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this page last updated: Tammuz 13, 5772 / July 3, 2012

The 3rd Annual International Temple Mount Awareness Day Six Hour Happening is Now Available for Online Viewing: Part 1: with Moshe Feiglin...    Part 2: with Rabbi Nachman Kahana...    Part 3: with Yisrael Medad...    Temple Talk Radio Program: The Blasphemer and the Showbread...    Parashat Emor: Spending time with G-d in space, and sharing space with G-d in time...    The Return of Prophecy, with Avraham Sutton: Chapter 23: Finite People in a Divine World...    NEWS UPDATE: 1st Temple Period Seal Discovered at Base of Temple Mount...    The Temple Institute Celebrates a Quarter Century of Accomplishments...    Bat Melech video teaching: The Well of Miriam, Part IV: The prophet Miriam: Sanctified and dedicated to her people...    Hallel on the Temple Mount 2012/5772...    Relearning the Passover Offering: Seminar and deomstration presented in Jerusalem...    Seminar: Pesach Sheni and the Bringing of the Passover Offering in Our Day (2011)...    Counting the Omer: Some Classics from the Vault!...    Sefirat Ha'Omer - Count for Yourselves: Forty-nine days that can change your world...    A Yom Atzma'ut Greeting from the Temple Institute...    Interview: Chaim Odem, Master Craftsman for the Temple Institute: Meriting the job of creating the golden Menorah for the Holy Temple - video...    Constructing the Golden Lamp of Queen Helena: The Video: Together we can fill the world with light!...    View a short video and experience a virtual computer-generated walk-through of the Sanhedrin Chamber of Hewn Stone, based on the newly drawn up blueprints...    I LOVE THE TEMPLE MOUNT: Download a beautiful statement of support now!...    Dare to Dream/Dare to Build: Obama may be calling for a building freeze in Jerusalem, but the Jewish heart is burning to build!...    Barack Obama vs the People of Israel: our response to Obama's true intentions for the state of Israel and the people of Israel...    Jewish Response to the Obama Cairo Speech (video)...

The Israel Police's recent shift of policy towards Jewish visitors to the Temple Mount is a throwback to the dark ages of totalitarian rule. The draconian, illegal suppression of Jewish presence, prayer and identification is a stain on this great country's record of democracy. While on the one hand, the State of Israel champions human rights and pluralism, the treatment of Jews on the Temple Mount bespeaks utter contempt, insensitivity to religious feelings, and a brutal quashing of the most basic human rights. It is inconceivable that Jews are treated as criminals for expressing a desire to pray at their holiest site. It is equally unconscionable that Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, who served with the paratroopers that liberated the Temple Mount in the 1967 Six Day War, risking his life and burying his comrades for the sake of the Jewish sovereignty of the Temple Mount, should be served with an order distancing him from the Temple Mount indefinitely. His "crime" was giving thanks to G-d, in that very spot - for the return of the site to the Jewish people. Has it indeed returned to the Jewish people? Is the Temple Mount "in our hands?" Every day that this situation is allowed to continue is a step backwards for the State of Israel. To view footage of Rabbi Ariel's "crime," (praying on the Temple Mount), please click here.

BREAKING NEWS: RABBI YISRAEL ARIEL, HEAD OF TEMPLE INSTITUTE BANNED FROM TEMPLE MOUNT!  We have just learned that Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, the founder and head of the Temple Institute has been informed by the police that he is banned from ascending the Temple Mount. The police have likewise banned all those who participated in the recent Jerusalem Day prayer on the Temple Mount. The celebratory prayer took place with the participation of several members of the Israel Knesset, and was covered extensively by the Israeli media. As according to prior arrangement the police allowed the prayer and made no attempt to thwart the prayer and songs. Rabbi Ariel, who was one of the paratroopers who liberated the Temple Mount in 1967, was able to recite, on the Mount for the first time, the Kel Malei Rachmanim memorial prayer for his fallen comrades. The Rabbi was informed by police of his ban as he arrived at the Rambam Gate on his way to ascend the Mount. To read a news item concerning the ban, please click here. To view footage of the Jerusalem Day prayer on the Temple Mount, please click here.

Tammuz 12 "To declare in the morning Your kindness and Your faith at night. Upon a ten-stringed harp and upon a psaltery, with speech upon a harp." Psalms 92:3-4  Tammuz: International See and Say Only Good Things About the People and Land of Israel Month!  The twelve spies that Moshe sent out from the desert in order to observe the land of Israel and to report back on its beauty and the people living within it, spent thirty of their forty day ill-fated mission during the month of Tammuz. Since that time the month of Tammuz has come to be known as a month of harsh judgment. But we have the ability to sweeten the month of Tammuz by rectifying the sin of the spies. One way of doing this is by making certain only to see and say good things about the land of Israel throughout the entire month of Tammuz. Every day we will post a new photograph and a scriptural quote in praise and recognition of the goodness of the land of Israel. To view previous days, please click here.

Rabbi Chaim Richman in the USA, June 11-20, 2012:"IF YOU BUILD IT, HE WILL COME" We are please to report that Rabbi Chaim Richman has successfully wrapped up a very exciting speaking engagement tour of Texas and New Mexico. We apologize that due to a last minute flight cancellation, Rabbi Richman was unable to speak in Tyler, Texas. We have been sent photographs by some of the attendees in different cities. Please click here if you would like to view these pictures. If you have a picture that you would like to share, please send it to utadtempleinstitute@gmail.com.

The 3rd Annual International Temple Mount Awareness Day Six Hour Happening is Now Available for Online Viewing

Part 1 of 7: Rabbi Chaim Richman and Yitzchak Reuven of the Temple Institute speak with Moshe Feiglin, head of the Likud's Manhigut Yehudit, (Jewish Leadership), Faction. Moshe discusses Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount, the movement to bring more Jews to the Mount, and the ongoing efforts to ensure freedom of worship for Jews on the Mount. Moshe also discusses the practicalities of the building of the Holy Temple, a move he believes will bring peace, not war, to the world.

Part 2 of 7: Rabbi Chaim Richman speaks with beloved and highly esteemed Kohen, Torah scholar and author, Rabbi Nachman Kahana: Rabbi Kahana shared his spiritual insights on the Holy Temple and the Temple Mount from a Torah perspective, drawing upon his own personal connection as a kohen.

Part 3 of 7: Yisrael Medad, Temple Mount activist and media expert discusses the current role of the mass media concerning the struggle for religious freedom on the Temple Mount, and what can be done to effect a change for the good. With Lorelai Lehrer and Yitzchak Reuven.

Part 4 of 7: "He's here tonight - give a big hand for Yehudah Katz and his four piece band!" When Yehudah and band joined us on Temple Mount Awareness Day, they were on holy fire providing for us an hour long "half-time" celebration of song and Temple insights. It's only fitting that we are first posting this performance on Lag B'Omer!

Part 5 of 7: Hillel Richman and Frankie Snyder, senior staff members of the Temple Mount Sifting Project lead an archaeological exploration of the exciting Temple Mount and Holy Temple related discoveries of the past year. Personally involved with the discovery of the most significant archaeological finds from the Temple Mount to date, Hillel and Frankie share their insights and experiences.

Part 6 of 7: Tziporra Piltz, guide and organizer of women's ascent to the Temple Mount, discusses her experiences and the growing movement of women who ascend the Temple Mount in purity. With Rabbi Chaim Richman and Lorelai Lehrer.

Part 7 of 7: Rabbi Mois Navon, from Ptil Tekhelet organization, manufacturers of the biblical blue techelet dye, used in tzitziyot, (ritual fringes), and priestly garments: Mois described the colorful history oftechelet from antiquity to the contemporary reestablishment of the venerated techelet industry, and what it means for the future of Israel.

Chag Shavuot Sameach - חג שבועות שמח - Happy Shavuot!   Shavuot begins Saturday night, (motzei Shabbat), 27.05.12  A SHORT VIDEO GREETING AND TEACHING ABOUT SHAVUOT: The intimate connection between receiving Torah at Sinai and bringing the first fruits to Jerusalem is the source of the Shavuot holiday joy. TO LEARN HOW SHAVUOT IS OBSERVED IN THE HOLY TEMPLE, please click here. THE PILGRIM EXPERIENCE: The pilgrimage experience combined a sublime sense of expectation with an all-embracing feeling of total trust in HaShem, as Temple-goers left their farms and fields and made their way to Jerusalem and the Holy Temple. The festival of Shavuot, which celebrates the land of Israel and commemorates the receiving of Torah at Sinai epitomizes the total pilgrimage experience. Click here to view this classic video teaching, filmed at the southern wall of the Temple Mount.   THE TEMPLE INSTITUTE WISHES ALL OUR FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS AND ALL ISRAEL A JOY FILLED SHAVUOT!

Astonishing Footage Of Jerusalem Day Prayer, Song And Blessings On The Temple Mount!  For the first time in many years, a large gathering of Jews were able to pray, sing and say blessings while on the Temple Mount, unhindered by nearby police. The contingent of Jewish worshipers was led by Knesset members Michael Ben Ari and Uri Ariel, as well as Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, founder of the Temple Institute, and other prominent rabbis and public figures. Rabbi Ariel, who was among the Israeli paratroopers who liberated the Temple Mount in the Six Day War, can be heard saying, "I have waited forty five years to be able to say the shehechianu, (blessing of thanks), here on the Temple Mount." In addition to prayer, song and blessings, a number of worshipers performed the commandment of hishtachavia(prostration), which applies to the Temple Mount. The group was accompanied by journalists and cameramen representing Israel's major news outlets. The worshipers exited the Mount in song. No violence or protest occurred.

Yom Yerushalayim Sameach - Happy Jerusalem Day!  The modern world knows no greater day than Yom Yerushalayim - Jerusalem Day. It's been a long time coming, but our prophets foresaw this great event thousands of years ago! (Jerusalem Day, (28 Iyar) begins Saturday evening, May 19, and continues throughout the day of Sunday, May 20th.)

The 28th of Iyar: Jerusalem Day - Yom Yerushalayim "This is the day HaShem has made; let is rejoice and be glad on it." (Psalm 118) Looking for a day to celebrate and give thanks to G-d? No other day in the modern era compares with Jerusalem Day - the day that the Israel Defense Forces liberated Jerusalem's Old City and the Temple Mount, in June, 1967 - forty five years ago. To see a collection of Temple Institute greetings and features from recent Jerusalem Day celebrations, click here.

‘Who may go up to the Mountain of G-d?'  Rabbi Chaim Richman, in an extensive Jerusalem Post special Jerusalem Day print edition, a (as well as online), discusses the Torah obligation to ascend the Temple Mount to show reverance for G-d in the place that He chose. The rabbi cites the rabbinic sources and historical precedences. He decries complacency and challenges dissenting rabbis to cite their sources. For the full interview, click here.

Rabbi Chaim Richman Strikes Back at Israel Detractors and Holy Temple Denigrators!  Referring to an Arab Knesset member's comparision of the Arab failure to destroy the fledgling state of Israel in 1948 with the destruction of the Holy Temple, Rabbi Chaim Richman of the Temple Institute says, "This comparison represents a new level of obscenity, and the lewdest and most ribald obeisance before the golden calf of moral equivalency." Read more of the Rabbi's response, published on the Ynet news website.

The 33rd Day of the Omer - Lag B'Omer!

1st Temple Period Seal Discovered at Base of Temple Mount  On May first, the Israel Antiquities Authority's archaeologist Eli Shukron announced the discovery of an ancient seal. The seal dates back at least 2,00 years ago. It bears the name Matanyahu. To learn more, click here.

Yom Ha'atzma'ut Greeting from the Temple Institute    Open your eyes, this IS the ge'ula - this IS the promised redemption of Israel that is unfolding before us! Choose to be a part of it. Choose to help make it happen. We are a generation blessed by G-d's overflowing loving kindness. We must not take it for granted. Warts and all, the state of Israel is His gift to His people, wrapped in miracles and presented with love. The gift belongs to all who embrace it. Yom Atzma'ut Sameach - Happy Independence Day, Israel!

