News and Reflections
Elections in Israel-Again!
Israel is going to elections! Again! Just last week the government fell and elections have been set for November 1st. This will be the fifth election round in 2 years—an absolutely ridiculous situation.
The Joy of a Jewish Wedding!
Sondra Oster Baras, an Orthodox Jew who has devoted her life to reaching out to Christians all over the world to bless Israel, provides an in-depth understanding of Jewish wedding customs.
Vivienne from Gevaot
Today, you will meet a woman who struggled to support her special-needs child until she moved to Judea. Vivienne was born and raised in the UK, immigrated as a teenager to Israel with her parents and siblings, married, and started building a family in her beloved homeland. But when Vivienne’s sixth child Elhi (Short for Elhanan) was born with special needs, life required many adjustments.
A Visit With Shmuel: Shani Livnah
Today, with 150 families, a mixture of secular and traditional families, and a close-knit community lifestyle, Shani Livnah is truly an oasis.
Reflections on America
I recently returned from a visit to the US and while I was there, a terrible attack took place against school children in Texas. A young man, 18 years of age, had purchased two semi-automatic rifles. He entered an elementary school, opened the door to a 4th grade classroom, and proceeded to mow down students and teachers alike. Nineteen children and two teachers were murdered in the Uvalde, Texas school.
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.
