in the middle east

December is a unique month here in Israel/Palestine because each of the three Abrahamic religions has a major holiday: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha, "The Feast of Sacrifice' a holiday commemorating Abraham's binding of Isaac; Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah to commemorate the rededication of the Second Temple after gaining political independence from Syria in the Maccabean revolt (167-165 BC); Christians celebrate Christmas to remember the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. On the Israeli side of town, you would never know it was Christmas; while there are many lights (although, not green and red) and decorations, they are all for Hanukkah; in Bethlehem you would never know it was Hanukkah, all the decorations are for Christmas. Such is life here. We got to experience the full range of holiday festivities in Jerusalem, and I've tried to represent a small sample of it all. And to top it off, I've included some photos and video of a very interesting group of Orthodox Jewish peace-enthusiasts. The disciples of Rabbi Nahman Me'uman believe that peace, love, and dancing are the key to Peace in the Middle East. You have to see it to believe it. Click Here.