News and Reflections
A Visit With Shmuel: Gitit
Join me as I visit Gitit and explore the stunning views and the challenges that have faced this community for years.
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...
The Miracle that is Israel
“The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone” (Psalm 118:22). When I recited this verse in my prayers, it suddenly hit me. That is what Israel is all about. The Jewish people were reviled, persecuted or at best ignored for centuries. We were just like that worthless piece of stone that even the builders could find no use for. And yet, somehow, we are not only useful, of value, but we have prime value — the chief cornerstone that the entire building depends on.
A Visit With Shmuel: Avigayil
Located in a predominantly barren region in the Hebron Hills, Avigayil is surrounded on all sides by hostile Arab villages, including the large city of Yatta. The community was established in 2001, during the height of the Second Intifada, by a small group of incredibly courageous pioneers committed to defending their Biblical inheritance.
Combating Terrorism, Welcoming Aliyah
Ramadan began on Saturday and the Arabs are going crazy. Of course, not all Arabs. But in the days that led up to Ramadan and since, terrorism has reared its ugly head once again. Arab citizens of Israel as well as their Palestinian co-religionists, have attacked and murdered Jews in Beersheva, Hadera and Bnei Brak. A terrorist got on a bus in Gush Etzion and repeatedly stabbed a passenger with a screw-driver in his chest.
Modest is Hottest
Modesty is a loaded word. It has been used to describe appropriate behavior and appropriate dress. It has been confused with humility. It is often used to restrict women and rarely used to restrict men. But what does modesty really mean?
Community at a Glance: Havot Yair
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!
Esther, Mordecai and the Challenges of Exile
Each year, Jews all over the world celebrate the holiday of Purim. They celebrate the miracle of salvation as described in the Book of Esther, with special prayers in the synagogue, public readings of Esther, festive meals, gifts of sweet food packages to neighbors and friends and charity to the poor.
A Visit With Shmuel: Yakir
I have visited Yakir many times, but this time I was blown away by how far it has come. Yakir is a well-established, cohesive, and active community located in the lush rolling hills of western Samaria.
Lessons from the Terrible Events in Europe Today
Ukraine! There is nothing else on anyone’s minds today but the terrible situation that has developed in the Ukraine. An independent country in Eastern Europe, formerly part of the Soviet bloc, has been invaded by Russia. Vladimir Putin, a former KGB officer, has long desired the restoration of Russian imperial and Soviet powers, which included Russian influence or control over Eastern Europe.