Counting the Omer: Some Classics from the Vault!  We just can't say enough about the counting of the Omer, its source in the service of the Holy Temple, and its transformative effect on us today. Without further ado, here are three of our classic video treatments of Sefirat Ha'Omer - the Counting of the Omer: UP FOR THE COUNT! Every day counts, if we count every day! The seven weeks between Passover and Shavuot provide for us ideal time for introspection and spiritual progress. Reflect upon your own soul and burnish your Divine image. HANGING IN THE BALANCE: The great illumination of 'instant' freedom that we experience on the Seder night so often seems to pass us by. Slaves yesterday, free men today, we simply haven't the vessels to be able to absorb the great chesed - loving kindness - and enlightenment that G-d had blessed us with. For this we haveSefirat HaOmer – the counting of the days of the Omer, that prepares us gradually for the great re-illumination of G-d’s light — receiving Torah on Mount Sinai. SEFIRAT HA'OMER - COUNT FOR YOURSELVES! Forty-nine days that can change your world: The forty-nine days between Passover and Shavuot, (between leaving Egypt and receiving Torah at Sinai), are days laden with awesome spiritual potential. The opportunity for growth is ours for the taking. We must count our days and make our days count! The Temple Institute celebrates the 49 days.

SEFIRAT HA'OMER: YOM CHAMISHI (THURSDAY): TODAY MARKS 47 DAYS, SIX WEEKS AND FIVE DAYS OF THE OMER.  "The L-rd spoke to Moses, saying: 'Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: When you shall enter the Land that I give you, and reap its harvest, you shall bring an Omer from your first harvest to the priest. And he shall wave the Omer before the L-rd, to be accepted for you. On the day after the rest day, (the first day of Passover), the priest shall wave it. On the day you wave the Omer, you shall perform the service of an unblemished lamb as a burnt-offering before the L-rd. Its meal-offering shall be two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, a fire offering to the L-rd, a satisfying aroma; and its libation shall be wine, a quarter-hin. You shall not eat bread or roasted kernels or plump kernels until this very day, until you bring the offering of your G-d; it is an eternal decree for your generations in all your dwelling places." "You shall count for yourselves - from the day after the rest day (Passover), from the day when you bring the Omer of the waving - seven weeks, they shall be complete. Until the morrow of the seventh week you shall count, fifty days; and you shall offer a new meal offering to the L-rd." (Leviticus 23:9-12) Click here to learn more about the barley offering and Sefirat HaOmer - the counting of the Omer. View a brief slide show depicting the barley harvest and the Omer offering during the time of the Holy Temple.

Hallel on the Temple Mount 2012/5772  The fine spring weather of the morning of Wednesday, the 11th of April, (19th of Nisan), the fourth of the intermediate days of Passover, (Chol Hamoed), inspired dozens of Torah observant Jews to ascend to the Temple Mount. Of course they were there to fulfill the commandment of Mora HaMikdash, (showing reverence toG-d in the place that He has chosen). But they were also performing an aliya leregel - a pilgrimage ascent to the place of the Holy Temple, as was done in ancient times during the festival of Pesach. One group of some twenty Jews, caught up in the holiday spirit, and led by Moshe Feiglin, (head of the Likud Jewish Leadership faction, and recent guest of the Temple Institute on Temple Mount Awareness Day), burst out in a spontaneous singing of the traditional Hallel prayer. The Hallel prayer, which includes verses from Psalms 113-118, is sung each morning of the seven days of Passover, just as it was done in the Holy Temple itself. Unique to the celebration of Passover, the Hallel prayer is also sung during the evening of the first night of Passover, as part of the Seder observance. This also is a tradition that has carried over from Holy Temple times, where families all throughout Jerusalem would emerge from their homes and courtyards where they were enjoying their passover meals, (which included both the korban Pesach and the chagigah - the Passover and festive offerings), and climb to the rooftops where they would sing the Hallel, aglow in the light of the full moon over the Holy Temple. Every precedent setting step, such as the singing of the Hallel on the Temple Mount, is, of course, an expression of love for Hashem, but is also an act of bravery and defiance in light of the political world's dim view of Israel's return to the place of the Holy Temple. When was the last time the Hallel prayer was sung by a congregation of Jews at the Holy Temple? No doubt nearly two thousand years ago, before the Holy Temple was destroyed. Was today's joyful rendition a sign of good things to come? Rabbi Chaim Richman of the Temple Institute, who took part in the Hallel recitation is certain that today's events were yet another significant step toward the return of the people of Israel to the Temple Mount and the return of the Holy Temple to all mankind. (Moshe Feiglin's appearance on our 3rd Annual International Temple Mount Awareness Day Webathon will be available for viewing very soon!)

"With a Mighty Hand and an Outstretched Arm" (from the Passover Haggadah) Liberation from the many and sundry forms of idolatry that threaten to enslave us is truly a blessing from G-d. But this blessing is for naught, (G-d forbid), if we aren't willing to make the effort each day of our lives to utilize this gift of freedom for the purpose of drawing closer to G-d and pursuing the path in life that He has prescribed for each and every one of us. It is this path, paved with the sweat of our own toil, no less than the loving kindness of HaShem that carries us out of Egypt and will bring us, one day soon, to the courtyards of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. This is the Mighty Hand of G-d, and this is the Outstretched Arm of our allegiance to His word. THE TEMPLE INSTITUTE extends its blessings for a joyful and kosher Chag Cherut Festival of Freedom to the entire house of Israel and to all who seek the G-d of Israel. Happy Passover! Please take the time to visit us online and learn more about the exodus from Egypt, Pesach as it was observed in the Holy Temple, and the deep spiritual lessons of Passover that can inform our lives today: Tune in to this week's TEMPLE TALK as Rabbi Richman and Yitzchak Reuven listen to the chimes of freedom flashing and discuss G-d's commandment, and the people's desire to perform the korban Pesach, the passover offering. As the festival of Passover approaches, freedom beckons at our doors - freedom from all that Egypt symbolizes: idolatry, slavery, and a life of ignominy. But what is true freedom for us today? How does celebrating the "Festival of Freedom" manifest itself in our contemporary reality? Most people today probably think that being "free" means I am free to be myself, but the Torah teaches us that to be truly free means to live for Hashem, in every way. Now is the time to augment your knowledge of how Passover is intended to be observed. Have a look at our classic online Passover narrative, "SHLOMO'S PASSOVER ADVENTURE," the informative story of a family's pilgrimage to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem to celebrate the Festival of Freedom with the entire family of Israel. A must for children and adults. Click here! Visit our archives for these classic Passover Light to the Nations teachings by Rabbi Chaim Richman: "The Passover Experience: Korban Pesach: The Passover offering in the Holy Temple, perhaps the single most important act of the year for every man, woman and child of the people of Israel: How it was, and will be performed in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem." Click here to view. "The Korban Pesach Challenge: Our annual reading of Leviticus, which deals extensively with animal offerings, coincides with the arrival of Passover, whose main cataclysmic event is the korban Pesach – Pascal offering. What is G-d revealing to us about our own inner nature? Part I of a two-part Passover festival double-feature!" Click to view Part I and Part II. "Hanging in the Balance: The great illumination of 'instant' freedom that we experience on the Seder night so often seems to pass us by. Slaves yesterday, free men today, we simply haven't the vessels to be able to absorb the great chesed - loving kindness - and enlightenment that G-d had blessed us with. For this we have Sefirat HaOmer - the counting of the days of the Omer, that prepares us gradually for the great re-illumination of G-d's light - receiving Torah on Mount Sinai." Click here to view.

Relearning the Passover Offering This week, on the 10th of Nisan, (April 2), the Temple Institute, in conjunction with other Temple oriented organizations, conducted an afternoon seminar, all about the korban Pesach - Passover offering. Classes were held in which the commandment of the Passover offering, the halacha (laws) surrounding the offering, and the practical application of the performance of the Passover offering in our day, were discussed. Hundreds of interested men, women and children attended the sessions. At 5:00 PM the classes concluded and the audience and the organizers reconvened out of doors, where more than a thousand people had already gathered in anticipation of the day's main event: a live demonstration of the korban Pesach. To learn more about the seminar, and to see pictures, please click here.

Chief Rabbi, City of Jerusalem and Temple Institute Honor Vadim Rabinovitch (Nisan 11/April 3), A special dedication ceremony took place in Jerusalem's Old City, at the site of the Temple Institute's golden menorah, adjacent to the stairway leading from the Jewish Quarter to the Plaza of the Western (retaining) Wall of the Temple Mount. The ceremony marked the official naming of the plaza in which the golden menorah stands, Rechavat Rabinovitch, (Rabinovitch Plaza), after Vadim (David) Rabinovitch, president of the Ukrainian Jewish Congress, who donated the money for the golden menorah, as well as for the refurbishing of the plaza in which it stands. To learn more about the dedication ceremony, and to see pictures, please click here.

6 Nisan, 5772/29 March, 2012: A Beautiful Spring Morning on the Temple Mount The new month of Nisan, "the first of your months," (Exodus 12:2), began with the 3rd Annual International Temple Mount Awareness Day, and has continued with many Jews taking time out from their Pesach preparations to visit the place of the Holy Temple and show their reverence for G-d. To see pictures, please click here.

WRAP-UP: THE 3RD ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL TEMPLE MOUNT AWARENESS DAY ONLINE SIX HOUR STREAMING VIDEO HAPPENING! THIS YEAR'S INTERNATIONAL TEMPLE MOUNT AWARENESS DAY HAPPENING was an overwhelming success. Our guests represented a varied and multifaceted array of Temple Mount and Holy Temple activists. Their hard work and dedication in each of their various fields is reminiscent of the Torah's account of the building of the Tabernacle: many hearts and minds laboring together for a common and holy purpose - to create a "place" on this earth where G-d's presence can dwell among us. Each guest so eloquently and passionately described the field of their endeavors. Their words bore testimony to the great faith and spirituality that guides them. And, of course, there was the uplifting, soaring music of Yehudah Katz and his band. The strength of their music created an inkling of the outpouring of pure joy that will envelope all of us when we stand once again, together, in the Holy Temple! For more wrap-up and for a complete list of sponsors, please click here.

