This is the first year in a long time that Hatikva Ministries will not be hosting a community Passover Seder. While deliberating the decision, it was determined that we wanted our local participants to be enriched during the season and we wanted to encourage them to broaden their Passover celebrations. With that in mind, we produced a small booklet, “Passover 2011 Guide –A Journal and Handbook” for our local group. It includes some suggestions for preparation, menus, craft ideas, and a few recipes. We liked the idea so much that we decided to offer the book to the greater Hatikva audience as a low-cost e-book. Keep in mind that this handbook is a work in progress, so if you have some ideas generated from this booklet, or if you try something that works well, perhaps you could share it with us and it might appear in a future representation!

In addition, recently Joe taught a Chavurah session on the role of the ‘sent one’ in the first and second redemption, comparing Exodus 3 and John 6-7. Darryl, our friend and former employee, told us that it was like sitting in the company of rabbis discussing the intricacies of Passover. We would also like to make this available to you in an MP3 audio format.

Both the Guide and audio file (2 hours of Joe teaching) are available for download for a $10.00 donation.

These items are not listed in our normal on-line store. We are experimenting with a totally new system, where you can purchase, and immediately download the materials. Please check out our web site to purchase these items at http://hatikva.org/passover-materials.html (Please respect our copyrights)

Barak DVD

Exciting News From the David Fund

For years, Hatikva Ministries has actively raised funds to support the armored forces in the Golan Heights. While support has not been limited to the tank units, most of the donations to the David Fund have gone to help with morale, comfort, and entertainment of these gallant young men and women who daily place their lives on the line to protect Israel’s borders.

Several years ago we began a campaign to raise funds to translate a DVD (video) about the history of the Barak Brigade and some of the fiercest battles into English. Funds generated from the original DVD (in Hebrew) were going to maintain a memorial to the soldiers who died in battle. We felt that it was an honorable cause and pledged to help raise funds in the US to support this effort. We were successful in reaching our goal to finance the English translation. Recently, on our last tour to Israel, we were successful in obtaining several copies which were placed into our hands. It has been a long time coming, but at last, we have an English copy of a tremendously moving video of the soldiers of the Barak Brigade. Over the years the ministry has recounted the stories of heroes such as Tvika, who appears in the DVD.

Now you have the opportunity to see this video and continue to support these fine soldiers. We ask $35.00, plus $2.00 for postage, and you will receive your own copy. All funds generated through the sale of this DVD will continue to support these soldiers via the David Fund. Remember, it is through their valiant efforts that Israel remains safe for tourists. These soldiers who protect Israel make it possible for Americans to visit the Holy Land. Let’s let them know we appreciate them. Just as David brought supplies to his brothers, so the David Fund brings comfort and support to our brothers overseas.

Israel Tour 2011

We have just added a new feature to our web site where several photos from our recent tour can be viewed. The photo album, this first of what we hope will be many, can be viewed at http://hatikva.org/photos

I would like to give you a report on our last tour. I have to say that it was one of the most enjoyable for me personally.  The tour theme was the 1948 War of Independence; however, it was really a mixture of ancient and new, 1948 and Messiah. It made for an interesting journey. We arrived in Israel on March 7^th and spent an afternoon at the hotel getting over jet lag. The beach at Tel Aviv was beautiful but windy. That evening Yonaton Bufti from Arutz Sheva joined us for dinner and briefly spoke and answered questions. The next morning we were off to the Irgun Museum where we met a veteran of the  Irgun fighters. From there we went to the Palmach museum where modern technological theatrics enabled us to become participants in a Palmach action to blow up a bridge. We left Tel Aviv to journey north along the coast to Caesarea. Due to a very cold and windy rain we took a quick look at the Theater and stood in the King’s box where Agrippa I spoke to the people (Acts 12) and they labeled him a god. We went into Herod’s palace and were in the room where Paul addressed Festus and Felix. We saw Herod’s hippodrome where chariot races entertained the crowds and saw the only known Mithraeum in the Middle East. We spent the night in Ariel in Judea Samaria. There we heard from the owners of the hotel who had stopped terrorists’ bombs from doing more damage than what was done.

