We pray you had a blessed and meaningful Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends! As we have entered into the month of December, we look forward to the M.J.A.A. Southeast Regional Conference December 19th-21st, 2025 at the Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando Florida! It is a powerful, supernatural weekend of Messianic praise, worship, teaching, and fellowship! Emmanual Roro, Paul Wilbur, and the Nesbitts will be our guest psalmists! Dr. Raleigh Washington is teaching this year’s Yeshiva course. The fighting continues in Israel! It has never been more important to stand with us than right now! Put action to your love and join us in solidarity with Israel! This is a weekend you don’t want to miss!
https://mjaa.org/southeast2025/
December's name derives from the Latin word decem (meaning ten) because it was originally the tenth month of the year in the calendar of Romulus in 750 BC, which began in March. The winter days following December were not included as part of any month. Later, the months of January and February were created out of the monthless period and added to the beginning of the calendar, but December retained its name. December contains the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, the day with the fewest daylight hours that occurs Sunday, December 21, 2025, at 10:03 A.M. On the day of the winter solstice, we are tilted as far away from the Sun as possible, which means that the Sun’s path across the sky is as low in the sky as it can be.
December is the month that we celebrate Hanukkah which begins Sunday, December 14th, 2025, at sunset. The last day of Hanukkah begins Sunday, December 21st, 2025, at sunset. Around 170 BC the Greeks under Antiochus IV Epiphanies desecrated the temple by sacrificing a pig at the altar. Antiochus tried to eliminate Judaism, not so much by killing the Jews as by forbidding the Worship of the God of Israel. Reading Torah was forbidden, along with circumcision, honoring the Sabbath, etc. In 167 BC a priest by the name of Mattityahu Hasmonea started guerrilla warfare along with his sons and a few followers. What they did in the hill country of Judea and Samaria was so amazing that books on their exploits are still studied by modern guerrilla fighters. Early in the war Judas Hasmonea took over after his father's death and he is the one who came up with the legendary tactics. His motto was "Mi Camokha Ba Elim Adona'y," from Exodus 15:11. The translation is: "Who is Like You, Oh Lord, Among the Mighty."
The initials of those words spell Maccabee, which is the name that was later applied to Judas and his followers. Although spelled differently in Hebrew, the Hebrew word for hammer sounds like maccabee. Therefore, he was called "The Hammer," which in Hebrew is Maccabeus, so the books of Maccabees in the Apocrypha were written about their successful wars. In 164 BC they took over the temple. This was the first war fought over a principle, religious freedom, and was the first successful guerrilla war, paralleling our American Revolution, also fought over principle, using guerrilla tactics. Yeshua observed Hanukkah:
John 10:22-23. Then came Hanukkah in Yerushalayim. It was winter, 23 and Yeshua was walking around inside the Temple area, in Shlomo's Colonnade.
Yeshua is the light of the world! This Hanukkah let your light shine forth:
Matthew 5:16. In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they may see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.
We’ve included a “How to Celebrate Hannukah “guide” in this Newsletter.
Tuesday, December 2nd,2025 is the National Day of Giving! The National Day of Giving takes place on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, which occurs every fourth Thursday of November. Did you know that the National Day of Giving was only created in 2012? The National Day of Giving, also known as Giving Tuesday or Global Day of Giving follows three major shopping days: Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. It is created to unleash the power of radical generosity by giving a healthy donation to Non-profits and charitable organizations such as Congregation Zion’s Sake. Click on the link below to donate!
https://subsplash.com/u/-7G7VWJ/give?frequency=once&next_process_date=05/06/2025
National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, also referred to as Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day or Pearl Harbor Day, is observed annually in the United States on December 7, to remember and honor the 2,403 Americans who were killed in the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on December 7, 1941, which led to the United States declaring war on Germany and Japan the next day and thus entering World War II. National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day is a day we should never forget!
On Pearl Harbor Day, the American flag should be flown at half-staff until sunset to honor those who died because of the attack on U.S. military forces in Hawaii.
And last, but not least, Thursday, December 25th, 2025 is Christmas! A holiday to commemorate the birth of the Jewish Messiah, Yeshua! This day is celebrated by 81% of the world’s population. 160 countries out of 196 total celebrate Christmas in some form or fashion! Since it is a Federal Holiday, our offices will be closed! Since Messianic Believers (both Jew and Gentile) don't celebrate Christmas, what do we do on December 25th?
It's tough to find something to do on Christmas, because just about everything is closed! Except on Christmas, even the grocery stores are closed! But here are a few of the more popular Jewish December 25th activities! We go out for Chinese food on Christmas. There is even a meme of a sign on a Chinese Restaurant (not real!) from the "Chinese Restaurant Association" thanking the Jewish People that our God insists that we eat their food on Christmas! The Chinese do not celebrate Christmas any more than Jews do, so most Chinese restaurants are open on Christmas.
