Hanukkah is a popular Jewish holiday, usually celebrated in December. Because of its proximity to Christmas, some people assume that it is a Jewish version of Christmas. But Hanukkah is a unique holiday that celebrates a special miracle of salvation to the Jewish people. And its messages can resonate deeply to Christians as well.
This week’s Torah portion begins with Jacob’s preparation for his confrontation with Esau. He has just returned from years in the home of his uncle Laban, he has four wives and 12 children, a great deal of sheep and other animals, but he remains concerned as to whether Esau is still intent on killing him.
De Bewaarder van Israël slaapt niet Als ik naar het...
I arrived in Israel in September 1975 to spend the year studying Bible in Jerusalem. I had been an active member of the Bnei Akiva Zionist youth movement in high school and we were encouraged to spend the year following high school graduation in Israel, to perfect our knowledge of Hebrew, to absorb the culture and deepen our roots to our land. In this way, we would strengthen our resolve to move to Israel as adults.
This week’s Torah portion is dedicated to the sojourn of Jacob in the house of Laban. It begins with his departure from Beersheva (Genesis 28:10) and ends with his entrance into the Land of Israel at Machanayim (Genesis 32:3).
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.
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.
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.
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.