We journeyed south to Shiloh and visited David Rubin, past mayor and key member of the community. We visited a school and heard a second grade class participate in their religious education. They enthusiastically sang the Ten Commandments. Next we went to a children’s trauma center that gives therapy to children who have experienced the horrors of terrorism. David led us from there to the ancient site of Shilo. We viewed the location of the Tabernacle, which stood for hundreds of years at this site, as well as an adjoining building that really excited me. From there we went to Mount Gerizim and  the Samaritan Museum and Cultural Center. The son of the High Priest of the Samaritans spoke to us for several hours.

The next day we visited Atlit Detention Camp where the British imprisoned Jewish immigrants coming from Europe. There we met a nurse who worked in the camp. On to Kibbutz Lavi where we attended Shabbat Services at the Orthodox Synagogue, followed by a huge Sabbath meal. The next morning we were back off to the Synagogue for Shacharit Service. Then we were divided into small groups to visit in people’s homes and have the afternoon Kiddush. That evening, following Havdalah, we went into Tiberias and saw a light show over the Sea of Galilee. On Sunday we went on the Golan Heights to a Tank base of the Barak Brigade. The Commanding Colonel of the Brigade met with our group telling of the conditions of the soldiers and the role of the Barak Brigade. (See the Barak DVD in this newsletter). While in the north we visited beautiful Rosh Hanikrah and went into the caves where the waves of the Mediterranean Sea make a tremendous water display. This was also where a train bridge was blown up during the War of Independence, keeping the Arabs from receiving supplies and reinforcements from Beirut.

On Tuesday we began our journey to Jerusalem. We stopped at Kibbutz Deganya at the southern end of the Galilee and viewed where the defenders of the Kibbutz stopped a Syrian tank column with little more than home made weapons. Down the Jordan Valley we stopped at a Kibbutz where a major battle was fought against Jordanian troops and three bridges were blown by the defenders.

In Jerusalem we had an emotional entry into the city as the group sang Yerushalyim Shel Zahav as the Temple Mount and Holy City came into view. We stopped on the Mount Scopus and recited Shehekeyanu. We arrived at the Dan Panorama Hotel for our Jerusalem stay. The following day we started out with me leading our group on the Temple Mount. From there we visited the Schick model of the Temple Mount. We spent the rest of the day in the Jewish Quarter of the old city. Moshe Kempinski of Shorashim spoke to the group and then everyone scattered to shop. On Thursday we returned to the Temple Mount where archaeologist Dan Bahat led the group on a tour from his perspective and vast knowledge. We visited the Kotel and returned to the Jewish Quarter. That evening Rabbi Avraham Greenbaum spoke to the group about Purim. It was wonderful. On Friday we split into two groups with several going to the Israel Museum while others visited Yad Vashem, the holocaust memorial. On Shabbat we studied the Parshah and talked about the role of non-Jews and Torah. On Sunday we took a four wheel drive trip over the Burma Road which was built to make a way into besieged Jerusalem in the 1948 War. This exciting trip is one we will always remember. The last day of the trip was indescribable as it was Purim in Jerusalem. Hope you can join us on our next trip.

Temple Research Report to the Rabbis

As most of you know I have been involved in extensive research on the layout of the Temple and its courtyards. This research has not only sought to discover the location of the various buildings but also the arrangement of the chambers within each building. Over the last twenty years I have had several meetings with the Rabbis of the Temple Institute discussing various points of discovery.

In the course of these studies, I put together a team or people who aided our research efforts. The primary team consisted of me, my wife Debbie, and Nolan Armstrong. While Debbie and I wrote the reports and findings of the research, Nolan illustrated it with computer graphics. More than that, we put the information we found into a virtual reality model of the Temple. In fact, a program on History Channel International, “The Naked Archaeologist” hosted by Simcha Jacobivici, features our research and our virtual reality model and is being broadcast in the current season. (Please see our web site for a special opportunity to help this program be seen by a wider audience).

