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| Third Night Hanukkah Greetings from SHI |
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Greetings!
Happy Hanukkah and Hag Sameach!
 | | Doņa Gracia with Miriam Peretz at FIDF Banquet |
Beautiful Hanukkah is here! Hanukkah Linda esta aqui! This 5773 brings Hanukkah on December 8th to the 15th! This is such a delightful time of joy! Hanukkah offers us an opportunity to celebrate Ha Shem's miracles of light! What an important time to remember that Ha Shem's light is with us and with Israel! Israel, you are not alone! We were so blessed to be at the Friends of the IDF Gala event in San Francisco. We continue to pray for all those who stand in defense of Eretz Israel. We were blessed also to meet some of the families and soldiers of our great Israel. They are the modern Maccabees! We are enjoying each night of this special season with our children and grand girls! What joy it is to share it with some good friends and family!
Below is a picture of some of our yummy latkes that we enjoyed!
 | Potato Latkes for Hanukkah at Doņa Gracia's! Yum!
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Lighting the HanukkahThis year, Hanukkah fell on Shabbat again, we shared the first night with friends at a local venue to sing and light the 1st Night Hanukkah Candle! Everyone enjoyed the sweet warmth of the season.
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Announcing!
The Release of the new book by
Grace Serrano Fenn
Anousim Awake!
Buy from our secure webstore and receive an autographed copy!
Just click on the book cover!
Also available at Amazon.com & BarnesAndNoble.com |
For your Hanukkah gift-giving here is a wonderful special....
Anousim Awake! is the personal account of the revealed family Jewish identity of Gracia Serrano Fenn, a hidden Jewess who found out a "family secret" in 1999 in Israel. It is the Serrano family story of being raised with "no family past", with no known true identity.
Click on the Book cover to purchase an Autographed Edition of Anousim Awake...
 | | Click on Book to Order! |
This is the historical and prophetic story of hidden Jews awakening and coming home to the people and land of Israel. This true story reads like an epic action adventure and may just sound familiar to many of you! The picture on the cover is Gracia with her sister, Raquel on their summer trips to Tampico, Mexico.
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The Festival of Lights and Dedication Story!
During the Second Century B.C.E., the Jewish people won a great military and spiritual victory over Greek Universalism. This victory was centered on the reclaiming and re-dedication of Ha Shem's Temple in Jerusalem.
In a small village near Jerusalem called Moedi'in lived an old priest, Mattatias and his five sons who helped to bring this victory! Judah Maccabee, (means the hammer)one of the sons and his followers, finally liberated Jerusalem after four long years, in 165 B.C.E. (3595 on the Jewish calendar) .
Our Temple in Jerusalem had been desecrated and made impure by the Greek assimilation and idol worship . Judah Maccabee, his brothers and companions won the battle over the Greeks, purged the Temple and consecrated it on Kislev 25. Hanukkah means "dedication" in Hebrew and also "they rest from their enemies". Thus we say, "Nes gadol haya po" or, "a great miracle happened here" or there, (sham) if we are outside of Israel!
 | Our Third Night Hanukkiah Lights
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During this re-dedication, these faithful Jews wanted to re-light the eternal light of the Temple Menorah. Only a small amount of pure oil was found in a flask. It would take eight days for the processing of more holy oil, yet the menorah stayed lit for eight days instead of one!
This was a great miracle!
Thus, the miracle of the oil is where we get our beautiful tradition of the Hanukkiah's 8 candles and lights. An additional branch was added, known as the Shamesh, or servant candle, a little higher and to light the others, adding one more candle for each of the eight days of celebration!
Zachariah 4:6 is an important reading for this holiday!
"This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: "Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit", says the Lord of Hosts".
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The Music of HanukkahThis year, Hanukkah fell on Shabbat again, we shared this first night with friends at a local venue to sing and light 1st Night Hanukkah Candle! Everyone enjoyed the sweet warmth of the season and our son helped me to share Ocho Kandelikas on his guitar!
"Ocho Kandelikas!", or "Eight Little Candles" is an ancient Ladino melody (combined Spanish and Hebrew) from the history of Sepharad, the ancient name of Spain. This is where our ancestors, the Sephardim, celebrated Hanukkah for centuries!
The Ladino language, the combination of Hebrew and Spanish, spoken by the Sephardim in the Iberian peninsula is still kept alive today!
Ladino, la combinacion de Hebreo y Espaņol, se hablo por los Sefarditas en la peninsula Iberica. Esta lengua todavia se mantiene hoy dia! Unas de las tradiciones de Ladino/Sefardita para Hanukkah es el canto, "Ocho Kandelikas".
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Sephardic Surnames Research continues: SHI continues receiving many emails from a growing number of Sephardim anousim from all over the world! You can go to the website and search for your Spanish surname that may be one of the over 5,000 names used by the Sephardim in Spain. Our website www.Sephardimhope.net has great links, including the www.Sephardim.com with these surnames listed. These surnames are a first indication (not a confirmation) of possible hidden Jewish roots. SHI continua a reciver muchas emails con preguntas de numero que esta creciendo de Sefarditas anousim de todo el mundo! Pueden ir al website www.Sephardimhope.net y buscar su apellido en la link de www.Sephardim.com. Estos apellidoss son la primera indicacion (no confirmaciom) de que posiblemente tengan raices Judias. You can also click on our DNA icon and purchase your DNA kit order on our website! Many are making extraordinary discoveries! This is a good time to purchase your kit, since prices are at a great price! Thank you for another wonderful year and for your loving support. If you are able, please remember us in your end of year giving on our secure website or shopping our webstore! We have a wonderful partnership with a great Judaica Israeli company and other affiliates that have great items straight from Israel! Write us for more information! We pray you will have good health and happiness to enjoy in 2013! |
DNA Testing...
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Happy Hanukkah & Happy New Year!,
Doņa Gracia Serrano Fenn
Sephardim Hope International
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Awakening The Sephardim To The Negev!
Sephardim Hope International is a benevolent and educational international non-profit organization to bring the message of the Sephardic B'nai Anusim Jews (the descendents of the forcibly converted ones) from Spain to the awareness of the Jews and the world.
Sephardim Hope International is also a support to the nation of Israel working in partnership with other organizations bringing aid and comfort to Jerusalem and the Jewish people.
Sephardim Hope International is a tax-deductible 501 (c)3 charitable organization formed for the above purpose. Donate tax-free to help support Sephardim Hope International in this endeavor of education, benevolence and helping the B'nai Anusim to make Aliyah to Israel.
We look forward to hearing from many of you. Remember that you can respond to our newsletter or email directly with questions.
May HaShem continue to bless you and your families in this great year! Please do contact our administrator Drake (my awesome husband and webmaster) at Drake@SephardimHope.org for speaking and music engagements. Thank you for all you do to help the B'nai Anusim.
Sephardim Hope International | |
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