COMING SOON: THE 3RD ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL TEMPLE MOUNT AWARENESS DAY ONLINE SIX HOUR STREAMING VIDEO HAPPENING! CLICK HERE TO BE A SPONSOR OF THIS YEAR'S HAPPENING! On March 25th, the second day of the month of Nisan, the first of our months, from 5 PM - 11 PM, Israel time, (11 AM - 5 PM Eastern; 10 AM - 4 PM Central; 9 AM - 3 PM Mountain; 8 AM - 2 PM Pacific), The International Department of the Temple Institute will be hosting our Third Annual International Temple Mount Awareness Day Online Six Hour Streaming Video Happening! Our guests will include: Moshe Feiglin, head of the Manhigut Yehudit, (Jewish Leadership) Faction of the ruling Likud party, and Temple Mount loyalist. Moshe will be focusing on the issue of Temple Mout Activism and the potential for parliamentary legislation to ensure Jewish rights to prayer on the Temple Mount. Beloved and highly esteemed Kohen, Torah scholar and author, Rabbi Nachman Kahana. Rabbi Kahana will be sharing his spiritual insights on the Holy Temple and the Temple Mount from a Torah perspective and drawing upon his own personal connection as a kohen. Yisrael Medad, Director of Educational Programming and Information resources at the Menachem Begin Heritage Center, and veteran Temple Mount activist. Yisrael will be discussing the role of the media in depicting Temple Mount activism and the struggle to achieve Jewish freedom of worship on the Temple Mount, as guaranteeed by Israeli law. Live musical entertainment provided by Yehudah Katz and his band! Yehudah and his four piece band will provide an hour long "half-time" celebration of song and Temple insight, as well as short musical vignettes throughout the happening. Hillel Richman and Frankie Snyder, senior staff members of the Temple Mount Sifting Project will lead an archaeological exploration of the exciting Temple Mount and Holy Temple related discoveries of the past year. Personally involved with the discovery of the most significant archaeological finds from the Temple Mount to date, Hillel and Frankie will be sharing their insights and experiences. Tziporra Piltz, guide and organizer of women's ascent to the Temple Mount. Tziporra, a pioneer and leader of the burgeoning presence of women on the Temple Mount, will be sharing her unique perspectives on the Temple Mount and on the future of Temple Mount aliya. Rabbi Mois Navon, from Ptil Tekhelet organization, manufacturers of the biblical blue techelet dye, used in tzitziyot, (ritual fringes), and priestly garments. Mois will be decribing the colorful history of techeletfrom antiquity to the contemporary reestablishment of the venerated techelet industry. Co-hosting the event with Rabbi Chaim Richman and Yitzchak Reuven of the Temple Institute will be Lorelai Lehrer and Steve Levine of Radio Free Nachlaot. View our two minute promo video: Why March 25th? Rosh Chodesh, the first day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, falls on Shabbat this year, so the activities are being held on Sunday, March 25th, the 2nd of Nisan. This day was chosen as International Temple Mount Awareness Day because it is the anniversary of the dedication of the Tabernacle, and the first day of the Divine service; it is a day which is inexorably bound up with the concept of the Holy Temple and all that it means for the world. The live stream Temple Mount broadcast, which will take place in consideration of the viewing times in the USA, includes something for everyone. It is a joyous celebration of Temple consciousness and renewal, and its segments include serious scholarship, political activism, scientific research, and beautiful music…a veritable festival that will open a window onto the multi-faceted world of the Temple Mount and the promise of the Holy Temple. This year's International Temple Mount Awareness Day Happening is made possibleby a grant from the Shraga Family of America. To become a sponsor, click HERE !

Purim Entertainment from the Temple Institute This year the Midrasha, (Educational Division of the Temple Institute), is presenting two Purim performances for kids of all ages! On Tuesday evening, (March 6), from 2:30 - 4:30 PM, the Midrasha will be performing "Nahafochu," the Upside-Down Purim Play, followed by a Purim costume competition! The performance will take place at the OU Israel Center, 22 Keren Hayesod, Jerusalem. Admission for adults and children is 30 shekel. An adult accompanying a child is 25 shekel. Adult with three or more children is 100 shekel. On Tuesday evening, (March 6), at 6:30 PM, the Midrasha will be prforming "The Reel Story," a live musical theatre production about Purim and the Holy Temple. Tickets are 20 shekel in advance, and 25 shekel at the door. Advance tickets can be purchased at Orot Banot and Banim, or call Atara, 054-7000-391, for more information.

The Month of Adar: The Month of Joy The month of Adar, the month of the Purim celebration and the month of preparations for the upcoming Passover festival contains eight days of special significance. Click here to go to our guide and learn about these eight days. Enjoy!

COMING SOON: THE 3RD ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL TEMPLE MOUNT AWARENESS DAY ONLINE SIX HOUR STREAMING VIDEO HAPPENING! On March 25th, the second day of the month of Nisan, the first of our months, from 5 PM - 11 PM, Israel time, (10 AM - 3 PM Eastern time), The International Department of the Temple Institute will be hosting out third annual International Temple Mount Awareness Day Online Six Hour Streaming Video Happening! Our guests will include: Moshe Feiglin, head of the Manhigut Yehudit, (Jewish Leadership) Faction of the ruling Likud party, and Temple Mount loyalist. Beloved and highly esteemed Kohen, Torah scholar and author, Rabbi Nachman Kahana. Tziporra Felitz, guide and organizer of women's ascent to the Temple Mount. Yisrael Medad, Director of Educational Programming and Information resources at the Menachem Begin Heritage Center, and veteran Temple Mount activist. an archaeological exploration of the exciting Temple Mount and Holy Temple related discoveries of the past year. Rabbi Mois Navon, from Ptil Tekhelet organization, manufacturers of the biblical blue techelet dye, used in tzitziyot, (ritual fringes), and priestly garments. Live musical entertainment provided by Yehudah Katz and his band! Co-hosting the event with Rabbi Chaim Richman and Yitzchak Reuven of the Temple Institute will be Lorelai Lehrer and Steve Levine of Radio Free Nachlaot. If you would like to be a sponsor of this year's 3RD ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL TEMPLE MOUNT AWARENESS DAY ONLINE SIX HOUR STREAMING VIDEO HAPPENING, PLEASE CLICK HERE. WE WILL BE ANNOUNCING MORE DETAILS IN THE UPCOMING DAYS!

Click to enlarge image. We Don't Mean to Sound Disrespectful, but its Not Rocket Science! "They shall build for Me a sanctuary, and I will dwell among them." (Exodus 25:8) It's really one of the more straight-forward commandments, and in Hebrew it's even simpler, (only five words). Why do so many people seem so mystified by this one specific commandment? Perhaps we're intimidated by something that requires assembly? But the commandment "Build for Me a sanctuary," comes with complete instructions. We are told what materials to use, we are given precise dimensions, and we are told what fits into what. Of course, many of us are very challenged when it comes to following assembly instructions, whether we are trying to put together a crib for the grandson or a medicine cabinet for the bathroom. So for us assembly and instruction-challenged folks, we have a three thousand year old oral tradition featuring in-depth explanations of every facet of the Holy Temple and its sacred implements, culminating in the crystal-clear, user-friendly explanations of the Rambam, (Maimonides, Hilchot Beit HaBechira - Laws of the Chosen House), and, of course, the modern day efforts of the Temple Institute. There is nothing mystical or magical about the construction of the Holy Temple and the required sacred implements. It's just a matter of spreading out the instructions before us, rolling up our sleeves, taking a deep breath and getting started. Join us at the Temple Institute as we continue to assemble the sacred vessels of the Divine service, advance detailed architectural plans for the building of the Holy Temple, and work day and night to reinstill in Israel and all humanity the recognition of the supreme significance of the Holy Temple for G-d and man, and the burning desire to make it a reality at the earliest possible date. We're not dummies - We can make this happen! Check out last year's Parashat Terumah comments and artwork.

The Upcoming Month of Adar and the Half-Shekel Contribution THIS UPCOMING THURSDAY AND FRIDAY (February 23-24) mark Rosh Chodesh Adar - the beginning of the new month of Adar, the twelth and final month of the yearly cycle that begins with Nisan, ("the first of your months" Exodus 12:2), the month of the exodus from Egypt. When the Holy Temple is standing and the Divine service is being performed daily, the month of Adar is full of preparations for the upcoming Passover pilgrimage festival which begins on the 15th of Nisan. In addition, the month of Adar is the month that the half-shekel is collected. SHEKOLIM is the name of the group of verses, (Exodus 30:11-16), read in synagogues throughout the world on or before the first Shabbat of the month of Adar. This year it will be read on the Shabbat that immediately precedes Rosh Chodesh, (February 18). It is as follows: "And HaShem spoke to Moses, saying: When you take the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul to HaShem, when you number them; that there be no plague among them, when you number them. This they shall give, every one that passes among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary, (a shekel is twenty gera), a half shekel shall be the offering of HaShem. Every one that passes among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give the offering of HaShem. The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give the offering of HaShem, to make atonement for your souls. And you shall take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shall appoint it for the service of the Tent of Meeting; that it may be a memorial to the children of Israel before HaShem, to make atonement for your souls." THE HALF-SHEKEL (MACHATZIT HASHEKEL) CONTRIBUTION was given annually for over a thousand years, being interrupted only by Nebuchadnezzar, whose army destroyed the first Holy Temple. The collection of the half-shekel was reintroduced by Nechemia and the returnees from Babylon, in preparation for the reconstruction of the altar and the rebuilding of the Holy Temple. It was halted once more by Titus, the Roman destroyer of the second Holy Temple, in the year 70 ce, and finally banished by the emperor Hadrian some 65 years later. ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE MONTH OF ADAR, the public would be notified that the time had come to prepare for the half-shekel contribution. Collection stations would be set up in all the cities and villages of the land of Israel, as well as abroad. The annual half-shekel contribution provided the perfect vehicle for all the nation of Israel, both those of greater means, and those of lesser means, to express their concern and love for G-d and for His Holy Temple. HAVING COMPLETED THE LOCAL COLLECTIONS, emissaries would then transport the money to Jerusalem, where it would be collected and deposited into the Chamber of the Half-Shekel - located within the Temple Mount complex. Three times during the year the priestly treasurer would fill each of three separate coffers with the half-shekel coins. Three times a year the priestly treasurer would reenter the chamber in order to distribute the money as needed. And what were the half-shekel coins used for? For the purchase of animals for the communal sacrifices, such as the daily offering, and the festival offerings. In addition, the half-shekel contribution was used for the maintenance and enhancement of the Holy Temple and its many chambers and courtyards. The treasurer who entered the chamber was forbidden from dressing in an ostentatious manner, so as to alleviate any suspicion of him having dipped into the coffers for personal gain! TODAY WE ARE ON THE HISTORICAL EVE of the rebuilding of the Holy Temple and the renewal of the Divine service. An unprecedented spiritual awakening in Israel and around the globe, spearheaded, in great part, by the Temple Institute, is making this reality more achievable than ever before. The half-shekel contribution is every bit a relevant and meaningful expression of devotion to G-d and the rebuilding of His Holy Temple, as it was in the past. We take this opportunity to encourage all who want to play an active role in this great undertaking, to make this upcoming month of Adar, the month of the half-shekel contribution. To make a donation of the half-shekel to the Temple Institute, please click here.

ZOA Zionist Organization of America Issues Important Statement Concerning Jewish Right to Worship on the Temple Mount The Zionist Organization of America (“ZOA”), the oldest pro-Israel organization in the United States, (founded in 1897), has just issued an extremely important policy statement calling on the governmemt of Israel to "Stop Police and Muslim Wakf Discrimination Against Jews On Temple Mount." The statement, which fully endorses the democratic right of Jews (and non-Jews) to pray on the Temple Mount without discrimination, calls upon the Israel government to immediately implement freedom of worship on the Mount. (Freedom of worship on the Temple Mount is the theme of next month's 3rd Annual International Temple Mount Awareness Day organized ascent to the Temple Mount and six-hour online streaming video happening. More details soon!) The complete ZOA Zionist Organization of America statement can be read here.

Important Update for all Temple Institute members! We are pleased to announce that, after many weeks, we have at last completed updating our members login software. Our new software should make opening an online account and logging simpler and more efficient than before, more user friendly. We are at this very moment rebuilding our members area, are restocking it with a number of modest treats, available to members only. In the upcoming days will be sending user name and password reminders to all our members who have previously opened an online account. If you are a member of the Temple Institute and would like to open an online account for the first time, please contact us. If you are interested in becoming a member please click here.

The Month of Shvat: Rebirth, Torah, and the Holy Temple Each Hebrew month conveys its own unique message. The theme of this month of Shvat is the concept of renewal and rebirth. To learn more about the regenerative month of Shvat, please click here.

IDF Soldiers on the Temple Mount FOR THE FIRST TIME IN TEN YEARS Israeli police stationed at the Rambam Gate entry to the Temple Mount allowed uniformed Israeli soldiers to ascend to the Mount. The ascent to the Mount by this large contingent of IDF soldiers was done in accordance with Jewish halachic law. THE UNIFORMED OFF-DUTY SOLDIERS took part in a private visit to the Mount and were led by a qualified guide. (Note: Temple Mount security is the responsibility of the police, not the Israel Defense Forces.) FOR THE PAST DECADE the police have prevented uniformed soldiers from entering the Temple Mount, claiming that their presence would bruise Moslem sensitivities and violence, (perhaps even on the regional level), could break out. However, despite the very visible presence of these uniformed soldiers who visited the Mount on January 8th, 2012, no opposition or discomfort was expressed by any Moslems who chanced to be on the Mount during their visit. Once again, the dire predictions of the Israel police, upon which they base their discriminatory practice of forbidding large numbers of Jews, or Jewish prayer, or, (until now), uniformed IDF soldiers, have proven false. ON A SIMILAR, AND NO LESS SIGNIFICANT NOTE, just one week ago a group of Jewish worshipers on the Temple Mount struck up a dialogue with a numbers of Moslems. They discussed the religious status of the Mount to both faiths. During the course of the spontaneous gathering the Moslems involved expressed their sympathy for and understanding of the Jewish desire to pray on the Mount. They likewise denied that they were opposed to Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount, despite repeated police claims to the contrary. HOPEFULLY, as yet another precedent has been set, and another doomsday prophecy proven unfounded, the police will take the necessary steps to fulfill the letter and spirit of Israeli law and allow full access and freedom of worship for all Jews on the Temple Mount. Click here to see photos.