In November of 2006 we had a formal meeting with Rabbi Chaim Richman and Rabbi Yisrael Ariel in Jerusalem to present key points of the research concerning the Inner Courtyard of the Temple. This meeting went extremely well. Several key features of the location of different structures had been located using various documented tunnels, cisterns and underground structures. We were successful in presenting the location of the Cheil, which was a ten cubit platform that surrounded the Inner Courtyards (the Azarah and the Ezrat Nashim – the Court of the Women). We were also able to confirm that the location of the Holy of Holies was the rock beneath the Dome of the Rock. This presented radical changes to how the courtyards were laid out as the Cheil, which defined the boundaries of these courtyards, was found to be much further out than previously thought. We presented in this meeting that there were three different cubits that were used in the Temple Compound. We were not successful in convincing Rabbi Ariel of this point. The validity of everything above also hinged upon the measurements of these three cubits. We left this meeting with the task of returning with additional support for the cubit sizes at a later date.

We returned to the US and I put together a second report covering this point as well as the exact location and layout of the Court of the Women and the location of toilets and mikvaot (Immersion Chambers) south of the Inner Courtyards. This meeting was held in August 2008 and went very well with the Rabbis agreeing with all of the points we made. Again, the information we presented was different from what had previously been perceived about these areas and points of the Temple.

Due to the location of the Cheil, now understood to have been much further to the south and the north than previously thought, the size of the cubit had been defined and presented a large area between the Cheil and the Azarah. Several years ago I discovered a text in Josephus that described four large corner buildings between the Cheil and the Azarah. Once the text was discovered in Josephus, other supporting passages were found in the Tanach, Mishnah, Tosefta, and in both editions of the Talmud. These four corner buildings had never before been presented in any layout of the Temple by anyone. The Rabbis asked me to prepare a report on these buildings.

We returned home with the idea of returning to Israel in the Spring of 2009 to present that report. However, immediately on our return to Texas our community was hit with Hurricane Ike. This delayed the work on this very detailed report for several months. As Spring approached, my mother’s health took a turn for the worse requiring both Debbie and me to totally change our working and traveling schedules. In December of 2009 we had to hospitalize my mother with the end result that she had to be placed in a home where they could adequately care for her. Of course, we were daily at the home with her and unable to travel to Israel. In the meantime the research continued revealing more evidence.

One of the most significant finds involved piecing together how the interiors of these massive corner buildings were laid out. The various sources list multitudes of different chambers, but until now these had remained a mystery as to where they were located and what part they played in the various ceremonies. It might be compared to the overlays science classes use of the human body. First you have a skeleton, then the next sheet puts in the organs while the last lays on the muscles and skin. The Temple was emerging as a functioning unit.

In February of 2010 my mother passed away. The next several months were spent in getting things put in order, expecting to return to Jerusalem during the summer to meet with the Rabbis. During this time contact with Nolan, who lived in Georgia, began to slow down. In June of last year Rabbi Richman came to the United States. I planned on seeing him and finalizing plans for a meeting in Jerusalem later in the summer. The day before we were to meet, my office was broken into and my computer as well as backup copies of the research were stolen.

A friend had a copy of one of my older hard disks from a few years back.  Most things from the last two years were lost. The next several months I worked at trying to get back what was lost and adding the new information I had learned. The report almost doubled in size.

By this point Nolan’s immediate focus had moved away from our research. Although we do have some agreements in place for images to this date, I do not have access to the current model or new images that are required. I am still attempting to talk to Nolan and see what we can work out.

Out of necessity at this time, I am putting together a new team to work on the computer models and graphics. In the future, we hope to work out the situation where Hatikva will own all illustrations as well as the models. We are researching the various options as to the best software for the basic tasks of modeling and collaboration, which will also be compatible for high resolution rendering in the future.

Last month, during our tour to Israel, I had a scheduled a meeting with the Rabbis. I had a written report of almost two hundred pages. Three days before we arrived in Jerusalem, there was a terrible murder in Itamar in Judea-Samaria. Rabbi Richman’s brother-in-law is the mayor of this city. The murder of this family, where the parents and children had their throats slit (including a three month old baby) was upsetting to all of Israel and especially so to Rabbi Richman and his family who are involved with the community. Even though Rabbi Richman said he would continue with the meeting, I chose to postpone it to mid-summer under these circumstances.

Making this trip, as well as what we need to do for the new graphics, will require a considerable amount of additional funds for the ministry. As a special project to help raise these funds, I would like to offer my report to those of you that can help with these expenses. I am asking $50.00 with one catch: I need to present the report to the Rabbis first. On our return we will mail out the report to all who have ordered it. Of course, any donations towards this effort will greatly be appreciated.