Another tradition is to go to the movies. Many movie theaters are open on Christmas day, particularly in the afternoon (after 4PM). Of course, nowadays, if you're not up for going to a movie in person, you can stream them at home. Whatever you choose to do we pray you have a blessed and wonderful December as we prepare to enter into the new Gregorian Calendar year of 2026!
Blessings and love,
Rabbi and Rebbetzin Carlson
https://mjaa.org/southeast2025/
December's name derives from the Latin word decem (meaning ten) because it was originally the tenth month of the year in the calendar of Romulus in 750 BC, which began in March. The winter days following December were not included as part of any month. Later, the months of January and February were created out of the monthless period and added to the beginning of the calendar, but December retained its name. December contains the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, the day with the fewest daylight hours that occurs Sunday, December 21, 2025, at 10:03 A.M. On the day of the winter solstice, we are tilted as far away from the Sun as possible, which means that the Sun’s path across the sky is as low in the sky as it can be.
December is the month that we celebrate Hanukkah which begins Sunday, December 14th, 2025, at sunset. The last day of Hanukkah begins Sunday, December 21st, 2025, at sunset. Around 170 BC the Greeks under Antiochus IV Epiphanies desecrated the temple by sacrificing a pig at the altar. Antiochus tried to eliminate Judaism, not so much by killing the Jews as by forbidding the Worship of the God of Israel. Reading Torah was forbidden, along with circumcision, honoring the Sabbath, etc. In 167 BC a priest by the name of Mattityahu Hasmonea started guerrilla warfare along with his sons and a few followers. What they did in the hill country of Judea and Samaria was so amazing that books on their exploits are still studied by modern guerrilla fighters. Early in the war Judas Hasmonea took over after his father's death and he is the one who came up with the legendary tactics. His motto was "Mi Camokha Ba Elim Adona'y," from Exodus 15:11. The translation is: "Who is Like You, Oh Lord, Among the Mighty."
The initials of those words spell Maccabee, which is the name that was later applied to Judas and his followers. Although spelled differently in Hebrew, the Hebrew word for hammer sounds like maccabee. Therefore, he was called "The Hammer," which in Hebrew is Maccabeus, so the books of Maccabees in the Apocrypha were written about their successful wars. In 164 BC they took over the temple. This was the first war fought over a principle, religious freedom, and was the first successful guerrilla war, paralleling our American Revolution, also fought over principle, using guerrilla tactics. Yeshua observed Hanukkah:
John 10:22-23. Then came Hanukkah in Yerushalayim. It was winter, 23 and Yeshua was walking around inside the Temple area, in Shlomo's Colonnade.
Yeshua is the light of the world! This Hanukkah let your light shine forth:
Matthew 5:16. In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they may see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.
We’ve included a “How to Celebrate Hannukah “guide” in this Newsletter.
Tuesday, December 2nd,2025 is the National Day of Giving! The National Day of Giving takes place on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, which occurs every fourth Thursday of November. Did you know that the National Day of Giving was only created in 2012? The National Day of Giving, also known as Giving Tuesday or Global Day of Giving follows three major shopping days: Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. It is created to unleash the power of radical generosity by giving a healthy donation to Non-profits and charitable organizations such as Congregation Zion’s Sake. Click on the link below to donate!
https://subsplash.com/u/-7G7VWJ/give?frequency=once&next_process_date=05/06/2025
National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, also referred to as Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day or Pearl Harbor Day, is observed annually in the United States on December 7, to remember and honor the 2,403 Americans who were killed in the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on December 7, 1941, which led to the United States declaring war on Germany and Japan the next day and thus entering World War II. National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day is a day we should never forget!
On Pearl Harbor Day, the American flag should be flown at half-staff until sunset to honor those who died because of the attack on U.S. military forces in Hawaii.
And last, but not least, Thursday, December 25th, 2025 is Christmas! A holiday to commemorate the birth of the Jewish Messiah, Yeshua! This day is celebrated by 81% of the world’s population. 160 countries out of 196 total celebrate Christmas in some form or fashion! Since it is a Federal Holiday, our offices will be closed! Since Messianic Believers (both Jew and Gentile) don't celebrate Christmas, what do we do on December 25th?
It's tough to find something to do on Christmas, because just about everything is closed! Except on Christmas, even the grocery stores are closed! But here are a few of the more popular Jewish December 25th activities! We go out for Chinese food on Christmas. There is even a meme of a sign on a Chinese Restaurant (not real!) from the "Chinese Restaurant Association" thanking the Jewish People that our God insists that we eat their food on Christmas! The Chinese do not celebrate Christmas any more than Jews do, so most Chinese restaurants are open on Christmas.
Another tradition is to go to the movies. Many movie theaters are open on Christmas day, particularly in the afternoon (after 4PM). Of course, nowadays, if you're not up for going to a movie in person, you can stream them at home. Whatever you choose to do we pray you have a blessed and wonderful December as we prepare to enter into the new Gregorian Calendar year of 2026!
Blessings and love,
Rabbi and Rebbetzin Carlson
Posted in December 2025
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