Ukraine is home to one of the oldest and most diverse Jewish communities in Europe. Refugees from the anti-Roman rebellions are believed to have arrived here as early as Roman times, predating any other Jewish settlers in Central Europe, Eastern Europe or Russia. The Jewish-ruled Khazar Empire dominated Ukraine in the Middle Ages. In later years, Ukraine was a cradle of … [Read more...]
TOMBS FROM THE HEBREW BIBLE (OLD TESTAMENT) IN THE WEST BANK
For many people who visit Israel as a pilgrimage, the prime destination, of course, is the Holy City of Jerusalem. Typically added to this are visits to Tel Aviv, Northern Israel, the fortress at Masada and the Dead Sea. In addition, many travelers will venture a short distance into the West Bank in order to visit Bethlehem. But due to concerns over safety or time … [Read more...]
QUIET AND CONTEMPLATIVE PLACES IN AND AROUND JERUSALEM
For most Christians and Jews, as well as many Muslims, a visit to the Holy City of Jerusalem is the dream trip of a lifetime. Dreams of sacred places swim in the heads of millions of pilgrims who make their way to Israel every year. They come from all corners of the Earth, seeking answers, seeking miracles, seeking validation of faith, or simply seeking to walk through ancient … [Read more...]
MOST MEMORABLE DEPICTIONS OF GOD IN MOVIES
God (as in the One God of the monotheistic religions) has been depicted in film since the earliest days of the cinema. From a deep throated, disembodied off-screen voices to full blown depictions of the Lord in all of his majesty, the Almighty as a character has shown up in movies dozens of times. If depictions of Jesus are included, than that number easily jumps into the … [Read more...]
AMERICA’S GREEK ORTHODOX TRAIL
Eastern Orthodoxy was one of the last major Christian denominations to be established in the United States. Nevertheless it has a long and rich history that dates back to before the American Revolution. Although first introduced by Russian Orthodox immigrants in Alaska and the West Coast, it was by the Greek Orthodox immigrants to the East Coast that the Orthodox Church … [Read more...]
HISTORIC CATHEDRALS OF THE SOUTH
When one thinks of America’s most historic Catholic churches, most people think in terms of cities like Boston, New York and Chicago, where enormous Catholic communities boomed during the immigrations of the late 19th and early 20th century. However, it is neither the Northeast nor the Midwest, but rather the South, that is the true birthplace of the Roman Catholic Church in … [Read more...]
AMERICA’S CATHOLIC SAINT SHRINES
The select few Americans who have achieved the distinction of sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church were almost all missionaries and, with a few exceptions, virtually all of them were women. Five extraordinary women, all nuns, served the Church in the United States by creating and expanding religious orders, leaving a trail of schools, hospitals and missions in their wake. … [Read more...]
MOST SUCCESSFUL RELIGIOUS MOVIES AT THE ACADEMY AWARDS
To date, approximately a thousand movies have been nominated for Academy Awards since they began in 1929. Surprisingly few of these have had religious or spiritual themes. However, the few religious movies that have been so honored are among the most successful and beloved films of all time. In order to narrow down this exceptional list, there were only three criteria: each … [Read more...]
CHURCHES ON LOCATION REVISITED
Hollywood loves a great place to film on location, and not surprisingly some of the best filming locations are religious sites. Interestingly, I had a very hard time finding religious films which prominently featured churches unless they were comedies (case in point, the majority of movies about organized crime have at least one church in them, while virtually no traditional … [Read more...]
CHURCHES ON LOCATION
Hollywood loves a great place to film on location, and not surprisingly some of the best filming locations are religious sites. Interestingly, I had a very hard time finding religious films which prominently featured churches unless they were comedies (case in point, the majority of movies about organized crime have at least one church in them, while virtually no traditional … [Read more...]