Ministry Finances

Last summer we wrote a heartbreaking letter about the financial status of the ministry. There was an enormous response, enabling us to continue with the work and pay our employees. However, we clearly recognized that, while the large spontaneous donations were necessary to pull us out of a deep hole, it was the smaller continual offerings that sustain the ministry. We are very grateful for the response last summer, as well as the faithful gifts and sometime overwhelming support we have had since then. We are facing the reality regarding the ongoing real world recession and inflation that is hurting everyone. Your continual support is what keeps us going. If this ministry has blessed you, then please remember us in your faithful giving, no matter what the gift. We appreciate and are thankful for your support.

Israel Tour 2012

We are now planning a tour to Israel in April 2012. Let us know as soon as possible if you might be interested in this tour. Dates, itinerary, and pricing have not been finalized yet.

Time has flown so quickly in the past few weeks. It is hard to believe that spring is finishing and summer is fast approaching. We look forward to our garden harvest as much as we have enjoyed watching it grow. With Shavuot just around the corner, we feel blessed that we can joyfully anticipate the festive activities and visit with friends from other groups.

You may have noticed the special programs Joe and I recorded for Arba4.com. These programs, or sessions, concentrate on the Festival of Shavuot and are up for view-on-demand even as I write this update. The series consists of 4 specific topics, each divided into 2 parts. The last newsletter gave a pretty good description of the programs. So far, we have had very good response to the specials. We encourage you to continue watching the series, or start fresh if you have not had opportunity to see them before. Every few days a new session is available for view, and remember that all viewing on Arba4 is free and may be seen at any time. I have to say that Joe and I enjoyed presenting the material as much as anything else we have recorded. Follow this link to these specials.

As I mentioned, all programs on Arba4 are available for view at no cost. However, I should point out that it is not free for us to continue these broadcasts. We pay a camera person to record and edit the videos. We then send the material to go through a process to put on the web. That requires other personnel and broadcast expense. We are happy to provide this material for view, but any donation toward the expense is greatly appreciated. Donations may be given through Paypal on our website, the Arba4 website, or check mailed to Hatikva Ministries.

Recently, Joe has been teaching on Israeli War of Independence during Chavurah. An excitement has sprung among our listeners during the audio broadcasts. As a result of this new-found (or renewed) fervor, Joe has started the wheels turning for a new tour to Israel. No dates have been set yet (although March looks promising), but communication has commenced and sites have been discussed. Several have already expressed interest in this tour as it will concentrate on the War of Independence combined with a lot of Temple study. We will definitely keep you posted toward progress on this tour. Joe is so very passionate about seeing and experiencing Israel. He truly has a calling for leading people to ëthe Land.í Please let us know if you would be interested in this tour. In the meantime, you may want to listen to Chavurah on Monday nights. As with Arba4, it is available at no cost; however, the live broadcast follows a specific schedule and is audio only. It begins on Mondays at 7:00 p.m. CST. If you would like the teachings on a monthly basis, then consider the Chavurah subscription ñ available on audio CD, audio MP3, or video on DVD. The DVDís have become the most popular choice among our subscribers because you can see the maps or blackboard, as well as Joe. Follow this link to order Chavurah.

Earlier I mentioned our garden we have planted. Yes, it is a “Recession Garden” as many across the country have also planted. Let’s face it, the overall economy of our country is of serious concern. Many people are hurting from the added burdens this has placed on their personal lives. It seems that few are exempt from these hard-hitting issues. Our prayers are with you all, just as we know you will continue to hold the ministry in prayer. Your donations are greatly appreciated and help us to deliver teachings to those who are unable to contribute financially. May you be rewarded for your continued support in these desperate times.

Shavuot on Arba4

Shalom everyone, I trust all of you had a wonderful Passover and are looking forward to Shavuot. I am very excited to announce to you that Debbie and I have done four special programs (each divided into 2 smaller segments) on this wonderful festival which can be seen on Arba4. I think these Shavuot sessions are some of the best programs that we have ever presented. The first program is up now so give it a look and let us know what you think. http://arba4.com/

The War on Judaism DVD Set

In our last newsletter we announced the releasing of a new set, The War on Judaism, available on DVD.

