Vered Ben-Saadon
Vered Ben-Saadon, owner of an award-winning winery in the small community of Rechalim, purposefully sought to settle in Samaria during the second Intifada. This is Vered’s story.
Newsletters
Toldot (Descendants) – Genesis 25:19 – 28:9
With this week’s Torah reading, we move on to the life of Isaac, the second patriarch of the Jewish people. The portion begins in Chapter 25 verse 19 and continues through Chapter 28 verse 9. Indeed, it is the only Torah reading that deals with Isaac as an independent adult.
A Message of Thanks from Sondra and Shmuel
This past year has been a difficult and challenging one in so many ways. And yet, it also offered us hope and many moments of joy and fulfillment. We would like to take this moment to thank you, our CFOIC Heartland friends and supporters, for all you have done for us this past year.
Chayei Sara (The Life of Sarah) Genesis 23:1 – 25:18
This week’s Torah reading opens with the death of Sarah, the wife of Abraham, in Hebron (Genesis 23). Abraham mourns his wife and then immediately goes about the business of burying her.
Giving Thanks
Thanksgiving is celebrated at the end of November in the United States. But how does that play out in the Bible, in Judaism and in Christianity?
Vayerah (And He Appeared) Genesis 18:1 – 22:24
God wanted one people to inherit His covenant with Abraham, one people to inherit the Land of Israel, one people to be His people, for eternity.
A Visit With Shmuel: Bekaot
This month, I visited the community of Bekaot, a small agricultural moshav in the Jordan Valley, actually on the Samaria foothills just above the Jordan Valley. What a beautiful place!
Lech Lecha (Go Forth) – Genesis 12:1 – 17:27
So begins this week’s Torah reading. And what a reading it is. If there was ever a “Zionist” Torah reading it’s this one. And each year, we are reminded that G-d chose Abraham out of all the people of the earth, and made him the father of our nation and the recipient of G-d’s promises for the Jewish people.
Praying for Godly Leadership
Today is Election Day in Israel. Normally this would be a joyful occasion as people generally feel privileged to cast their votes for their preferred candidate—an important vehicle for the ordinary citizen to make his or her voice heard. And yet, this time, the fifth election in three years, the attitude is quite different.
Noach (Noah) Genesis 6:9 – 11:32
This week, we read the story of Noah and the flood. “And these are the descendants of Noah, Noah was a righteous man, innocent he was in his generations.” (Genesis 6:9) Many commentators have questioned the use of the word generations – why the plural and why the addition of the word at all?