jewish side of the story for over  25 years.

A not to be missed event certain to enlighten with hard-hitting facts and insights!

Mazal Meni was born in Hevron in 1894 to one of the prestigious families of the Jewish community, her father Malchiel Meni was the first Jew to serve as a judge in the Ottoman empire and her grandfather Eliyahu Meni was the Chief rabbi of the holy city of Hevron. According to the Meni family tradition their linkage goes back to the line of King David. In 1901 the family moved from Hevron to Jerusalem where her father would sit as a judge in court. She completed her schooling in the Evelina de Rothschild School in Jerusalem and with private tutors. In 1912 the Egyptian Jewish Doctor Albert Mosseri came to Jerusalem to bury his father at the Mount of Olives century. He visited the Meni home and immediately fell in love with Mazal and asked for her hand in marriage. She wasn’t quick to agree to marry the Doctor who was 27 years her senior and only agreed after he promised that they would make their home in Jerusalem and that he would help her pursue medical studies herself. They were married in the Amdorsky hotel in Jerusalem with live music performed by the Ottoman military orchestra at the order of the Trukish governor of the city.

After the war was over, Mazal expected the family to return to Jerusalem, but a surprise was waiting for her. Her husband Doctor Albert Mosseri had a calling to go back into the world of journalism. He convinced her that by publishing a pro Zionist newspaper in Cairo they could be doing a greater service to the nation than simply going to live in the land of Israel. She agreed. Their newspaper called “Israel” would appear weekly in French, Arabic and Hebrew for the better part of the next 20 years.

Mazal Mosseri Zionist leader in Cairo

Publisher Dr. Albert Mosseri died suddenly in February 1933,his Mazal assumed leadership of the publication. The editorial board includes representatives of all parts of Egypt’s complex Jewish community, Sefaradi, Ashkanazi, local, and Karite Jews. This was not the only Jewish newspaper in Egypt during this period, but “Israel” was unique because it was published in three languages, French, Arabic and Hebrew which brought its message to all parts of the Jewish community in Egypt and also to non Jewish readers. The editorial positions lead by Mazal Mosseri were very clearly in support of the Jewish revival and settlement in the Land of Israel which was under the British Mandate, the paper also took a very strong and courageous stand agaist Hitler and Nazi germany. This was not without challenges in the internal Egyptian political atmosphere at the time. As mentioned above Egypt too was controlled by the British and emerging political trends believed that aligning with the Nazis might assist them in getting the British out of their country. Mazal was actually sued for libel by the German and Italian ambassadors for writing editorials against Hitler and fascist dictator of Italy Benito Mussolini. The Egyptian government threatened to close her newspaper.  As the Egyptian became more and more opposed to Zionism it became impossible to continue publishing the newspaper. Mazal started to receive direct anonymous threats. In August 1939 she decided to leave Egypt. The newspaper “Israel” was mergerd with a Zionist newspaper out of Alexandria called “La Tribune Juive”. Many leaders of the Jewish community in Cairo attended a farewell reception in her honor. She would return to the land of Israel to join her daughter Yehudit and her son Macabee who himself would become an officer in the Haggana and a war hero. On departing Egypt for the last her passport was stamped with the words “Not to be granted reentry to Egypt”.

Leviticus Chapter 12 and 13 read by David Ha'ivri from the Hebrew Bible JPS 1917 Edition

1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying:   2 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying: If a woman be  delivered, and bear a man-child, then she shall be unclean seven days;  as in the days of the impurity of her sickness shall she be unclean.   3 And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.   4 And she shall continue in the blood of purification three and  thirty days; she shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come into the  sanctuary, until the days of her purification be fulfilled.   5 But if she bear a maid-child, then she shall be unclean two  weeks, as in her impurity; and she shall continue in the blood of  purification threescore and six days.   6 And when the days of her purification are fulfilled, for a son,  or for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb of the first year for a  burnt-offering, and a young pigeon, or a turtle-dove, for a  sin-offering, unto the door of the tent of meeting, unto the priest.   7 And he shall offer it before the LORD, and make atonement for  her; and she shall be cleansed from the fountain of her blood. This is  the law for her that beareth, whether a male or a female.   8 And if her means suffice not for a lamb, then she shall take  two turtle-doves, or two young pigeons: the one for a burnt-offering,  and the other for a sin-offering; and the priest shall make atonement  for her, and she shall be clean.

