News and Reflections
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.
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.
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?
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!
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.
A Visit With Shmuel: A Security Update from Judea & Samaria
This month, I decided to skip a community visit and, instead, share with you a personal insight into the deteriorating security situation in Judea and Samaria. I actually filmed this last week, during the holiday of Succot.
Yisrael Medad
Yisrael Medad, an American-born political commentator, historian and activist is perhaps one of the most vocal advocates for the settlement movement in Judea and Samaria. After becoming religious as a teenager, he became actively involved in a Zionist Youth Movement, emigrating with his wife to Israel after the 1967 war and settling in Samaria. This is Yisrael’s story – still passionate for Jewish life in Biblical Israel.
Remembering the Beginning
Tonight begins Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. We will eat a simple but festive meal in late afternoon and then, just before sunset, the 25 hour long fast will begin. This is the culmination of the 10 Days of Repentance that begin with the first day of Rosh Hashana. During this entire time, we reflect on our behavior of the past year, set new goals for the new year but most of all, we strive to come closer to G-d.
Shulamit Kaminsky
Shulamit Kaminsky has been a dear friend of CFOIC Heartland supporters for many years. When she first came to Israel decades ago, as a newlywed, she and her husband wanted to make a difference in their new homeland. But their commitment to settling the Biblical Heartland did not prepare them for the living conditions in the barren desert of the Jordan Valley. This is Shulamit’s story – a Jewish pioneer working to make the desert bloom.
Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur
Thanks to centuries of muddled translations and misunderstandings, the meaning and traditions of these sacred days have so often been lost. But in this month’s episode of Facing the Divide we will try and clarify it all for you.