Three Days in Tevet The eighth, ninth and tenth days of the month of Tevet are each considered dark days in the history of Israel. At one time each of the three days was observed by a fast. Today we fast only on the tenth. What happened on these three days? The 8th: The Septuagint Click here to learn about the translation of the Hebrew Torah into Greek, known as the Septuagint, which occurred on the 8th of Tevet. The 9th: The Passing of Ezra and Nechemiah The 9th of Tevet marks the passing of Ezra and Nechemiah who led the Jews exiled in Babylon back to Jerusalem. Click here to learn more about their crucial role in Israel's history. The 10th: Breaching the Walls of Jerusalem The 10th of Tevet marks the beginning of the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem in the year 586 BCE. Click here to learn more.

The clay seal and the Chamber of the Seals  Holy Temple Clay Seal Discovered: A Sweet Chanuka Gift from G-d  AS IN RECENT YEARS, a major Holy Temple remnant was again revealed this year during the eight-day Chanuka celebration. Actually discovered just prior to Chanuka but kept under wraps until an official press conference was called on the fifth day of Chanuka, (December 25th), this year's find was truly the first of its kind. Discovered was a small, (one centimeter by one centimeter - .4x.4 inch), clay seal. Written upon the seal were the two Aramaic words, "Da-kee l-ya," "Pure to G-d." Aramaic was the spoken language during the late Second Temple Period, the time of the origin of the discovered stamp.A PERSON BRINGING A KORBAN, (offering) to the Holy Temple would purchase the flour or wine which would accompany different offerings at the Holy Temple itself. The worshiper would first enter the Chamber of the Seals, where he would purchase a receipt in the form of a clay seal, just like the seal recently discovered. Seal in hand, the worshiper would then enter the appropriate chamber to pick up his wine or flour, before proceeding to make his offering. This process is described in Mishnah Tractate Shekalim, 5:1-5: "Whoever required libations would go to Yochanan who was in charge of the stamps and give him [the appropriate amount of] money and would receive a stamp from him in return. He would then go to Achiyah who was in charge over the libations, give him the stamp, and receive the libations from him." THE CHAMBER OF THE SEALS, (Lishkat HaChotmot, in Hebrew), was one of four small offices which sat in each of the four corners of the Beit HaMoked, the Chamber of the Hearth, (see image below). The Chamber of the Hearth, located on the northern wall of the inner courtyard of the Holy Temple, was the dormitory facility for the twenty-four priests, (Kohanim), serving in the Holy Temple at any given time. THIS PARTICULAR SEAL was discovered by none other than Hillel Richman, the son of the Temple Institute's Rabbi Chaim Richman. Hillel is a foreman on the Temple Mount Sifting Project. The Sifting Project is an archaeological project involved in sifting through debris that was first removed illegally from the Temple Mount some ten years ago by the Moslem Wakf. The Wakf, who are the Moslem custodians of the Moslem sites on the Temple Mount have long been conducting a campaign of expanding the existing Mosque on the Mount while simultaneously destroying and removing precious archaeological evidence of the Holy Temple. Their activities are illegal according to Israeli law, designed to ensure the preservation of holy sites. The Israeli authorities demur from putting a stop to the activities, fearing a violent Moslem response. Ironically, the very attempt by the Wakf to destroy archaeological proof of the Holy Temple's existence has allowed Israel archaeologists to make a series of discoveries such as this most recent one. IS IT SIMPLY A COINCIDENCE, or is the timing of the discovery of the clay seal during the week of Chanuka, a sweet Chanuka gift from G-d? When forming your opinion, consider the following: When the Chashmonean rebels recaptured the Holy Temple for G-d and Israel, they needed to destroy and rebuild the great stone altar which the Greeks had defiled. It was not permissible for the stones to be thrown away or destroyed, as they had once formed the holy altar. Instead, they were removed and put in storage. And which chamber was deemed a suitable storage place by the officals of the Holy Temple? The Chamber of the Seals, the very same chamber where our clay seal originated. (See picture above) Click HERE for a large high-resolution image of the clay seal.Click HERE for another photo of the newly discovered clay seal, this one depicting its actual size.

The Temple Institute Celebrates a Quarter Century of Accomplishments  TWENTY FIVE YEARS AGO THE TEMPLE INSTITUTE WAS ESTABLISHED. Its expressed purpose,which has never changed, has been to educate both Israel and the nations as to the importance of the Holy Temple. The centrality of the Holy Temple is not just an artifact of our distant past. It continues to be an integral part of our experience today, and will be of ultimate significance in the future of all mankind. The Institute's second task has been to do everything within our means to make physical preparations for the renewal of the Divine service in the Holy Temple.WE HAVE CHOSEN THE HOLIDAY OF CHANUKA, the holiday of the rededication of the Holy Temple in the days of old, and the rededication of Israel to the rebuilding of the Holy Temple in our days, to kick off our Silver Jubilee year of celebration. We express our gratitude to HaShem for allowing us to arrive at this date. We hope to celebrate with all of you our quarter century of accomplishments, even as we work, steady as ever, toward the goal of all humanity: The rebuilding of the Holy Temple. Your support for our work is not merely important to the success of our mission: It is essential. Please join with the Temple Institute to insure that our goals can be accomplished.

Rambam Gate Bridge to Temple Mount Closed  UPDATE: As of the morning of December 14th, the police have reopened the Rambam Bridge. A permanent soultion has not been found. Twelve gates lead into the Temple Mount. As per the current arrangement arrived at between the government of Israel and the Moslem Wakf, ten of them allow access to Moslems only. Only one gate is currently open for Jews and Gentiles to enter the Temple Mount. This is the Rambam Gate, otherwise known as the Mughrabi (Arabic for western) Gate, which is situated on the Western Wall of the Temple Mount, adjacent to and above the Western Wall Plaza. The earthen ramp which led up tp the gate was damaged in 2004 by a heavy winter storm and an earthquake. A new structure was planned to replace the damaged ramp, and in the meantime a temporary wooden bridge was erected. Twice in the past three years archaeologists have arrived on the site to make preliminary excavations to insure that no damage to ancient remnants would occur when the bridge foundations were being laid. Career Moslem inciters across the Middle East decided, as is their wont, to make a stink about the preservation work and the planned bridge, unsheathing once again the tried and true canard that Israel, (read, "the Jews"), are intending to "undermine the foundations of the Al Aksa Mosque." In spite of the obvious falseness of the ludicrous accusations, Binyamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, ordered the construction to be indefinitely postponed. More recently heavy construction equipment was moved to the site, and once again the same scenario was played out and once again Netanyahu ordered the construction stopped. In the past week the Jerusalem municipal inspector declared the temporary wooden bridge unsafe, liable to collapse or even catch fire. Upon his orders, the bridge was shut down, and with that, all access to the Temple Mount for Jews and Gentiles was effectively stopped, until further notice. Despite the presence of ten other possible entry point to the Temple Mount, (through which Jews and Gentiles have been granted access in the past), this temporary solution has not been made available by the government of Israel. In effect, the government of Israel is acting in violation of its own code of law, which guarantees freedom of access to holy sites to members of all religions. As of this writing, a small number of Members of the Israeli Knesset have made their voices heard demanding the immediate reopening of the Temple Mount to Jews and Gentiles. The government of Israel has not responded. On the eve of the Chanuka festival celebrating the uncompromising fight for religious freedom and the rights of Jews to adhere to the word of the Holy Torah in the land of Israel, the tragic irony of this pussilanimous buckling under to the bombastic threats of Moslem violence is not lost. We call upon the government of Israel to immediately remedy this intolerable situation, and grant free and unlimited access to Jews and Gentiles who wish to perform the commandment of Mora Mikdash - showing reverence to G-d in the place of His Holy Temple. If the government of Israel is unwilling or incapable of guaranteeing the rights of Jews to perform Torah commandments in the land of Israel, then the government should stand down at once, and a new government elected in its stead. To view news items describing the events as they unfold, please go to our News page and Updates Archive. To learn more about the bridge, its history and the unambigious opinion of the Temple Institute concerning the matter, please listen to our Temple Talk Radio show of December 13th.

Torah Observance for Gentiles NOW AVAILABLE: PART II Some years back Rabbi Chaim Richman delivered a historical teaching in the state of Texas to an audience of Noahides (G-d fearing Gentiles). The teaching was recorded and is now being presented to the broad public for the first time. Rabbi Richman delivers a candid and groundbreaking explanation of practical Torah observance for Righteous Gentiles. This seventy minute teaching is being presented in three parts: Please click here for Part I. Please click here for Part II. Part III will be available in the upcoming weeks.

A LITTLE JUG OF HOPE In anticipation of the upcoming Chanuka celebration, The Temple Institute's Midrasha(Youth Education Division) is presenting a live musical production of the Chanuka story, "A LITTLE JUG OF HOPE," Starring Yerachmiel andMr. Shabbos. If your school, community center, synagogue, or private party is interested in booking a performance of "A LITTLE JUG OF HOPE," please contact the Temple Institute at 02-626-4545, or 054-206-8714 (Avital). Click here to view the full-size poster. Click here to see a video preview of Yerachmiel and Mr. Shabbos in action!

What has the Temple Institute been up to this past year of 5771? LOTS! Click here to learn more, and click here to help make possible our new ideas and projects and programs for bringing the Holy Temple closer to reality, planned for 5772!

Ashkelon Schoolchildren Visit the Temple Institute On Wednesday, September 15th, the TALMUD TORAH ADERET RACHEL elementary school from Ashkelon paid an after-school visit to the Temple Institute. Their visit was organized within the framework of the Temple Institute's recently announced "GIVE THE KIDS A BREAK" initiative to enable schoolchildren from southern Israel to visit the Temple Institute, where they will learn about the Holy Temple and get a few hours of relief from the threat of rocket fire. It was just over three weeks ago that the terrorist controlled Gaza Strip followed up a deadly terror attack in the Eilat region of the eastern Negev with a massive barrage of missiles aimed at the Jewish towns and cities in the area of the western Negev. Aside from the obvious mortal danger and the physical toll the rocket attacks take on each town, the emotional stress and anxiety caused by the attacks and the threat of more attacks exacts a very heavy toll on the residents. It is especially difficult for children. They can no longer move and play freely within their own neighborhoods. The must be on constant alert and in a state of constant preparation. Whether they are in school, on the playground, at the dinner table or already in bed for the night, when the warning sirens are heard, they have just 15 seconds to make it to the nearest bomb shelter. With the help of a number of donors who generously responded to our call, the Temple Institute hosted our first guests this past week. The elementary school children, (grades two through six), accompanied by teachers and parents, all in all, some seventy visitors, had a wonderful time. The Temple Institute guides met our guests and brought them through the exhibition, describing to them the purpose of each vessel and the story behind each of the paintings that hang in the exhibition. The children were spellbound. They also were able to show off their own knowledge of the Holy Temple as the guides asked questions and involved them in quizzes. One young man was even asked to pose as the golden menorah and given life-size models of the menorah oil-lamps to hold in each hand. The parents and teachers likewise enjoyed the evening, asking many questions and sharing their own knowledge. The following day the Temple Institute received a phone call from Menachem Cohen who had led the group up from Ashkelon, to thank us for the thoroughly enjoyable and educational evening. The response, he told us, was so positive that they hope to be able to bring more groups in the future. For the moment, the security situation in southern Israel has quieted down considerably. Rockets are still falling, although much less frequently. The attacks are not being reported in the international media, and although they are very infrequent at the current time, the worry, stress and anxiety remains a constant for the local residents. In light of the current political events that are rocking the region, and the very dangerous political games being conducted by the Palestinians, no one can guarantee that even the relative calm being experienced right now, will last. Encouraged by the overwhelmingly positive response of our first group of guests, the Temple Institute would like very much to be able to continue to receive guests from southern Israel in the upcoming weeks and month. Hiring buses is costly and for this we appeal to all who have the desire and the ability to help. For more information and to donate, please click here.