This two DVD set addresses some of the anti-semitic attitudes all of us experience from time to time. These teachings will help you to realize where you stand in relation to Hashem, Israel and Torah and help give you the tools for coping with a cruel, vicious and misguided world. Click here (http://store.hatikva.org/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=569).

An update on our Upcoming episode on The Naked Archeologist

As many of you know last April and May Nolan Armstrong and I went to Israel and London to film for the popular History Channel show “The Naked Archeologist.” Many of you have asked when the program will air. I called their office today and was told that they have just finished editing the new programs for the coming season. All the programs have to be sent to the History Channel. These should be sent in the next few days. At that point the History Channel will decide when to put them into their schedule. Instead of two programs which we were expecting there will only be one, but I am told it is very good. We do not expect them to air before September.

The Gates on Arba4

Currently I am teaching on “Separating Between the Holy and the Mundane.” This is one of the most important messages of the Tanach and the Kohanim of the Temple were commanded to teach the people this Biblical truth. As we finish this series in the next few programs we will begin a study on the “Laws of Purity and Impurity.” This also was commissioned to the Kohanim to teach the people. Outside of Orthodox Judaism these topics are virtually untouched so I hope you will join me with each episode.

Chavurah on “The War of Independence”

Join us each Monday night at 7:00 PM Central Time as we are teaching on the War of Independence of Israel. This teaching is one you don’t want to miss as it is a key to understanding Israel today. This week we will be talking on the Haganah and Palmach, the Irgun and Lehi and the roles they played then and now. You can listen live by going to our Web Site www.hatikva.org. If these times are inconvenient for you or you would like to receive the DVD’s or CD’s they can be ordered from our Website. Subscriptions are available by the month, 3 months, 6 months or by the year. Whether ordering the DVDs,  Mp3, or CDs it is all the same price. However the most popular format is now DVD because you can see the teaching rather than just listen to it.  Click here for order information (http://store.hatikva.org/catalog/index.php?cPath=23).

The Economy and the Ministry

First I would like to thank all of you for your support. Both our Web Casting of Chavurah and Arba4 was in real danger of having to go off the air as funds were not there to pay the bills we have to pay to keep that going. We spoke of it on both Chavurah and Arba4 and you responded and we say thanks. We know many of you are really hurting and all are feeling the repressed economy and we do pray for you. I need to let you know that the finances of the ministry are at an all time low. We have been looking for a smaller and cheaper place to run the ministry. Pray that we find something soon for we cannot continue at our present location. This is the end of the month and bills are due and the ministry has hardly any funds with which to operate. Please pray with us that this situation improves rapidly. Again let me say thank you for all of your support. Please forgive me as I have really been remiss in telling each one of you how much you mean to us.

Shalom Shalom,

Joseph Good

I’ve noticed recently how easy it has become to be critical of so many things around us. Everyone everywhere expresses angst over political leaders, non-support for Israel, changes in medical care, unfair treatment in the workforce, and the list goes on. True, it is easy to find fault with almost anything or anyone these days. Most of us are quick to notice that we have a better solution for the cares of the world, then we become frustrated when our thoughts are not noticed.

Now we have the power to take control over a small part of our universe and extricate the evil that lurks among us. The good news is that the evil is easily accessible. The bad news (and yet liberating news) is that we have to look within in order for that to happen. I refer, of course, to the season of Passover and the search for chametz (leaven). Remember that chametz represents an inflated ego and pride. These are sometimes the hardest elements for us to identify in ourselves. But, just as the season of teshuvah (repentance) prior to Rosh Hashanah allows us the opportunity to ‘come clean’ before Hashem, the search for chametz can and should be just as encouraging. It allows us to seek, find, and repent.

Sometimes we enter the season intent on cleaning the house, preparing for the seder, or thinking about what to eat during the week-long observance of Hag Hamatzah. While all these elements are very important, it sometimes causes us to downplay the search within our hearts. Remember, the search for chametz is a picture – a physical representation of things that should stir within us. Let’s face it, it is almost impossible for most of us to completely rid ourselves of all leavening agents. So let’s focus on the actual search instead of the final achievement, remembering that often the journey is just as inspiring as the final destination! My hope for ya’ll (you all) is that this season would bring about an inspiring search and journey.

