FFOZ Holocaust Webinar

If you haven’t heard already, FFOZ is hosting a FREE, two and a half hour webinar presentation on the Holocaust this week entitled “An Overview of the Holocaust From a Critical Perspective.” The first session will be tonight from 8:00-10:00pm (CST) and the second will be Sunday from 6:30-9:00pm (CST).

From the FFOZ blog, they state:

This presentation is sub-titled “…from a critical perspective” as the introductory content places heavy emphasis on the role of Christian theology in the formation of the cultural climate that allowed for the Holocaust to happen.

I encourage anyone who can to join this event and promote it on your blog, Facebook, etc. Let’s get to word out and “stand in the gap” for the people of God. Here is some brief info regarding the seminar invitation and speakers, directly from the FFOZ announcement:

Webinar Invitation

Join us for this informative free webinar. Invite your friends, pastors, and/or host an evening for people to view this powerful presentation together. Professionally presented information with over 250 PowerPoint slides containing images (some graphic), stats, charts, maps, etc. You will be greatly informed and educated in this critical historical event. Once registered an e-mail notice will be sent giving you the login and call in information.

Webinar Presenters

Instructor: Daniel Hennessy

Special Guest: Dr. Michael Schiffman of Chevra

Host: First Fruits of Zion

Daniel Hennessy

Hennessy is a Holocaust educator trained at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. and was awarded the Meyer A. Nathan Scholarship for teaching the Holocaust by the national office of the Anti-Defamation League. He’s also been trained by visiting staff from the Yad Vashem Int’l School of Holocaust Studies located in Jerusalem, Israel.

Chevra (Dr. Michael Schiffman)

Chevra has been operating since the fall of the USSR. Elderly Jews, mostly holocaust survivors, are living below the poverty level and do not know if they will have food for the next day. Chevra provides food parcels, and soup kitchens, and funds for medicine to them. Chevra also operates throughout Israel providing for the hurting and needy. With the aging population of holocaust survivors, this may be the last opportunity we have to help them. People who endured such horrible things should not finish their lives in starvation and poverty. (There will be an opportunity for you to give into this important work).

Webinar Invitation

Join us for this informative free webinar. Invite your friends, pastors, and/or host an evening for people to view this powerful presentation together. Professionally presented information with over 250 PowerPoint slides containing images (some graphic), stats, charts, maps, etc. You will be greatly informed and educated in this critical historical event. Once registered an e-mail notice will be sent giving you the login and call in information.Webinar PresentersInstructor: Daniel HennessySpecial Guest: Dr. Michael Schiffman of ChevraHost: First Fruits of ZionDaniel HennessyHennessy is a Holocaust educator trained at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. and was awarded the Meyer A. Nathan Scholarship for teaching the Holocaust by the national office of the Anti-Defamation League. He’s also been trained by visiting staff from the Yad Vashem Int’l School of Holocaust Studies located in Jerusalem, Israel.Chevra (Dr. Michael Schiffman)Chevra has been operating since the fall of the USSR. Elderly Jews, mostly holocaust survivors, are living below the poverty level and do not know if they will have food for the next day. Chevra provides food parcels, and soup kitchens, and funds for medicine to them. Chevra also operates throughout Israel providing for the hurting and needy. With the aging population of holocaust survivors, this may be the last opportunity we have to help them. People who endured such horrible things should not finish their lives in starvation and poverty. (There will be an opportunity for you to give into this important work).

Sorry – I forgot to include a link to the registration for the event! Here it is:

http://ffoz.org/blogs/2010/03/holocaust_webinar_registration.html

Your Favs – Shavuot 09

I would like to hear about your highlights for this year’s Shavuot, especially from you who attended the FFOZ Conference in Hudson. Leave me a comment with a special memory to share with others!

Love and the Messianic Age Release

One exciting thing about the conference was the re-release of Paul Philip Levertoff’s Love and the Messianic Age, a chasidic-orthodox insight into the message of the Gospel in relation to a chasidic frame of reference, drawing from some of the deepest of mystical texts within Judaism. It was released in hardback (a first for FFOZ) under a new publishing arm of FFOZ called Vine of David (which I will have to discuss at a later date). It is a small book, but packed with a lot of punch. Therefore, they simultaneously released a study guide (which is actually larger than the book) in which Daniel Lancaster and others break down concepts that appear within the text and try to guide the uninitiated reader into a working knowledge of the principles Levertoff uses to explain his discourse. Unless you are extremely familiar with rabbinic works (especially chasidic ones), I suggest you acquire the book and study guide as a set. Lord willing, I hope to publish a full review of the text in the days ahead.

Final Session, Shavuot ’09

I failed to mention the final session of the FFOZ Shavuot ’09 conference, which was taught by Daniel Lancaster. This was probably the biggest “aha!” moment at the conference for most attendees and ended with a long, standing, round of applause.

Daniel took a long, 2-part session to go into great detail and offer up an almost air-tight case for the proper interpretation of the terminology and analogy of the book of Hebrews (particularly chapters 7-10).

He first set his teaching up with three arguments typical of Christian theology & interpretation based on the book of Hebrews. With each of these, he presented the problems associated with such a perspective with an expression with Talmudic sentiments, “This is a difficulty.” Of course, he stated that the goal was to be able to reach the actual Talmudic statement, “There is no difficulty here” (for which he did—at least in my estimation).

He specifically addressed issues such as how to resolve phrases that seem to negate the Mosaic covenant, overthrow the Aaronic priesthood and the belittle the function of the Temple service.

His second part systematically worked through each of these “difficulties” and resolved them to what appears to be great satisfaction. Lord willing, I’ll be cleaning up my notes over the next few days and posting them. However, I believe Daniel is planning on posting a full, 30-page article (I am pretty sure I heard) on this teaching in the next Messiah Journal (which we all eagerly await!).

Thank you FFOZ for all of your hard work and diligent study, and for sharing it with us.

FFOZ Shavuot 09 Conference

The FFOZ Shavuot 09 Conference in Hudson, Wisconsin ended yesterday afternoon, and it was sad. We left Wisconsin this morning and are on our way back to Arkansas. The conference was really great and everyone involved did such a great job. It was difficult to leave. We made so many great new friends. I want to thank everyone who took the time to say hi and let me know that you knew me from diggingwithdarren and we were finally able to meet face to face. I look forward to getting to know you all better, soon.

Also, Lord willing, I will be posting notes and overall thoughts from the conference over the next few days. Many blessings!