THE MOVEMENT FOR TEMPLE RENEWAL With The Participation of Leading Temple Organizations THE TEMPLE INSTITUTE THE TEMPLE WITH PEACE NOW THE FOUNDATION FOR TEMPLE MOUNT HERITAGE Is Honored To Invite You To THE HOLY TEMPLE CONFERENCE An Evening Dedicated To Temple Awareness  In Memory of The Admor Rabbi David Teible Elbaum and the martyred Rabbi Yitchak and Talia Imas The Dinner And Gathering Will Take Place In The Main Hall Of The Jerusalem Great Synagogue The 19th of Elul - 18th of September, 2011 6:00 pm  For complete information, please click here.

The Mounting Problem of Temple Denial We are all, unfortunately, familiar with the criminal and pathological phenomenon of Holocaust denial - the claim by neo-Nazis, Islamic leaders, and yes, much of the Arab "moderate" leadership, including Israel's Palestinian "peace partner" Mahmoud Abbas, that the systematic murder of six million Jews by the Nazis in WW II simply didn't happen. There exists a parallel phenomenon, no less pernicious and no less persistent, of Holy Temple denial. This is referring to the daily repeated claims by Islamic leaders, and yes, much of the Arab "moderate" leadership, including Israel's Palestinian "peace partner" Mahmoud Abbas, that the Holy Temple simply never existed. The intention of this repugnant lie is to delegitimize and destroy the Jewish nation's eternal connection to this the holiest site on earth. It's all part of the Palestinian/Moslem plan to isolate and eradicate Israel. We have republished a historical overview of the phenomenon of Temple Denial, written by David Barnett, which recently appeared on the website of the internationall acclaimed think tank, The Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center. To read David Barnett's study, please click here.

Graduate to the Temple Mount! In May, 2011, Rabbi Chaim Richman attended the 8th grade graduation ceremony of the Abrams Hebrew Academy of Yardley, PA. The ceremony took place in Jerusalem and included the dedication of a Sefer Torah to the Border Police and a keynote address by Rabbi Richman to the graduating class, overlooking the Temple Mount.

Help the Temple Institute give the Kids of the South a Break! ONCE AGAIN WAR HAS BROKEN OUT. Once again terror has struck the citizens of Israel, and once again the southern towns and cities of Israel's Negev region are under attack as missiles fired from the terrorist-controlled Gaza Strip are forcing innocent citizens of Israel off the streets and into the bomb shelters. EVERYONE SUFFERS. But it is especially heartbreaking to see young kids having to wait out their summer vacation in fear of their lives. THE TEMPLE INSTITUTE'S MIDRASHA (Youth Education Division), which specializes in teaching, entertaining and uplifting childrens' spirits in schools and summer camps, six days a week, every week of the year, is ready to lend a hand: In cooperation with southern townships and municipalities, the Midrasha is inviting the children of Southern Israel to travel north to Jerusalem to spend an educational day of fun with our staff. This vacation day will include prayer at the Western Wall, lunch, and special childrens' activities at the Temple Institute. THE DAY IS ON US! This is our contribution. Renting buses, however, is a considerable expense that we will need help with. If you are able to help us to bring some Holy Temple excitement into some young lives, (and at the same time enable their parents to know that their children are safe and in good hands for the day), please click here. Your assistance can help us to give the kids of southern Israel a much deserved break for a day!

Tu b'Av: The Happiest Day of the Year! The Babylonian Talmud, tractate Ta'anit 30b-31a, states: "There were no holidays so joyous for Israel as the Fifteenth of Av (Tu b'Av) and Yom HaKippurim." Click here to find out why!

9th of Av, 5771: Peace and "Extremism" on the Temple Mount Earlier this week, On the fast day of Tish'a b'Av, (Tuesday, August 9th) some five hundred Jews visited the Temple Mount, site of the first and second Holy Temples. This is the day of mourning and fasting to commemorate the destruction of both Holy Temples. These visits passed peacefully; the only headlines made were the large number of Jews who made the ascent, and the physical assault upon one group of Jews by passing Moslems and Wakf officials. However, according to the Arabic language website, PALESTINE TODAY, these groups of visiting Jews were comprised of extremists engaging in usurption and provocation. Click here for our response to these false accusations.

9th of Av, 5771 on the Temple Mount On the Morning of Tish'a b'Av, 5771/August 9, 2011, Rabbi Chaim Richman & Yitzchak Reuven ascended the holy Temple Mount together with hundreds of fellow Jews, to make a clear statement on this spiritually powerful day, on which both Holy Temples were destroyed. The entire morning was spent on the Mount. Following is a short teaching from the Mount.

Tish'a b'Av, 5771: On the Temple Mount A solemn day of mourning in which great calamities have befallen Israel. But also a day of unparalleled potential. Back in the land of Israel, back in the holy city of Jerusalem, we must harness the power of our people's longing for the Holy Temple and turn the mourning and lamentation into building the Holy Temple and spiritual rebirth. This photo album provides some snapshots of over two hundred Jews who arrived at the only place possible to be on the 9th of Av: The Temple Mount, site of the once and future Holy Temple. Click here to view.

THE HOLY TEMPLE: Its Destruction and Subsequent Attempts to Rebuild It For 1,941 years the nation of Israel has been mourning the desttruction of the Holy Temple at the rapacious hands of the invading Romans, but not just: Attempts to retake the Mount and rebuild the Holy Temple have been made over the millennia. Click here to learn more.

Dare to Dream/Dare to Build It is Av once again, and we are still mourning when we should be building. We love this short video but we will love it even more when it becomes irrelevant!

The Temple Institute's 5771 Annual Youth Conference On Monday, the 29th of Tammuz, (August 1st), at 1:30 PM, the Temple Institute will be holding it's Annual Youth Conference, in the auditorium of Yeshivat HaKotel, on Rechov Misgav Ladach, in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem: 1:30 Conference opens with refreshments and Minchah prayer. 2:00 Rabbi Yisrael Ariel 2:30 Rabbi Dov Lior 3:20 Rabbi Ouri Cherki 4:00 Unveiling of a large scale model of the Holy Temple. Techelet dying workshop. Raffle with prizes from the Temple Institute's Exhibition Gift Store. 5:00 For men, a lecture with Chagai Ben Artzi overlooking the Temple Mount. For women, a presentation: "Beit HaShem Nelech." 7:00 we will be joining the traditional Erev Rosh Chodesh Sivuv Shearim, (encirclement of the Old City and Temple Mount gates). Admission is free. Separate seating. For more information, please call 02-626-4545, or temple.org.il

Renegade Hearts Please click here to read a powerful statement written by a righteous Gentile, an eloquent testimony to the innate longing of every human being for the rebuilding of the Holy Temple and the restoration of G-d's presence in His Holy House.

A Voice Message from the Holy Temple Archaeological remnants of the Holy Temple have been discovered in the past. But never in the history of two thousand years have we ever been able to gain a glimpse into what the Holy Temple may have sounded like! The "small still sound" of this tiny but exquisitely beautiful golden bell, which may have originally been one of the seventy two golden bells which, along with woven pomegranates, lined the hem of the meil techelet - blue tunic - of the High Priest - calls out to us all the way from the Holy of Holies, into which entered the Kohen Gadol - High Priest - one day of the year - Yom Kippur! This gentle blast from the past comes during these three weeks of solemn remembrance of the Holy Temple to remind us of the sublime beauty and purpose that is missing from our lives without the Holy Temple, and to rouse us from our slumber. Listen carefully to the chiming of the bell. It is urging us: "Build me, build me, build me, build me, build me, build me..."

Second Temple Bell Found South of Old City of Jerusalem From Arutz 7: A rare bell with a buttonhole from the Second Temple period was found Thursday during an excavation at the Ir David (City of David) National Park, just south of the Old City of Jerusalem. It was found in a drainage canal originating just west of the Western Wall of the Temple. Excavation managers Eli Shukrun and Ronny Reich said, "It appears the bell was sewn on the garment of a man of high standing in Jerusalem at the end of the Second Temple period (first century C.E.)." It is known from the biblical book of Exodus that the high priests wore bells like this. While it is not certain that this bell belonged to a high priest, it cannot be ruled out. "And you shall make the robe of the ephod completely of blue wool. Its opening at the top shall be turned inward; its opening shall have a border around it, the work of a weaver. It shall have [an opening] like the opening of a coat of armor; it shall not be torn. And on its bottom hem you shall make pomegranates of blue, purple, and crimson wool, on its bottom hem all around, and golden bells in their midst all around. A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, on the bottom hem of the robe, all around. It shall be on Aharon when he performs the service, and its sound shall be heard when he enters the Holy before HaShem and when he leaves, so that he will not die." Exodus 28:31-35

Torah of Transformation Speaking Tour Wrapup! Rabbi Chaim and Rena Richman have completed their Torah of Transformation Speaking Tour of nine cities across the USA. If you were't able to attend and would like to get a glimpse of what transpired, or if you did attend and would like to reminisce, please have a look at our Torah of Transformation Travelogue picture gallery. Click here!

The Month of Tammuz The ill-fated spies, (Numbers 13:1) sent by Moses to spy out the land of Israel and report back to the nation on what they saw, left the desert encampment on the final day of the month of Sivan. They spent the entire month of Tammuz in the land of Israel and returned to the desert encampment on the ninth day of the following month of Av. They spent a total of forty days in the land of Israel, and as a price for the ill words they spoke of her, the entire nation was to spend forty years in their desert exile. The 9th of Av, the day they delivered their evil report, was to become a day of mourning for all generations. It is the day that the first and second Holy Temples were destroyed. It is our responsibility to reverse the opprobrium thus assigned to the month of Tammuz by being certain to see and to say only good things about the land of Israel each and every day of the month. Therefore, every day of the month of Tammuz we will be posting positive words and pictures of the land of Israel. Click here to see. Your positive words are welcome and can be posted on our Facebook page!

Rabbi Chaim Richman, second from right.  Larger Numbers of Jewish Worshippers Ascending the Temple Mount Sivan 11, 5771/June 13, 2011 | The past two weeks have witnessed over 1000 Jewish worshippers ascending and circumnavigating the Temple Mount, in fulfillment of the commandment of Mora Mikdash - showing reverence to G-d in the place of His Holy Temple. A number of these worshippers have even been able to spend a few moments in open prayer. Freedom of worship on the Temple Mount is guaranteed under Israeli law. In practice, however, prayer or any other outward sign of religious expression by non-Moslems is strictly forbidden by the police. This anti-democratic de-facto policy is a result of police timidity concerning alleged "Moslem sensitivity." In other words, the Moslem Wakf, which acts as custodian over the Mosques on the Temple Mount, are violently opposed to any other than Moslem worship on the Mount. The Israeli police, bowing in deference to the Wakf's implied threat of violence, illegally forbid prayer by Jews and other non-Moslems. This draconian policy may be softening, as in recent weeks Jewish worshippers on the Mount have been afforded a bit more leeway by the police. It has long been tacitly understood that a significant increase in the number of Jewish ascenders to the Mount would effect a more tolerant attitude by the police. In turn, a more positive attitude by the police toward Jewish worshippers encourages more Jews to make the ascent. This may be what we are currently witnessing, as the numbers of Jews making their way to the Temple Mount is steadily increasing. A critical mass for real change has not yet been reached, but if the current trend continues, this may become a reality in the near future. Variables remain. The Moslems, witnessing the increasing numbers of Jewish worshippers may call for violence, and this may precipitate a police retreat to a hostile and unwelcoming attitude toward Jewish worshippers. The police could go so far as to forbid Jewish access to the Mount, if they deem such a move to be in their interest. The police, however, would have a hard time defending such a policy if the demand for renewed access is loud and sustained. It's all a game of numbers, but we may soon be arriving at a tipping point where the sheer numbers of Jewish ascenders forces a real change for the better on the Temple Mount.