Timeline - The Jewish Temple in Jerusalem was ransacked and destroyed by  the Romans in year 70. Masada, the last pocket oaf Judean resistance,  was conquered by the Romans in year 73. The Jews who survived fled or  were north west, Hijaz, later to be known as Arabia in the south, Egypt  and north Africa in the South West.      The events we will speak about today are based in North Africa and  Egypt, but also reach Cyprus, Persia and Judea.   The year is 115, 45 years after the devastating destruction of Jerusalem  and exile of the Jews. Large nukulus of Jews are now settled in North  Africa and other areas mentioned earlier. Again for timeline perspective  these events took place a least 100 years before the connotation of the  Mishna, long before the Talmud. Who were the Jews in the beginning of  the 2nd century and only a few decades after the loss of Jewish  independence in Judea? What were their core beliefs and objectives? Did  they dream to gather strength to return to their homeland and reclaim  independence.   We don’t really have precise answers to those questions. But we do know  that the Jews at the time were not happy with their reality living as an  oppressed minority in the vast Roman Empire. We know this because they  held a major revolt starting in Cyrenaica, now northern Libya. A Jewish  leader named Lukuas Andreas gathered forces and fought the Romans. They  took control of the city and destroyed many Temples of Idolatry and  Roman culture.   From there they proceeded east to Alexandria which too had a very large  Jewish population who readily joined the revolt against the Romans  which spread out to other provinces.    Not enough is known about the objectives of the Jewish revolt. Did  Lukuas Andreas actually declare himself Messiah and King of the Jews as  some historians have described or is that a later addition. The Romans  responded to the revolt with great force. By 117, two years after it  began, they succeeded in depressing the revolt at great cost to the Jews  who were totally wiped out in Cyprus and in great numbers in  Alexandria. The Jews who survived were forced to pay heavy taxes to  cover costs of rebuilding the ruins of the war.    For information on Tours in Israel https://www.tours.haivri.com   Follow David Ha'ivri for more updates from the Heartland of Israel Twitter: https://twitter.com/haivri Podcast: https://anchor.fm/haivri Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/haivri Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/david.haivri Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidhaivri/

Regina Lukai a 16-year-old Jewish girl from Erbil, Kurdistan in northern  Iraq, was arrested by the Iraqi regime who found a letter in Hebrew in a  search of her home. She was imprisoned in one of the most infamous  Iraqi prisons, Nukrat al-Salman, a fortress in the desert with criminals  and political prisoners. 50 prisoners of the 162 political prisoners  were Jews.   For information on Tours in Israel https://www.tours.haivri.com  Follow David Ha'ivri for more updates from the Heartland of Israel Twitter: https://twitter.com/haivri Podcast: https://anchor.fm/haivri Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/haivri Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/david.haivri Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidhaivri/

The year is 1938 during the British Mandate of Palestine a 43 year old British Archeologist named James Starkey is murdered by local Arabs on the road to Hebron. What was he doing there and why was he killed? The period is known as the great Arab Revolt, hundreds of Jews in Jerusalem. Hebron, Tzafat, Yaffo and Teveria were murdered or mamed by Arab rioters who were lead by Nazi affilate Haj Amin Al Husseini.

The official British assumption at the time was that Starkey’s death was a result of the revolt and local rebel leader Issa Battat from nearby Dhahiriya was held accountable and later targeted and killed in retaliation by the British forces. It was later argued that Starkey was killed in a robbery or dispute with the Arab landowners of the Lakish site. He was buried in the Protestan cemetery on mount Zion.

But, what you might ask was doing here at the time? This might remind you of scenes in the hollywood productions of the Indiana Jones in search of the lost ark. Which by no coincidence is imagined in the same time period. Pre WWII western researchers and explorers took advantage of the region being under the control Christian nations examine the lands of the Bible and search for historical artifacts to prove its authenticity.

James Starkey was one of those individuals on who’s real life events the escapades Indiana Jones were imagined. And as his end proved, real live events were no less exciting and dangerous than in the movies.