Once chametz has been searched, found, and extricated we begin the observance of Passover itself. In that respect, the seder is the conclusion of the search – celebrating that we are once again a new creation. Our custom in the last several years is to conduct a family seder on the first night and a community seder that includes friends and family on the second night of Passover. I cook for both meals, so usually the menu is similar for both events. I insist that the meal include several courses, partly because I really like to use my Passover china. In addition, the meal turns out to be one of our finest of the year. We usually end the evening feeling overly full – but don’t most mothers want their children to feel enriched during a festival? I thought you might like to see a typical menu for one or both of the gatherings.

Menu

Roasted egg and salad

Matzah ball soup

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts baked in duck sauce

Potatoes (the easiest for the community meal are the small red kind boiled and dressed with parsley, but we have also had various kugels or scalloped potatoes). The potatoes allow us more variance between the two meals.

Vegetable medley (steamed broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower or perhaps sautéed zucchini with garlic, or just sliced carrots)

Meringue cookies with pecans (sometimes referred to as ‘forgotten cookies’) and strawberries, or at home we almost always have Passover brownies (you know the recipe has to accommodate the season!)

A few tricks I have utilized along the way include incorporating the elements of the seder plate into the meal itself. For example, the leftover parsley gets chopped and tossed into the salad or the potatoes and sometimes the matzah balls. The leftover Romaine lettuce serves as a base for a salad, to which we add cherry tomatoes, cucumber and spinach or other baby greens. The roasted egg on the seder plate remains intact, but each person has their own roasted egg on their salad plate. The charoset and horseradish are used for days as a condiment for lunch. Believe me, the only way to eat gefilte fish is with horseradish.

While the seder may be a type of conclusion to the search for chametz, it also serves as an inauguration for the rest of the week, Hag Hamatzah. The week presents many challenges concerning the food we eat. However, instead of thinking about hardship, I like to see how creative we can become. There are several mainstays during our week of observance, such as using matzo meal in a meat loaf for the Sabbath. This is the time when it is good to remember our friend, the potato. In fact, it is a good time to remember all root veggies: potato, carrot, beets, etc. It is also a good time to get acquainted with raw fruits and vegetables – eliminating the need for non-kosher oils or thickening agents. One big concern is finding a parve margarine that is ‘Kosher for Passover.’ And meat substitutes are almost never available. You see, most meat substitutes (I call it faux meat) contain grains or legumes – forbidden in our house during the week. Again, let’s focus on the journey – trying to improve each successive year!

Many of the recipes I use during the week are found in our recently reprinted cookbook. Other festivals are represented in the book as well. I encourage you to get a copy, whether you observe the festival of Passover or not. Click here to order.

[editor's note: This cookbook has some really tasty kosher dishes!]

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During the past year we have received many requests for DVD’s of some of Joe’s programs. The central theme of eight of the programs concerned the war against Judaism. These are some of the most important programs Joe has presented.

The War on Judaism

The continuing war against the Jewish people is well known and certainly well documented. However, people seldom consider that there is another anti-semitic war taking place; The War Against Judaism. All of us have experienced it, either as one who waged the war or became one of its targets. What is this war? Have you ever heard someone profess their love for the Jews and Israel but they were bothered by an individual who took up a Torah observant lifestyle. How about those looks you get when you pass up the shell fish or pork and have adopted a kosher diet. The list goes on and on. If it’s not the Kipah or the Sabbath or HaShem’s festivals, it’s your new vocabulary, from Yeshua to the Tanach or Torah. These eight 30-minute programs, originally seen on Arba4, not only expose but address the problem. They are now available on two 2-hour DVDs for only $25.00 (+shipping).

If you would like DVDs of the series, click here to order.

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In keeping with this season it is very important to remember the joy associated with the festival, recognizing that we ourselves were delivered from being enslaved by a nation with idolatrous practices. Just as the Children of Israel were taken out of their bondage, we too experience the reward of coming out of idolatry and being delivered to a purer encounter with Hashem. May this season renew your faith and bring joy to every member of your family throughout the year.