Barack Obama vs the People of Israel On May 19, 2011, President Barack Hussein Obama delivered a Middle East Foreign Policy speech in Washington, D.C. In it he reveals his true intentions for the state of Israel and the people of Israel. This video is a response.

Seminar: Pesach Sheni and the Bringing of the Passover Offering in Our Day Leaders and spokesmen for a number of Holy Temple/Temple Mount organizations will be participating in a Pesach Sheni (Second Passover) seminar today, Iyar 14, (May 18), at 6:15 PM, at the Achdut Yisrael Synagogue, 91 Jaffa Street in Jerusalem. The focus of discussion will be taking of practical steps towards the renewal of the Korban Pesach, (Pascal offering). Among the speakers will be: 6:15 Rabbi Yosef Alboum - Opening Address 6:30 Moshe Feiglin, head of the Mianhigut Yehudit movement and Likud faction: "The Holy Temple nation" 6:40 Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, head of the Temple Institute: "The Essential Need for a National Movement for the Holy Temple" 7:00 Noam Federman: "The Structure and Modus Operandi of the Movement" 7:30 Attorney Aviad Vasulli: "Preparing for a Korban Pesach in 5772 (2012)" 8:10 Rabbi Tzvi Idan: "The Sanhedrin in the Holy Temple" 8:30 Screening of the teachings of Rabbi Uri Sharki: "Who needs Offerings? Why a Korban Pesach?" 8:50 Rabbi Shalom Volpa: "The 14th of Iyar and the Korban Pesach in Our Day: The Teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe" 9:10 Architect Gideon Charlap: "First and Second Degree Holiness in Practical Application" 9:30 Chaggai Veiss: " The Meaning of Chezkiya's Korban Pesach For Our Times in the Teachings of Rabbi Tzadok HaKohen from Lublin" 9:50 Noam Federman: Closing Words Throughout the day Rabbis Itai and Yoel Elitzur will be guiding Jews going up to the Temple Mount in complete accordance with halacha (Jewish Law). For more informtion: 054-5343545 lamikdash@gmail.com

Arab Nakba Mob Violates Temple Mount Sanctity "The glory of this last House shall be greater than the first one, said the L-rd of Hosts. And in this place I will grant peace, says the L-rd of Hosts." (Haggai 2:9)  On May 15th, 2011, the 63rd anniversary of the birth of the modern state of Israel, Arabs staged violent protests inside Israel and on her borders, marking what they refer to as the "Nakba" "The Disaster." Israel is being pressured by the international community to concede the biblical heartland of the land of Israel in order to appease her Arab neighbors. But for the Arabs, the very establishment of the state of Israel, the return of the people of Israel to the land of Israel, and the return of the Torah of Israel to the holy city of Jerusalem, eternal capital of Israel, is a catastrophe of unprecedented scope. On May 15th, "Nakba" day. Hundreds of Arabs entered the Temple Mount, the holiest site on earth, the place of the once and future Holy Temple, where they rioted and placed Palestinian flags on the Al Aksa mosque. Behold Israel's "partners" for peace...

Yom Atzma'ut Sameach - Happy Independence Day! Israel celebrates today sixty-three years of independence, following nearly 1900 years of homelessness and scorn. Today, the nation of Israel, once again in the land of Israel, is moving forward on the long road to complete redemption. As Israel rediscovers itself within the land of Israel and the holy city of Jerusalem, she is just beginning to re-assume her role as the spiritual center and leader of the nations. The distance that separates Israel today from the Israel of the rebuilt Holy Temple and the renewed Divine service is measured by our dedication and the allegiance in our hearts toward fulfilling the word of Torah and making our world one in which G-d is welcome. May Israel go from strength to strength!

All-New Light to the Nations Series: The Temple Offerings It is time to begin to really understand the Temple offerings, what they consist of, when, how and why they are offered, what they represent, and how they effect change. In this all-new Light to the Nations series, Rabbi Chaim Richman explores every aspect of the korbanot - the Temple offerings. For too long the subject of thekorbanot has intimidated and perplexed our modern sensibilities. Rabbi Richman cuts through our inhibitions and gets right to the heart of the matter, and why the service of the Temple korbanot is essential for us to fully realize our own humanity and Divine image. Please click here to view.

Update: The Temple Institute's Thirtieth Annual Conference on Temple Research THE TEMPLE INSTITUTE'S THIRTIETH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON TEMPLE RESEARCH which took place on Chol HaMoed Pesach, Thursday, April 21, once again presented a colorful sampling of research that is currently being conducted by local scholars and investigators for the dual purpose of increasing our general knowledge of Temple related subjects, and as a matter of preparation for the rebuilding of the Holy Temple and the renewal of the Divine service. PROFESSOR ZOHAR AMAR of Bar Ilan University, who is known for his groundbreaking research concerning the ketoret incense used in the Holy Temple as well as research into and the revival of ancient methods of dying fabrics, (which the Temple Institute has adapted for the production of the Biblical argaman (purple), techelet(blue), and tola'at shani (scarlet), used in the priestly garments), reported on his latest research and experimentation with reproducing the lechem hapanim, (showbread), baked by the kohanim as part of the service in the Holy Temple sanctuary. GEDALIA GINSBURG discussed the book "Shiltei Gibborim," first written by Avraham HaRofeh, a 16th century Jewish scholar who lived in renaissance Italy. Despite limited access to the classical texts of Jewish learning, Avraham HaRofeh composed a scholarly masterpiece, titled "Shiltei Gibborim," which presents in depth and detailed information about the Holy Temple and the various components of the Divine service. Gedalia Ginsburg was one of a team of rabbis and scholars who edited, annotated and recently republished this work, still considered a definitive masterpiece of Temple commentary. MEMBER OF KNESSET DR. MICHAEL BEN ARI delivered an erudite explanation of the preparation and purpose of the korban Pesach - the pascal offering. YEHUDAH ETZION presented a visionary plan for the expansion of Jerusalem and its environs which will enable the city in the time of the rebuilt Holy Temple to accommodate the massive influx of worshippers and pilgrims who will be making their way to the Holy Temple three times a year. Etzion's highly detailed maps and plans focus on the redesigning of Jerusalem's urban infrastructure with a special emphasis on transportation and lodging. RABBI YOSEF YITZCHAK TAUB reported on the exploratory efforts of the Shefa HaYamim concern, which, based on the words of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, have been searching for the designated stones of the High Priest's breastplate, in northern Israel. To date they have discovered a number of small diamonds and other breastplate stones. RABBI AVRAHAM KAHANA, scholar of the Temple Institute's own Beit HaBechira Research Kollel delivered an overview of archaeological discoveries and confirmations concerning the antiquity of the walls of Jerusalem, as well as the Temple Mount which testify to the historical veracity of the Hebrew Scriptures and the glory of ancient Jerusalem. FINALLY, RABBI CHAIM RICHMAN, DIRECTOR OF THE THE TEMPLE INSTITUTE'S INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT, ALONG WITH MASTER CRAFTSMAN CHAIM ODEM, had the great honor of introducing and unveiling for the first time, the newly recreated Golden Lamp of Queen Helena. We will be presenting our own online premier showing of the Golden Lamp (nivreshet) following the conclusion of the Passover festival. IN ADDITION to the many fascinating insights to be gleaned from the various presentations and lectures of the Temple Research Conference, the rich and multifaceted fields of research which were represented are living and irrefutable proof of the centrality and vibrancy of the Holy Temple in contemporary Israeli circles. The impressive numbers who attended the conference are proof that the subject of the Holy Temple is in the heart and soul of the Israeli public at large. The practical application of the research currently being conducted will no doubt help us to make the dream of the Holy Temple into a living reality, soon, in our days!

The Temple Institute's Thirtieth Annual Conference on Temple Research will be taking place on Chol HaMoed Pesach, Thursday, April 21, in the auditorium of Yeshivat HaKotel, in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. The Symposium will feature the following speakers: 15:30 - Doors Open 15:45 - Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, Founder of the Temple Institute, introduction 16:00 - Professor Zohar Amar: Recent efforts to recreate the Temple Showbread 16:30 - Rabbi Gedalia Ginsburg: discusses the book "Shlitei Gibborim" 17:00 - Member of Knesset Dr. Michael Ben Ari: The uniqueness of the Passover offering 17:30 - Rabbi Yehudah Etzion: "Pisgo VeArmanoteya:" A visionary glimpse into the future glory of Jerusalem 18:00 - Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Taub: Searching for the Breastplate stones in the land of Israel 18:30 - Rabbi Avraham Kahana: The Walls of Jerusalem: Research and Archeology The lectures will be accompanied by a multimedia presentation. Master of Ceremonies: Rabbi Menachem Burnstein, Head of the Puah Institute. Special: The premier unveiling of the newly created Golden Lamp of Queen Helena, presented by Rabbi Chaim Richman, Director of the International Department of the Temple Institute. For additional details: 02-626-4545.

Chag Pesach Sameach: A Joyful Passover! The Temple Institute wishes a joyful and peaceful Passover holiday to all our friends and supporters, and to the entire House of Israel. May we merit true freedom from our oppressors and the courage to renew the Divine service and rebuild the Holy Temple on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem. The above picture depicts the inner courtyard of the Holy Temple on the eve of Passover. In the foreground can be seen pilgrims with their korban Pesach (Passover offerings). To their right are a chavura (group of worshippers) preparing their offering in front of the stone altar. In the background are the Levitcal musicians and vocalists. The Levitical orchestra performed continuously when offerings were being brought before the altar, and Passover eve was no exception, as the entire nation of Israel made its way to the Holy Temple with their Pascal offerings. On this occasion the songs they performed comprised the Hallel - Psalms of praise - which even now are sung aloud every day of the Passover holiday in synagogues around the world. Soon, G-d willing, the Hallel will be sung again in the courtyards of the Holy Temple! A Classic Passover Adventure We invite you to join a young man by the name of Shlomo ben Ezra in our classic illustrated Passover Adventure, as he and his family make the pilgrimage from the Galilee to Jerusalem during the days of the second Holy Temple. Click here to learn all about the Passover celebration from the first preparations in the month ofAdar, to the counting of the barley grain.

Going Out on a 'Lamb' Yisrael Medad, veteran Temple Mount scholar and activist, and Director of Educational Resources of theMenachem Begin Heritage Center, and a special guest on our recent 2nd Annual International Temple Mount Awareness Day Live Online Happening has written an erudite, scholarly, well-researched and meticulously sourced overview of the ongoing and ever-growing attempts and desire to bring a korban Pesach - Pascal offering - as commanded, to the Temple Mount on the eve of the Passover festival. Click here to read.

The Temple Institute's Midrasha Visits Ashkelon Under Fire The Midrasha, the Temple Institute's educational division decided to pay a visit to local elementary schools in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon, today, (Sunday, April 10), in order to educate and encourage and lift the spirits of schoolchildren in the city that for several weeks has been at the receiving end of missiles being fired from the Hamas controlled Gaza Strip. No sooner had Midrasha director Mordechai Persoff and his team of six National Service volunteers arrived in the city than they too found themselves in the line of terrorist fire. Maintaining cool heads, the Midrasha stayed the course, spending the entire day in Ashkelon teaching students about the Holy Temple, "a house of prayer for all nations." The Temple Institute's Midrasha visits hundreds of schools all across Israel throughout the course of each year. Rain or shine, or even terrorist missiles, the show must go on, and the Holy Temple will be built. Our children will see to that!