Starkey led the Tel Lachish dig from 1932 until they came to a sudden end with his untimely death in 1938. During that time he discovered over 20 ancient Hebrew letters of correspondence between the governor of Lachish and the King of Judea in the capital city Jerusalem. The days were the leading up to the Babylonian conquest of Judea that is recorded in the Bible in the book of Kings. In one of the letters he writes “we don’t see Azaka any more…” Azaka was a Jewish city fortress on a hill to the north, they would communicate with fires lit in the night. From the report we understand that Azaka had been captured by the Babylonian invaders.

Lachish at the time was the second most important city after Jerusalem enclosed with a protective wall and guard towers.

The story of the Assyrian victory over the kingdom of Judah during the siege of Lachish in 701 BCE was displayed as a decoration on a wall carving of the South-West Palace of Sennacherib in Nineveh (Today Iraq). The events surrounding the conquest of Lachish are recorded in many sources; in the Hebrew Bible, the Lachish reliefs, Assyrian cuneiform prisms and in the archeological excavations at Lachish. Sennacherib's conquests of Judean cities, without the capital Jerusalem, are mentioned in the Bible, the book of Kings, Book of Chronicles and in the book of Isaiah.

Visit Tel Lachish National Park

The archaeological remains are a main attraction for the whole family

Where we can hike around and see the Old City Gate, the letter room where ancient Hebrew letters were found, they tell the story of the era, a central street where homes and small shops were discovered, The castle palace courtyard, and the foundation building of the fortress palace. The site has informational signs at each spot explaining what can be seen here.

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Hamuda Abu Al Ayniin was born to Arab Muslim parents in a village near Tzafat in 1926 during the British Mandate in Palestine at a time of servere hostilies and progroms by Arabs targeting Jewish towns. But, he chose to go to the Jewish Alliance school in Tzafat as its only Arab student. There he became intrigued with the Jewish culture and joined the Jabotinsky Batar youth movement.

His fascination with Judaism caused tension with his family and village who were clearly unhappy with his new affiliation and his excitement for the re-establishment of the Jewish commonwealth. For this reason he would stay in the Mystic city of Tzafat till late hours of the night studying Torah and activities in the Zionist youth movement. At first his new friends in the Betar movement were sceptical of the Arab youth who expressed enthusiasm for their movement. They thought that he was some kind of spy or at least mocking them. They tried to avoid him and even beat him when he persisted to be in their company. But, he didn’t let up on his aspirations to be a Jew.

In 1938 he completed his high school studies in Tzafat, he moved to Haifa after death threats from his family because of his decision to convert to Judaism. The rabbis turned him away a couple of times, but finally agreed to accept him as a Jew. At age 20 he was circumcised and immersed in the purifying waters of the mikvah and officially took on the observance of Torah as his lifestyle. From the Beit Din rabbincal court with his new official Jewish standing he proceeded to his next objective, to become a fighter for the freedom of Israel, he applied to join the “Irgun” underground who were fighting the British occupation of the land of Israel for an independent Jewish State in the historical homeland. Again he faced sceptical leaders of the Jewish national movement, but, ultimately he was accepted.

On an underground mission in 1946 he and two of his fellow Irgun fighters caught British soldiers and gave them a lashing in revenge for the British doing the same to Irgun fighters. Soon after, he and his comrades were arrested by the British. When asked for his identification he told the British that his name was Baruch Mizrachi, fearing that they would discover his original Arab identity which could have been very dangerous for him as his own family was out to kill him for becoming a Jew.

He was sent to British detention camp in Latrun where he was held for three month and then together with 55 other Jewish underground members transferred to camps in Eritrea in Africa. While in exile he remained dedicated to his faith. Each morning before sunbreak he would wake his Jewish friends for the morning prayers with Talit and Tefilin and pray to HaShem to bring them back to the land of Israel and remove the British invaders.

After the British discovered his identity, in collaboration with his Arab family in Tzafat they offered him release from prison on the terms that he would utrn his back on the Jews and return to his Muslim faith. He refused and remained in exile until 1948.

