Fall 2010 Noam Weisberg’s parents moved to Israel in 1983, as pioneers of the Neve Aliza neighborhood in Karnei Shomron. Later, Ilana Teplow ’s parents moved there, when she was just a year old. Their grandparents had grown up together in America during the depression, sharing the struggle to survive. Fate reunited these two families … Read more
These past few weeks have included a number of significant events, seemingly unrelated, and yet all bear watching for their inevitable affect on current affairs in Israel. In early September, Mahmoud Abbas began the process of obtaining UN recognition for a Palestinian State. Just a few days ago, UNESCO voted to accept “Palestine” as a … Read more
Today the four women who make up CFOIC Heartland’s Israel office went on an outing, to recharge our batteries and learn something new about our wonderful land of Israel. We chose the Palmach Museum in Tel Aviv which tells the story of the pre-State underground group which did so much to protect the Jews in … Read more
Just two days ago, on Saturday, Jews all over the world marked the holiest day of the year, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. I wanted to share some thoughts with you that were part of my Yom Kippur experience this year. The fast began just before 5 pm on Friday. Clothed in white, our … Read more
Tomorrow is Tu B’Shvat, the annual holiday of trees. Although this day was well known in Jewish sources for centuries, since the beginning of the 20th century, when Jews began returning to the Land of Israel in large numbers, this day took on greater significance. The early Zionist pioneers found a desolate land, with a … Read more
May 2011 Thousands of years ago, the people of Israel stood at the foot of Mount Sinai, and received the Torah… the word of G- d. “And these words… shall be on your heart. You shall teach them to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you … Read more
Februari 2012 We hebben een paar echte geode regenbuien gehad in Israel de laatste weken. Eén sabbat plenste het de hele vrijdagavond. Na terugkomst uit de synagoge op vrijdagavond, genoten we van de warmte van de eetkamer aan een hete en voortreffelijke maaltijd. We babbelden over waar we deze week waren geweest en wat we … Read more
Israeli politics are known for their volatility and unexpectedness. There have only been 6 Israeli governments which served their full term, the last one ending in 1988. The Knesset (Israeli Parliament) generally finds a reason to disband the government before the end of its term and call for full parliamentary elections. Usually, there is ongoing … Read more
May 2010 Oodles of children scramble happily on the painted playgrounds and roll down the grassy slopes, their sweet voices echoing in the mountain air. Nearby, sprinklers water the vineyards and Yeshiva Bible students amble by, busily discussing points of Talmudic Law. This happy, thriving scene plays out on the breathtaking, windswept Har Bracha, The … Read more
Road inside Alon On my first day visiting communities, I went to Alon, a community northeast of Jerusalem, along the Jericho Road. Rabbi Danny Segal and Dikla Zenter met me outside the community in a large parking lot. Rabbi Segal is the community rabbi and Dikla is the head of social services in the community. … Read more