NZ Friends of Israel Association Inc
Fighting racial intolerance in New Zealand and beyond
In 2023, Hanukkah is on December 7 through December 15.
Hanukkah – also spelled Chanukah or other transliterations from Hebrew – is Judaism’s “festival of lights.” On eight consecutive nights, Jews gather with family and friends to light one additional candle in the menorah – a multi-branched candelabra.
After Sukkot ends, most Orthodox Jews keep their lulavs in storage until six months later; there is a custom to use the dried-out lulav as kindling on the eve of Passover, when Jews burn all their leftover leavened products. However, in one tiny Jewish community this has never been the custom. In New Zealand, as soon as Sukkot is finished, all lulavs and etrogs are surrendered to the Ministry for Primary Industries, where they are destroyed with liquid nitrogen.
New Zealand has some of the tightest biosecurity laws in the world. There are huge signs at the airport noting that upon arrival, one must declare the presence of any organic material that is brought into the country: seeds, food, animal byproducts—even an apple you packed for the flight. Bringing any organic material into the country without declaring its presence and obtaining permission can result in serious fines, or in severe cases, even jail.
To all our friends and supporters in New Zealand and around the world, many of whom are still in various forms of lockdown because of COVID-19, who are observing Pesach: Hag Pesach sameach!
Israeli archaeologists have discovered of dozens of new Dead Sea Scroll fragments bearing a biblical text found in a desert cave, and believed hidden during a Jewish revolt against Rome nearly 1900 years ago.
The fragments of parchment bear lines of Greek text from the books of Zechariah and Nahum and have been dated around the 1st century AD based on the writing style, according to the Israel Antiquities Authority, which announced the discovery on Tuesday.
They are the first new scrolls found in archaeological excavations in the desert south of Jerusalem in 60 years.
Recommended by one of our supporters. Thought provoking…
NZFOI: Nathan Lewin, a distinguished US Attorney, says that the Kosher Slaughter advocates neglected to include key evidence that would have strengthened their case, after an European Court ruled against them.
Neither this history [i.e. the evidence presented in the US] nor the scientifically supported proposition that shechita’s “simultaneous and instantaneous severance of the carotid arteries with a sharp instrument” is as effective as stunning was presented to the European court.
It is clear from the reasoning articulated in the opinion that no one gave the European court the evidence that was heard by the American congressional committees. The European court assumed that animal welfare, which it recognized as a permissible legislative goal, required stunning before slaughter.
It held that stunning only affected “one aspect of the specific ritual act of slaughter and that act of slaughter is not, by contrast, prohibited as such.” This limited restriction, it said, “is appropriate for achieving the objective of promoting animal welfare.”
The Chief Rabbi has launched a scathing attack on China’s persecution of its Uyghur Muslim minority, in an intervention that will add further pressure on governments, companies and consumers to take action.
Writing in The Guardian on Tuesday, Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said that, having heard several accounts from Uyghurs who had escaped, “and reflecting upon the deep pain of Jewish persecution throughout the ages, I feel compelled to speak out”.
He said speaking out was a duty, particularly at Chanukah, “when we recall attempts ‘to cause the Jewish faith to be forgotten and to prevent Jews from keeping their traditions’… These words refer back to the cruel oppression of Jews”.
Many of us were enthralled by this wonderful Israeli comedy. It’s Israeli Netflix release is on Sunday!
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, the much respected former chief rabbi of the UK, has died aged 72.Sacks was highly esteemed around the Jewish world for his erudition, his wisdom, and his prolific authorship of works on Jewish thought.
Baruch Dayan Ha’Emet. It [is] with the deepest sadness that we regret to inform you that Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks (HaRav Ya’akov Zvi ben David Arieh z’’l) passed away early this morning, Saturday 7th November 2020 (Shabbat Kodesh 20th MarCheshvan 5781).
— Rabbi Sacks (@rabbisacks) November 7, 2020
Sacks announced in the middle of October that he had been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing treatment, but passed away on Saturday morning.
Hi Christchurch Folk, there is a new bible study that has started up which explores the Hebrew roots of the bible both Old and New Testaments.
Meeting on Wednesdays, well-researched and thought-provoking, this study program will give you access to many useful resources.
For more details, contact our secretary Rebecca Marchand: rebecca.marchand@nzfoi.org.