While in Eritrea he was shot by local  camp guards and severely wounded, his greatest concern was that he would die there and not be buried in a Jewish cemetery. When visited there by the Chief Rabbi Herzog he begged the rabbi to assure him that he would be buried in accord to the Jewish rites. The rabbi placed his hands on Baruch’s head and prayed for his full recovery and return to the land.

When the State of Israel was established and the banished were allowed to return. But, his service to the nation was not over. The newly founded Jewish State was fighting for its survival in the War of Independence.

Some might be surprised to learn that throughout the ages there have been remarkable women who have held top positions in leadership of the Jewish people. Dating back to Biblical times we learn of Devorah, Yael, Yehudit, Esther, Shlomtzion to name a few. Today we will talk about a women who was the leading figure of the Jewish community in Kurdistan in the 17th century.

Kabbalist Rabbi Shmuel HaLevi Barzani was the head of the Yeshiva in Mosul in the 16th century. He had no male sons, only one daughter, Asnat. He trained her in the rabbinical teachings and passed all his knowledge to her. She was very bright and dedicated to the study of Torah. She gained the respect of many Jewish scholars who awarded her the title “Tanaait” a name used for sages of the Mishna.

With her father’s blessing she was married to his outstanding student Rabbi Yaakov Mizrachi on the condition that she would not be burdened with the cores of housework and would be free to continue her study of Torah. After her father’s death, her husband assumed the title of Rosh Yeshiva, but while he was too busy with his own studies, she actually taught the students in the Yeshiva and when he died she became the Rosh Yeshiva.

Asnat Barzani is a renowned figure among the Kurdistani Jewish community. Many legends and stories narrate her life and the miracles she performed. The most famous is the tale of the “Flock of Angels” which is told at Rosh Hodesh, the new month in the Hebrew calendar.

According to the legend, her father often appeared in Barzani's dreams, revealing dangers to her and telling her how to avert them. On one such occasion, she went to the city of Amêdî where she convinced the Jews to celebrate Rosh Hodesh, making a blessing on the new moon, outdoors, as had been their custom before they were harassed by hostile non Jewish towns-people.

As they proceeded with the celebration, there were shouts and they saw flames shoot up into the sky. The synagogue had been set on fire, with all the sacred books and scrolls in it. After Asnat Barzani whispered a secret name she had learned from her father, the people saw a flock of angels descending to the roof of the synagogue. The angels beat the flames with their wings, until every last spark had been put out. Then they rose up into the heavens like a flock of white doves and were gone. And when the smoke cleared, everybody saw that not only none of the Jews had been hurt since the congregation had been outdoors, but that another miracle had taken place: the synagogue had not burned, nor were any of the Torah scrolls touched by the flames. After that miracle, the Jews of Amêdî or Amadiya were not harassed by the gentiles for a long time.

Asnat is buried in Amadiya where would Jews go on pilgrimage.

Have you heard of the Jewish rabbi from Morocco who became a sea pirate and a diplomat in the 16th century? This is the story of Rabbi Samuel Pallache. He was born in the city of Fez, Morocco in 1550 to parents who had made their home there after fleeing persecution of Jews in Spain following the Al-Ham-bra decree of March 1942. When Catholic Monarchs Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon expelled all Jews from Spain as part of the Reconquista. This followed forced conversion of nearly half of Spanish Jews to Christianity. Hundreds of thousands of Jews were either forced to become Catholic or flee the country.

Samuel Pallache was born in 1550 in the crowded Jewish quarter of Fez, like many of his neighbors who were descendants of Jews expelled from Spain. His father was a rabbi and teacher, who planned a similar career for his son. But Samuel, who was ordained as a rabbi, had different aspirations he dreamt to travel seas. Samuel with his brother Yosef, went to Tetuan in north Morocco, where they soon became seamen and Pirates. The Pallache brothers determined to punish the Spanish for the crimes they committed against the Jews, they would attack Spanish commercial ships coming back from South America loaded with wealth from the New World and then they would pose as Spanish traders and sell the goods they stole in the Spanish port cities.

In his book “Jewish Pirates” Edward Kritzler sheds light on a fascinating phenomena: Jewish pirates who acted after the expulsion from Spain and would attack mainly Spanish ships as revenge. The most notable man among them was Don Samuel Pallache, who was a rabbi, ship captain, ambassador, spy, double agent – as well as a pirate.