RED HEIFER in Israel Parah adumah - the Red Heifer: When the Holy Temple is established it will be imperative for all who come to Jerusalem with their Pascal offering to first be purified via the ashes of the red heifer before they can ascend to the Holy Temple. In spite of it all, the red heifer remains to this day the most compelling and elusive mystery in the Holy Torah. Yet what the mystery reveals about our own nature and our relationship with G-d is most enlightening. To view the full-length version of this teaching, please click here

Parashat Parah: Numbers 19 This coming Shabbat (March 26) we read the Torah portion concerning the statute of the red heifer - parah adumah. This is in preparation for the upcoming Passover holiday. When the Holy Temple is established it will be imperative for all who come to Jerusalem with their Pascal offering to first be purified via the ashes of the red heifer before thay can ascend to the Holy Temple. Click here to learn all about the red heifer.

Parashat Parah: The Kids are Alright Click here to learn of the essential role young priests -pirchei kohanim - play in the preparation of the ashes of the red heifer.

The Temple Institute Mourns Together With All of Israel Rabbi and IDF tank unit officer Udi Fogel and Ruth Fogel, their two sons, 11-year-old Yoav and four-year-old Elad, and their three-month-old daughter Hadas, were savagely murdered in cold blood in their home in the Samarian community of Itamar, Friday night, Shabbat Eve, March 11th. They were slaughtered in their sleep, at the hands of Arab terrorists. Three children survived the attack. May G-d grant them strength. May HaShem avenge their blood.  To read news reports, please click here and here.

Music of the Holy Temple: An All-New Light to the Nations video series THE SWEETEST MUSIC ON EARTH: The music of the Holy Temple was indeed the sweetest music on earth, and that is because it was the Levitical expression of the music of heaven. The music of the Levitical Choir and Orchestra was an integral part of the Divine service of the Holy Temple. Every day of the year, Shabbat and festival holidays included, the music of the Levites was heard in the Temple courtyards and throughout Jerusalem. What kind of music was played? What part did the music play in the Divine service? What instruments were used and how was the Levitical orchestra formulated? What will the music of the rebuilt Holy Temple sound like? In this five part Light to the Nations video series, Rabbi Chaim Richman and musicologist Rabbi David Louis explore the music of the Holy Temple, a fascinating and sublimely beautiful aspect of the Divine service. To view Part I of MUSIC OF THE HOLY TEMPLE, please click here.

Interview: Chaim Odem, Master Craftsman for the Temple Institute Master craftsman Chaim Odem is the designer and creator of the the golden Menorah that currently stands in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, overlooking the Temple Mount. Chaim has also designed and produced other Temple vessels on behalf of the Temple Institute, including a model of the Ark of the Covenant. Chaim is currently working on recreating the Golden Lamp of Queen Helena, to be hung from the great entrance to the Holy Temple sanctuary. Chaim Odem personifies the two criteria spelled out by Torah concerning the craftsmen and women of the Tabernacle in the desert: "wise of heart" (Exodus 35:10) and "generous of spirit."(Exodus 35:21) In this interview Chaim tries to answer the question how he merited building the golden Menorah for the Holy Temple. His story begins as a young man in the Soviet Republic of Georgia, where news of Israel's victory in the 1967 Six Day War awoke within him for the first time an awareness of his Jewish identity, something that had been denied him growing up in the communist totalitarian state. Chaim's story is one of faith, perseverance and eventual aliya (emigration) to Israel. To learn more about the Golden Lamp of Queen Helena, please click here. To view a video describing the Lamp currently under construction, please click here.

The Holy Temple - Constructing the Golden Lamp of Queen Helena The Temple Institute, inspired by the great yearning for the Holy Temple as expressed by thousands of Jews and Gentiles the world over has chosen to recreate the golden nivreshet of Queen Helena, with the hope that it will once again fulfill its role as a light filled clarion call for all nations to turn their eyes and their hearts toward Jerusalem and the Holy Temple, may we merit to build it speedily and in our days. We invite all who wish to play a part in the rebuilding of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem to join us in recreating the golden nivreshet, Queen Helena's gift to the Holy Temple, to the people of Israel and to the world. We invite all who wish to play a part in the rebuilding of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem to join us in recreating the Golden Lamp, Queen Helena's gift to the Holy Temple. Together we can fill the world with light. Together we can declare, "Hear O Israel, Hashem is our G-D, Hashem Is One." Help us to complete Queen Helena's Golden Lamp. Please click here.

The Golden Lamp of Queen Helena 1980 years ago a woman presented a precious gift to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. She brought the gift from afar. And with the gift she brought her husband and her children. The gift found its place in the Holy Temple and the woman and her family made the city of Jerusalem their new home. The woman's name was Helena and she was the queen of Adiabene, a small nation found in what is present day Iraq. Immersed in the prevailing Roman pagan culture, Queen Helena was searching for a way of life that was true and moral. She searched and she discovered the One G-d of Israel. Queen Helena and her family left their pagan ways and adopted the faith of Israel as their faith and the Torah of Israel as their truth. We invite all who wish to play a part in the rebuilding of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem to join us in recreating the golden lamp, Queen Helena's gift to the Holy Temple. Please click here.

Governor Mike Huckabee and Rabbi Chaim Richman Discuss Israel, Jerusalem and the Holy Temple Mike Huckabee, the former Governor of Arkansas, and likely presidential hopeful in 2012, has spent the past few days in Israel. On Thursday evening, February 3rd, (Rosh Chodesh Adar), the Temple Institute's Rabbi Chaim Richman was a guest of Governor Huckabee at the David's Citadel Hotel in Jerusalem. To learn more, please clickhere.

Now Presenting the Greatest Progress Toward the Rebuilding of the Holy Temple in Modern History: Blueprints for The Holy Temple In his recent USA speaking engagement tour, (January 2011), Rabbi Chaim Richman of the Temple Institute revealed to the public for the very first time detailed construction plans for the Chamber of Hewn Stone: the seat of the Great Sanhedrin which is a central component of the Holy Temple complex on the Temple Mount. These complete and highly intricate plans constitute the first stage of an historical undertaking of the Temple Institute: the drafting of blueprints for the entire Holy Temple complex. To view the blueprints and a short video, please click here.

"FROM EVERY PERSON WHOSE HEART INSPIRES HIM TO GENEROSITY" PARASHAT TERUMAH, the Torah reading of Exodus 25:1-27:19, encapsulates the essence and the purpose of the Temple Institute. To learn why this parashah is so intrinsic to the work of the Temple Institute, please clickhere.

Tu B'Shvat: The New Year for Trees Every month of the Hebrew calendar is imbued with its own unique spiritual quality. Our current month of Shvatis no exception. Rebirth, renewal, revitalization, and redemption all describe the essential energy of this month of Shvat. Located in the very dead of winter, just when we need it most, Shvat arrives to give us an injection of redemptive vision, a foreshadowing, as it were for the spring Passover festival. The very height of Shvat's spiritual awakening is today, the fifteenth of Shvat, known in Hebrew as Tu B'Shvat. The Mishna describes this day as being the beginning of the new year for trees, concerning the tithing of their fruits, and the harvesting of their first fruits after waiting the required three year period for the tree to mature. Yes, even the trees of the land of Israel number their days and are defined by their role in the sacred service of the Holy Temple! During Israel's long years of exile, Tu B'Shvat became an occasion for partaking of the seven species of the land of Israel and making the blessings on each of the species as a way of expressing our longing for the land. In modern Israel, Tu B'Shvat has taken on the aspect of an Arbor Day. Tens of thousands of young saplings are planted each year on Tu B'Shvat, (the shmitta - sabbatical - year excepting), by citizens, young and old, of Israel. Every year, during the month of Shvat we read the Torah portion of Beshalach, (Exodus 13:17-17:16), in which takes place the splitting of the Sea of Reeds and the crossing over of Israel from slavery to freedom. The rebirth, renewal, revitalization, and redemption of the Exodus is celebrated by Israel in the "Shirat Hayam," the "Song of the Sea." Contained in the song are the following verses: "You shall bring them [Israel] in, and plant them in the mountain of Your inheritance, in the place, O L-rd, which You have made for You to dwell in – in the Sanctuary, HaShem, which Your hands have established" (Ex. 15:17-18). Our sages teach us that these verses express the entire purpose of the Exodus from Egypt, to bring Israel "to the Mountain of G-d’s inheritance" — Mount Moriah, location of the Holy Temple — in order for Israel to build that very Sanctuary which His hands have established. Like trees of the field, well rooted in the soil of the land of Israel, watered by the pure waters of Torah, and reaching ever upwards toward heaven and toward our earthly destiny, we long to soon bear the fruits of our Divine purpose, and to build the Holy Temple, from which the redemptive energies of the month of Shvat will emanate to the four corners of the earth. Tu B'Shvat Sameach - A Happy Tu B'Shvat!

Vendyl and Anita Jones with Rabbi Chaim Richman, Waco TX, June 2010 Vendyl Jones 2 Sivan 5690/May 29, 1930 - 20 Tevet 5771/December 27, 2010 The Temple Institute is saddened to learn of the passing of a beloved friend and inspiration, Vendyl Jones. Vendyl was a fearless searcher of truth, an uncompromising iconoclast who never swayed from his pursuits, both archaeological and theological, despite the fact that his discoveries were often met with skepticism, hostility, or indifference. Vendyl was a pioneering spirit who challenged convention. His ground-breaking archaeological findings helped to return the Holy Temple and the Divine service back to its rightful prominence in the minds of many, and his Biblical scholarship and teachings aided countless spiritual seekers to return to the truths and values of the G-dof Israel. Perhaps more than any other individual of this generation, Vendyl is revered by many as one of the modern patriarchs of the burgeoning Noahide, (Bnei Noach), community in America. May his family and friends be comforted and may his life continue to serve as an inspiration. May his memory be for a blessing. To read more about Vendyl Jones, please click here.

Shouting to the Darkness A righteous Gentile's thoughts about Chanukah and the Holy Temple Every year we are asked, “Why do you celebrate Chanukah?” and/or “Are you Jewish?” I understand people’s curiosity. I even understand that they may think it’s a little weird. Heck, I even think it’s a little weird that I’m not Jewish and I celebrate Chanukah. But like I tell my kids, sometimes weird is good. It means you’re not following the norm. And more often than not these days, it’s the norm that’s becoming weird. Since the question keeps coming up, I thought I would write a little ditti about why we celebrate Chanukah. Please click here for the entire article.

THIS PAST WEEK, a dear friend of the Temple Institute, and celebrated craftsman of Temple vessels, ascended the Temple Mount with his soon to-be-bride on the morning of their upcoming wedding. Ascending the Mount and being present in the place of the Holy Temple is an ancient tradition that has been renewed in recent years. Here, however, our story takes a romantic - and daring - twist. ONCE ATOP THE MOUNT, in the southernmost area of the Mount, the area from which pilgrims of old would emerge from the twin tunnels which led from the Hulda Gates on the Mount's southern wall to the outer courtyards of the Holy Temple, our friend approached Rabbi Richman of the Temple Institute with a question. Rabbi Richman was leading a group of overseas friends of the Temple Institute, and was completely unaware as to what was about to transpire. Holding up a gold ring, our friend asked the Rabbi if he valued the rings as being worth more that a pruta, (an ancient coin which is a legal standard of measure), making it valid to be used in a kosher Jewish wedding. No sooner had the Rabbi answered "yes," than our friend uttered out loud the traditional wedding vow, "Harei at mekudeshet li, (Behold, you are sanctified to me)," and slipped the gold band onto the finger of his bride, thus officially marrying her, in accordance with "the law of Moshe and Israel," as is the case for all Jewish weddings. The required witnesses were present for this bare-boned ceremony and the two became husband and wife. The members of Rabbi Richman's group all wished them a hearty "Mazal tov!" OF COURSE ALL THIS JEWISH RELIGIOUS CEREMONY on the Temple Mount is strictly forbidden by the Israeli police who, under the threat of Moslem violence, bow to the demands of the Moslem Wakf, which consider themselves custodians of the Mount. Nevertheless, throwing caution to the wind, and allowing the import and holiness of the moment to be his guide, our friend carried out, and successfully completed his mission, with neither the police, nor the Wakf officials taking any notice. IT WAS A PARTICULARLY SWEET and emotion-laden moment for all who witnessed the marriage. For here, on the spot where the heavens reach out and touch the earth, and all mankind gathers to worship the One G-d, two hearts were united. LATER THAT EVENING the two performed their wedding again, as had been originally planned, this time complete with guests, a chuppah,(wedding canopy), ketubah, (marriage contract,) sheva brachot,(wedding blessings), and even the shattering of a glass under the foot of the groom, a reminder that our joy, even on so fine an occasion, cannot be complete while the Holy Temple lays in ruin. WE TOO WISH A HEARTY MAZAL TOV to our friend and his new bride, and thank him for taking yet one more important step in making the Temple Mount, the place of the future Holy Temple, once again the heart and the hearth of the nation of Israel. May they be blessed with many years of health and happiness and all good things.

