Reminiscing Back to Israel and Watching Eurovision's Entries

 Nadene Goldfoot                                             

The Eurovision Song Contest (French: Concours Eurovision de la chanson), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organized annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing primarily European countries. Each participating country submits an original song to be performed on live television and radio, transmitted to national broadcasters via the EBU's Eurovision and Euroradio networks, with competing countries then casting votes for the other countries' songs to determine a winner.

Since I lived in Israel from 1980 to the tail end of 1985, I listened with joy to the Eurovision contest, rooting for Israel's entries. That's where I discovered Oprah Haza.  

Here's my favorite from 1982-better than any, with Avi Toledano:  Hora:  Hora https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ2_fKq7PKo&t=32s      The big overview through the years.               

                                                  

Avi with his same dance team as in Hora.  No wonder I love it.  

He won my vote again in 1985 with Ole  Ole https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQ7dpXL1LJ4.  I can listen to this all day.  

 Israel has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 44 times since making its debut in 1973. Israel has won the contest four times, and has hosted the contest in Jerusalem twice in 1979 and 1999. Israel hosted the contest for the third time in Tel Aviv in 2019.

Israel's first appearance at the contest in 1973 was successful, with Ilanit finishing fourth. Israel then achieved victories in 1978 and 1979, with wins for Izhar Cohen and the Alphabeta with the song "A-Ba-Ni-Bi", and Milk and Honey with "Hallelujah".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvZS6tnZKMU  Izhar Cohen and Alphabeta

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKbvuYRR35E  Milk and Honey's Hallelujah

                                              

Oprah Haza's Chai was in 1983.  This is positively my very favorite!!!  Wow!  Chai means LIFE.  Israel lives.   lives.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XMZJYxb5XU  Keep on listening, I love the next song, too, Jerusalem of Gold.  

The Eurovision Song Contest 2022 was the 66th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Turin, Italy, following the country's victory at the 2021 contest with the song "Zitti e buoni" by Måneskin. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcaster Radiotelevisione italiana (RAI), the contest was held at the PalaOlimpico, and consisted of two semi-finals on 10 and 12 May, and a final on 14 May 2022. The three live shows were presented by Italian television presenter Alessandro Cattelan, Italian singer Laura Pausini and Lebanese-British singer Mika.

This is Israel's entry, Michael Ben David.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNFeohWlA20

Born in the city of Akshelon, Michael has studied singing and performing since he was 13 years of age, having enrolled in the Beit Zvi School of the Performing Arts.

Upon graduation he successfully auditioned for The X Factor Israel, where one of the judges was none other than 2018 Eurovision Song Contest winner Netta. Michael’s emotional openness won him more and more fans as he went on a journey of self-affirmation that’s thoroughly explored in his Eurovision entry: I.M.  When he’s not singing or acting, Michael loves to cook and bake in his free time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CziHrYYSyPc

Netta Barzilai, also known mononymously as Netta, is an Israeli singer-songwriter, musician and looping artist. After winning the fifth season of HaKokhav HaBa, she earned the right to represent her country at the Eurovision Song Contest 2018. Wikipedia

I love my period of living in Israel's music much better.  These contestants are great, but too American.  I want the minor key, that sound of the Middle East in it because it's from Israel; unique.  I'm so sad that Ofra Haza died so young.  She had Israeli music down pat, coming from Yemen.  She had that quality in her voice.  

Resource:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurovision_Song_Contest

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurovision_Song_Contest_2022

Olam Haba-End of Days Doctrine: Changing the Present World by Divine Plan -ESCHATOLOGY

Nadene Goldfoot                     
                                                                         

The World to Come is not necessarily one that has never previously existed.  The view is sometimes advanced that on the last day the world, which was entirely good at creation and only corrupted by human deviations, will be restored to its pristine condition.  

Such views were common in the ancient Orient and are found in Greek literature.  These eschatological opinions cannot be classified in an orderly system according to logical laws of development.  Varied and sometimes contradictory outlooks were held successively or even simultaneously.  

A general line is nevertheless discernible in Jewish eschatology from its very beginnings in the early sections of the Bible.  Originally, such theory was an expression of popular faith in the glorious future anticipated for the nation after a period suffering.  

The great Hebrew prophets; Moses, Joshua, the Judges, Samuel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah,  Haggai Zechariah and Malachi, introduced these ideas with special help from Ha-Shem into their own religious and moralistic teaching with their own moral coloring which transformed the naive folk beliefs.  