Samuel Pallache arrived in the Netherlands (Holland) sometime after 1590. After a delegation from the Dutch Republic visited Morocco to discuss a common alliance against Spain. In 1608 Sultan Zidan Abu Maali appointed the Jewish merchant Samuel Pallache to interpret for his envoy to the Dutch government in The Hague.

On June 23, 1608, Pallache met Prince Maurice of Nassau and the States-General in The Hague to negotiate an alliance of mutual assistance against Spain. In December 1610, the two nations signed the Treaty of Friendship and Free Commerce, an agreement recognizing free commerce between the Netherlands and Morocco, and allowing the sultan to purchase ships, arms and munitions from the Dutch.This was one of the first official treaties between a European country and a non-Christian nation.

In addition to his diplomatic affairs, Pallache also continued his activities as a merchant, actively trading between the Netherlands and Morocco. He also got permission from Prince Maurice for privateering activities. The goods obtained through these pirating activities were sold along the Moroccan coast.

In 1614, Pallache, having captured a Portuguese ship, was unable to bring its cargo ashore in Morocco and so sailed for the Netherlands. A heavy storm forced him to seek refuge in an English port where, by request of the Spanish ambassador, he was arrested and imprisoned. Eventually, Prince Maurice came to his aid and helped bring him back to the Netherlands. However, he had lost all his money by then and fell ill shortly thereafter.

On February 4, 1616, he died in The Hague, and was buried in the Beth Haim cemetery of the Portuguese Jewish community in Ouder-kerk aan de Amstel near Amsterdam. His tombstone describes him as Morokkaans Gezant (the Moroccan envoy). It cites his birthplace of Fez (Morocco). and burial date in Hebrew calendar 16 of Shvat 5376 (February 4, 1616). And  lists three sons: Isaac, Moses, and David.

Leviticus Chapter 6

1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying:   2 Command Aaron and his sons, saying: This is the law of the  burnt-offering: it is that which goeth up on its firewood upon the altar  all night unto the morning; and the fire of the altar shall be kept  burning thereby.   3 And the priest shall put on his linen garment, and his linen  breeches shall he put upon his flesh; and he shall take up the ashes  whereto the fire hath consumed the burnt-offering on the altar, and he  shall put them beside the altar.   4 And he shall put off his garments, and put on other garments, and carry forth the ashes without the camp unto a clean place.   5 And the fire upon the altar shall be kept burning thereby, it  shall not go out; and the priest shall kindle wood on it every morning;  and he shall lay the burnt-offering in order upon it, and shall make  smoke thereon the fat of the peace-offerings.   6 Fire shall be kept burning upon the altar continually; it shall not go out. {S}   7 And this is the law of the meal-offering: the sons of Aaron shall offer it before the LORD, in front of the altar.   8 And he shall take up therefrom his handful, of the fine flour  of the meal-offering, and of the oil thereof, and all the frankincense  which is upon the meal-offering, and shall make the memorial-part  thereof smoke upon the altar for a sweet savour unto the LORD.   9 And that which is left thereof shall Aaron and his sons eat; it  shall be eaten without leaven in a holy place; in the court of the tent  of meeting they shall eat it.   10 It shall not be baked with leaven. I have given it as their  portion of My offerings made by fire; it is most holy, as the  sin-offering, and as the guilt-offering.   11 Every male among the children of Aaron may eat of it, as a due  for ever throughout your generations, from the offerings of the LORD  made by fire; whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy. {P}

12 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying:   13 This is the offering of Aaron and of his sons, which they  shall offer unto the LORD in the day when he is anointed: the tenth part  of an ephah of fine flour for a meal-offering perpetually, half of it  in the morning, and half thereof in the evening.   14 On a griddle it shall be made with oil; when it is soaked,  thou shalt bring it in; in broken pieces shalt thou offer the  meal-offering for a sweet savour unto the LORD.   15 And the anointed priest that shall be in his stead from among  his sons shall offer it, it is a due for ever; it shall be wholly made  to smoke unto the LORD.   16 And every meal-offering of the priest shall be wholly made to smoke; it shall not be eaten.