WITH GREAT THANKS TO HASHEM, the Temple Institute is proud to announce the historical, landmark publication of the Talmud Tractate Zevachim. This classic work deals intensively with the description and explanation of the Divine service of offerings, as it is performed in the Holy Temple. Now, for the first time in 2000 years, Tractate Zevachim has been published with an in-depth exploration and elucidation of all the commandments and traditions concerning the Temple offerings. Years in preparation, this work includes the"Sha'arei Heichal" ("Gates of the Sanctuary") commentary written by the Beit HaBechirah Kollel of the Temple Institute, whose scholars specialize and excel in the Torah knowledge of the Holy Temple and the Divine service, providing ground-breaking research, new insights, and, literally, hands-on investigation into the practical implementation of the commandments concerning the Temple offerings. This two volume work of over 1500 pages includes more than 700 full color photographs, illustrations and diagrams which bring to life the world of Temple offerings. Published in time for the upcoming international Daf Yomi study of Tractate Zevachim, this two volume set can be purchased through the Temple Institute online store. Tractate Zevachim is available in Hebrew only.

To view features which have previously appeared on the Events page, please go to our new archive page, TI Digest.

In the Footsteps of the Rambam: Recreating His Historic Ascent to the Temple Mount Commemorating the 835th anniversary of Maimonides historic ascent to the Temple Mount: The incomparable Rambam (Maimonides), of blessed memory, was a giant of Jewish law who journeyed from North Africa to the land of Israel, braving storm and sea and an inhospitable land under crusader domination for one purpose: to visit Jerusalem, ascend the Temple Mount and pray at the place of "The Great and Holy House," the site of the Holy Temple. In doing so Rambam performed the positive commandment of "mora mikdash," showing reverence to G-d in the place of His Holy Temple. We can and must perform this same commandment today.

The Temple Institute would like to thank all those who have donated to the special fund for the Imus Children, the seven orphans whose parents were brutally murdered by Palestinian terrorists on August 31. Those who would still like to contribute funds for these children may contact Rabbi Richman.

October 10 -15, the Temple Institute will be celebrating Maimonides’ 6th of Cheshvan (Oct. 14th) ascent to the Temple Mount with articles posted daily describing the Rambam’s life and times, his visit to Israel and the Temple Mount, and the commandment of Mora Mikdash - showing reverence for G-d on the Temple Mount.The week-long event will conclude with an ascent to the Temple Mount, retracing the Rambam’s steps. To keep abreast of our daily article, visit this page, join us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter. To begin day one, and learn about Rambam's early life in 12th century Spain and North Africa, click here. To read day two, and discover what awaited Rambam in the land of Israel, held by the crusaders, click here. To proceed to day three, and read in the Rambam's own words of his perilous journey through Israel and his ascent to the Temple Mount, click here. To go to day four, and learn about the Rambam's own reflections on his ascent to the Temple Mount, clickhere. On day five, view a four minute video shot stop the Temple Mount, where we recreate the Rambam's historic visit, and learn about the Rambam's life in Egypt. Click here. Click here to download our Week of the Rambam artwork.

Queen Heleni, Second Temple Patron, Returns to Israel TRADITIONALLY, every day of the seven day Sukkot festival, we invite into our sukkot one of the sevenushpizin, (guests), Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, Yosef, Moshe, Aharon and David. This year we have had the additional honor of hosting in Israel the much admired Queen Heleni, (in Hebrew, Heleni HaMalka), after a 137 year absence. ACTUALLY, it is the sarcophagus of Queen Heleni that is returning to Jerusalem, on loan from the Louvre in Paris, to the Israel Museum. In the year 1863 the French archaeologist Felicien de Saulcy discovered the tomb of Heleni HaMalka just north of the walled city of Jerusalem. Upon the sarcophagus were inscribed the words in Aramaic and Hebrew, Tzadan Malchata and Tzada Malka. The sarcophagus was removed from the site and taken to France, where it has been kept in the Louvre ever since. For the first time in history it is being returned to Israel, on loan to the Israel Museum. HELENI, wife of King Monbaz I was a heathen queen of Adiabene, a region located in modern day Iraq. Circa the year 30 CE, Heleni, (together, with the entire royal family), converted to Judaism. During the late second Temple period Judaism was a magnet to many people living throughout the pagan Roman Empire. Looking for a life of spiritual meaning and moral unambiguity, thousands of non-Jews were drawing near to the teachings and practice of Torah, many of them becoming converts. A number of Israel's most important sages and teachers were themselves either converts to Judaism, or the descendants of converts. Heleni moved to Jerusalem, with her husband, and son Monbaz II. When she arrived in Jerusalem the city was suffering from a famine. Heleni arranged for grain to be imported from Alexandria and figs from Cyprus, and distributed the food among the needy. HELENI visited the Holy Temple, where she brought offerings. She also presented gifts for the beautification of the Holy Temple. The most prominent of her gifts was the famed nivreshet golden lamp that hung above the Sanctuary entrance. The lamp would reflect the light of the sun rising over the Mount of Olives in the morning. Seeing the bright beams of light emanating from the nivreshet, all present at the Holy Temple and in all of Jerusalem would know that the time for saying the morning Shema had arrived, (see picture above). DESCRIBED by the historian Josephus in his "Antiquities", and referred to in numerous places throughout the Talmud, Queen Heleni is a figure cherished for her spiritual courage and righteousness. In 2007 archaeologists uncovered what is believed to have been her palace in the City of David. QUEEN HELENI died circa 56 CE, just fourteen years before the destruction of the Holy Temple, with which she will forever be associated. Her son Monbaz II later provided assistance to the Jewish rebellion against Rome, between 66-70 CE.

Sukkot 5771 (2010) on the Temple Mount The Temple Mount has remained open to Jews this Sukkot holiday, despite Arab rioting in the city of David. adjacent to the Mount, and hundreds of Jews, young and old, have taken advantage, ascending the Mount in honor of the annual pilgrimage festival. In a break from precedent the police allowed large groups to ascend, as can be witnessed by these photographs. Click here to view.

The Temple Institute Mourns Together with All of Israel As the so called "peace talks" were restarted this week in Washington, (September 1), accompanied by the usual cynical pageantry and self-serving speechmaking, the enemies of Israel were busy pursuing their own agenda, brutally murdering four holy Jews in a drive-by slaughter, south of the ancient city of Hevron, the City of the Patriarchs, in the historic land of Judea. The quadruple murder made varying degrees of mention in the worldwide press, due to its proximity to the above-mentioned gathering in Washington. Yet, invariably, the four Jews murdered were described merely as "four settlers." For much of the mass media today, Jews living in their historic homeland of Judea and Samaria are nothing more than faceless, nameless intruders. Calling these Jews "settlers" serves to dehumanize them, legitimizes attacks against them, and ultimately justifies their murder. But like all human beings, these four murdered Jews have names: Yitzchak and Talya Imas, Kochava Ben Meir, and Avishai Shindler are their names. Yitzchak and Talya Imas were parents to six children, aged two to twenty-four, and the grandparents of one. Talya was nine months pregnant with the couple’s seventh child. To learn more about Yitzchak, and see pictures taken of him on the Temple Mount, please click here. A fund has been established in Israel to care for Yitzchak and Talya's six children. If you would like to donate to this fund and provide money for the Imas children, please contact Rabbi Richman. Arrangements can be made for an IRS recognized deduction.

NEWS FLASH: After 2000 years, FRESH SHOWBREAD is being baked in Israel Today Following intensive experimentation and in-depth research based on traditional Jewish texts, as well as other ancient sources, experts have succeeded in recreating the showbread that was placed by the priests on the golden showbread table inside the sanctuary of the Holy Temple, bringing Israel and the world one step closer to the renewal of the Divine service. Click here to learn more.

Members and supporters of the Temple Institute may now make (USA) tax deductable donations via PayPal If you would like to join in the Temple Institute's efforts toward shaping our future together in accordance with the Torah commandment to "Build Me a Sanctuary" and the words of the prophets of Israel, you can now contribute with the convenience and comfort of PayPal. Click on the PayPal icon to go directly to our PayPal donation page, Or go to our Donate page for other donation options. Thank you for your support!

Latest Online Video Teachings All glorious is the king's daughter, (bat melech), within the palace..." (Psalms 45:14)Bat Melech, featuring the teaching of Rena Richman, wife of Rabbi Chaim Richman, and an experienced educator in her own right. Rabanit Richman's inspiration is, through the Bat Melech series, to highlight the Torah's message to women. As with their male counterparts, the Torah's intention toward women is one of empowerment, enabling women, through their unique strengths and through the commandments with which they have been entrusted, to achieve tikkun - rectification - in the world. The Rabanit's current teaching is entitled: "THE ATTRIBUTE OF AARON, TWO PARTS: Aaron, the brother of Moses, was, in truth, the brother to all Israel and to all humanity. Embodying the attributes of loving-kindness and peace, he devoted his life to bringing peace and unity to husbands and wives, fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, the entire congregation of Israel." Rena Richman’s teaching was recorded in the Hebraic Center in Lubbock, Texas, in the spring of 2011. It is being presented online in two parts. To view this show, or to access earlier episodes on the online archive, please click here. The new October 27th teaching of Rabbi Chaim Richman's Light to the Nations, weekly half-hour online television Torah study series is entitled, "THE LIGHT OF THE NEW MOON: The sighting of and declaration of the new moon, as well as the celebration of the new moon inside the Holy Temple and out, constitutes a very intimate aspect of G-d’s relationship with Israel." To view this show, or the October 17th episode, or to access earlier episodes on the online archive, please click here. Light to the Nations is now available for sale on DVD. For more information, please click here. To learn more about the Light to the Nations upcoming broadcast schedule, its availability on DVD, and how to personally dedicate an episode of Light to the Nations, please click here. Stay in touch with Torah: Listen each week to Rabbi Chaim Richman's brief teaching of parashat hashavua - the weekly Torah reading. To view this week's teaching on parashat Chayei Sara, (Genesis 23:1-25:18), please click here.

Celebrate Your Bar or Bat Mitzvah with The Temple Institute! The Temple Institute has prepared a brand new Bar Mitzvah/Bat Mitzvah program, especially designed for families from overseas who wish to celebrate their simchah here in Jerusalem. To learn more about the fun andeducational experience that awaits you, please click here. (PDF file)Click here to see pictures from our latest bar mitzvah celebration!

Want to learn more about how the Jewish festivals of Passover, Shavuoth, and Sukkot were celebrated during the time of the Holy Temple? How Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur were observed? Would you like to consult a timeline of the history of the Holy Temple? Come visit our Study Tools page.

To view features which have previously appeared on the Events page, please go to TI Digest.

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