Children & Youth Projects
Children and Youth Projects enable you to support the most precious resource in Judea and Samaria – the children and youth of Israel, the future of Israeli society. The needs are varied and include day care centers, playgrounds, youth centers and youth programs, education and special education. Indeed, CFOIC Heartland has done whatever it can to ensure that every child, regardless of its need, is given the best chance to grow and thrive.
Ekev (Because) Deuteronomy 7:12 – 11:25
Throughout their desert experience, the Children of Israel felt the pull to return to Egypt, and Moses needed to enable them to understand the advantages of freedom, which is accompanied by servitude to G-d. Therefore, it was critical that the Children of Israel be reliant upon G-d for their food and water and understand that simple food and water from G-d as free persons is preferable to watermelon and fish in Egypt as slaves.
Va’etchanan (And I Beseeched) Deuteronomy 3:23 – 7:11
The Torah portion is uplifting as well. For in this week’s portion, we read the Ten Commandments, as repeated by Moses in Deuteronomy. For this section of the Torah reading the entire congregation stands, as if to relive that incredible experience at Mt. Sinaiso many centuries ago.
A Visit With Shmuel: Talmon
I traveled through winding, narrow, mostly two-way roads in the rugged hills of Samaria to visit Talmon. Talmon was established in 1989 by a handful of families, committed to reviving and resettling a Jewish presence in the Biblical Heartland of Israel. Located more than an hour drive from the nearest city, Talmon has grown into
Community at a Glance: Dolev
This is the series you have been waiting for – the chance to visit communities in Judea and Samaria, from the comfort of your home, and catch a glimpse of life in each and every community. Dolev is located in an area full of natural streams and pools. Some of the pools go back decades
9th of Av
What is it? Tisha B’Av, the 9th day of the month of Av (this year celebrated on July 17-18, 2021), is the saddest day on the Jewish calendar. On that day, Jews fast, pray, and read from the book of Lamentations and poetic dirges. Why? Historically, on this day, a number of Jewish calamities occurred: The spies
Devarim (Words) – Deuteronomy 1:1 – 3:22
On the 9th of Av we also read the book of Lamentations, that terribly poignant description of the destruction of the First Temple written by Jeremiah, an eye-witness to the events he describes.
Facing the Apocalypse
Jews and Christians base their visions of the End times on Scripture and much of that Scripture comes from the Hebrew Bible, a book sacred to both Christians and Jews. Both Christians and Jews are waiting for Messiah, albeit with different visions of who Messiah is and whether he has been before. But how do
Matot/Masei (Tribes/Travel) Numbers 30:2 – 36:13
The people of Israel are the only people in the world who were exiled from their land for 2,000 years and yet remained intact as a people and as a faith. What kept us going all those years was the fact that we had the Torah, the Bible, as a guide through the years of exile, and we had a land to yearn for.
Second Annual CFOIC Community Conference
July 6, 2021Sondra Oster Baras Today, at our Second Annual CFOIC Conference of Communities, we handed out over a million dollars to more than 30 communities and several regional councils for security and community needs. These are funds that you, our trusted friends and supporters, have contributed during these past few months. Some of you
Pinchas (Phinehas) – Numbers 25:10 – 30:1
Numbers 27:12-23: “And G-d said to Moses, Go up to this Mt. Avarim and see the land that I have given to the Children of Israel.” So begins a moving dialogue between G-d and Moses towards the end of Moses’ life.
Rabbi David Feld – Brave Pioneer
Nahala is proud to introduce some of the brave pioneers who make their home in the communities of Judea, Samaria & Gaza, and trust you will find these very special people an inspiration. American-born Rabbi David Feld, a resident of Kochav Yaakov in Judea, is not what you would call your typical Rabbi… or
Chaya and Shimon Ben-Dor
Determination in a Desert Outpost It takes special people to settle the Judean Desert. And there is little in Chaya and Shimon Ben-Dor’s cosmopolitan upbringing that would foretell the ability to successfully adapt to the desert’s pace and rugged landscape. Yet despite many hardships and obstacles, the Ben-Dors established Mitzpeh Chagit in 1999 – braving
Raphaella Segal – A Real Pioneer
Do you think it’s possible to find a real pioneer today? The kind that legends are made of? In the legendary community of Kedumim, founded in 1975 as the first Jewish community in Samaria for 2,000 years, it isn’t too hard. One such pioneer is Raphaella Segal, a founding member of Kedumim and an active
Laurence Beziz – The True Voice of Gush Katif
The voice of Gush Katif can be heard from the scattered exile of hotel rooms, dormitories, tent cities and high-rise apartment buildings all over Israel. Not a voice of divisive political mudslinging or baseless hatred, but the strong and mighty “orange” voice of faith, creativity and innovation that made the desert bloom. The voice
David Goldman – His House of History
Born in Detroit, Michigan, David Goldman made aliyah (immigrated to Israel) with his family in 1975, when he was thirteen years old. After high school he enrolled in a Hesder Yeshiva program, combining mandatory army service with Bible studies, in Kiryat Arba, adjacent to Biblical Hebron. Little did he know how vital Kiryat Arba would
Sandy Bloom – With Love
Sandy Bloom, raised in the US with a love for Israel, spent the year after high school, on a kibbutz. She studied Bible, worked in the fields, and grew to love the people of Israel. The year was 1973 and when the Yom Kippur War broke out, the crisis made her feel especially connected to
Noah Mandelbaum – Her Magic Touch
Twelve years ago Noah Mandelbaum was a kindergarten teacher for four and five year olds in Carmei Zur, a community in the Etzion Bloc. A chance encounter with a Jerusalem family introduced her to their Down Syndrome child who was not finding an appropriate school placement. Noah had this boy on her mind all day,
Natan Greenberg – Soul Searching
Natan Greenberg, known back then as Johnny, grew up in the U.S. He visited Israel for the first time at the age of 12 and he was hooked. His second visit was a few years later and he told his parents that he was moving. Naturally, they felt he was too young. Not deterred, he
Faye Sinclair – An Unshakable Love… an Unwavering Faith
Faye Sinclair was born in Texas in 1929; to a family that always felt the Jews were G-d’s special people. After completing a master’s degree in Organic Chemistry, Faye decided she was destined to be a medical missionary. At 26 she started medical school and specialized in Pathology – pretty rare for a woman in
Family is an Anchor
The Bet Hagai Youth Village must renovate a group home for 10 at-risk boys and their caring house parents, ensuring their safety and wellbeing. By supporting this transformative program, you will have a direct impact on these broken boys. Your donation will help them grow into leaders who will be able to give back to society, as they strengthen their hold on the hills of Judea.