The popular conception of the eschatological era was of a period when the renewed people of Israel would wreak vengeance on their foes and set up a great powerful kingdom.  This victorious period was called "THE DAY OF THE LORD.  The prophets, however, added moral content and threatened catastrophe in the absence of genuine repentance.  The Day of the Lord became the  DAY OF DOOM or DOOMSDAY.  
                                                

This was so clear to Amos, one of 12 prophets. He was a herder of Tekoa, a town south of Bethlehem, who saw visions concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah (780-740 BCE) and in the days of Jeroboam, son of Joash, king of Israel, who said 2 years before the earthquake, "Hashem will roar from Zion and emit His voice from Jerusalem and the pastures of the shepherds will wither and the best of the fertile fields will dry up."  But disaster was not the only element in prophetic eschatology. 
Magnitude 8- Earthquake debris at six sites (Hazor, Deir 'Alla, Gezer, Lachish, Tell Judeideh, and 'En Haseva) is tightly confined stratigraphically to the middle of the eighth century B.C., with dating errors of ~30 years.4 So, the evidence points to a single large regional earthquake that occurred about 750 B.C. The accompanying map displays the site intensity (Modified Mercalli Intensity from archaeology or literature) and lines of equal intensity of shaking (isoseismals).
                                                     

 The final day was also envisioned as the great day when G-d would reform the world and reign over all peoples in justice.  A new heaven and earth will be created, while G-d will renew His covenant with Israel and establish His throne in Zion.  This was found in the least writings of of Isaiah.  No distinction between the present world and the world to come is known to prophetic eschatology which recognizes only this world.  

The resuscitation of the Jewish people and the land of Israel and the appearance of the king-messiah are described as events which will happen in the real world.  
                                                 

Accounts became more glowing, exaggerated, and imaginative.  Eschatology was transformed into apocalyptic beliefs like the Book of Ezekiel and the visions of Zechariah.  In the Book of Daniel (of Maccabean Period), the persecutions of Antiochus Epiphanes (175-163 BCE) who was turned back by Rome on his 2nd expedition against Egypt in 168 BCE, so occupied Jerusalem, plundered the Temple treasure, and endeavored to hellenize Judea by force in order to convert it into a reliable frontier province; which depressed the nation's religious groups, and the messiaic kingdom, receding from this world, took on the aspect of the kingdom beyond human reality.  

The APOCRYPHA (non-canonical Jewish literature written during the 2nd Temple period and after its destruction until 132-135 of Bar Kokhba revolt)  and the AGGADAH (Oral Law distinct from Halakhah that which does not deal with the laws on Jews in their daily activities-a sequel of Bible including stories and chronicles, sayings of the wise and moral  instructions, admonitions and consolation of the prophets.)   provide an unfailing source of information on eschatological outlooks during and after 2nd Temple times, reflecting all shades of religious opinions.  
                                               

Daniel in the Lion's Den

In his book of Daniel, a Judean exile in Babylon(597-538 BCE) , the end is seen as a sign of the advent of the Messiah.  It speaks of the agonies of the Messiah, a terrible last war, the war of Gog and Magog, ranging over Jerusalem.  A  Messiah, son of Joseph, the forerunner of the Messiah, son of David, will fall in this war.  But the forces of evil will be defeated, whereupon Elijah (800s BCE) (prophet during kings Ahab and Ahaziah) will appear and announce the advent of the Messiah and this will be the signal for the ingathering of the Diaspora.  (This has been happening already, except for those of us still in the Diaspora.)  Daniel had a miraculous experience with his friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah at the courts of Nebuchadnezzar, Darius the Mede, and Belshazzar.  

This biblical book is included in the Hagiographa a Greek word for holy writings; 3rd and last section of Bible (Tanakh)  Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra and Nehemiah, Chronicles.  Daniel saw visions and prophetic scenes of the 4 Beasts representing the 4 monarchies that will dominate Israel during its long series of exiles.  He was shown the End of Days when Israel will be redeemed and the world will finally achieve the Divine goal for which it was created.  
                                                     

Singing Hallelujah in the Eurovision Contest of 1979
is the group, Milk and Honey

                                         https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C33kO3fvjkI

   Israel 1979 Eurovision - Hallelujah + lyrics - Winning song

                             "Hallelujah" (Hebrew: הללויה‎)

A new Jerusalem will arise, and Israel's glory will be manifest to the world.  If Daniel only saw today as it is, he would think this has already happened, for Jerusalem of today is certainly a new Jerusalem.  The Diaspora, at least much of it, has returned.  Have we already reached the END OF THE WORLD?  Is more yet to come?  We just made peace with an Arab nation, and word is that all Arab nations may follow suit.  Are we in an era of PEACE, now?  Hallelujah! 

Haleluya la'olam,
haleluya yashiru kulam
bemila achat bodeda
halev male behamon toda
veholem gam hu-eze olam nifla.

Haleluya im hashir,
haleluya al yom sheme'ir,
Haleluya al a sheheyah, 
umah she'od lo hayah-haleluya

Haleluya la'olam
haleluya yashiru kulam
Vehainbalim hagdolim
yehadhedu bahamon tslilim
Veitanu hem yomru=haleluya.

Haleluya al hakol
halelu al machar ve'etmol
Haleluya utnu yad beyad
veshiru milev echad-haleluya.  

Alelulla, sing a song
Alelulla, we'll follow along
With a simple word, a.single word
We bless the sky, the tree, the bird
And we fill our heart with joy alelulla

Resource;  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallelujah_(Milk_and_Honey_song)
The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallelujah_(Milk_and_Honey_song)
https://www.icr.org/article/scientific-scriptural-impact-amos-earthquake

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