News and Reflections
A New Hebrew Month is Upon Us
The Hebrew calendar is a lunar one and it is based on the monthly cycle of the moon rather than on the annual cycle of the sun. A solar year is 365 days and the months are merely a convenience — dividing the year into 12 roughly equal periods of time. The lunar calendar, however, is based on the renewal of the moon which happens regularly every 29 or 30 days. The lunar year, therefore, is roughly 11 days shorter than the solar year.
Facing the Apocalypse
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...
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...
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...
9th of Av
The book of Lamentations, read each year on the 9th of Av, concludes with the hopeful verse “Restore us to You, O L‑rd, that we may be restored! Renew our days as of old.” This is a reminder that all that suffering was a necessary prelude to happiness and goodness, with the coming of the Messiah.
Second Annual CFOIC Community Conference
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 donated small sums, whatever you could manage to give. And some of you donated larger sums. But all of you took part in this. YOU deserve our thanks.
Welcoming a New Baby
There is no greater joy on earth than giving birth to a healthy baby. That moment when life bursts forth from the womb is probably the closest we, as human beings, can get to the Divine. And for God-fearing peoples all over the world, it is a time of thanksgiving, time to offer joyous prayers to God for His wonderful gift to us, the parents, grandparents and the entire family circle of this new baby.
Community at a Glance: Tekoa
Join me in our newest Community at a Glance video, where we visit Tekoa. Home to over 200 artists, Tekoa wishes to nurture its community’s affinity for culture and arts. It has recently created a local artists’ center, a hub for the arts in Biblical Israel, and a center of spiritual creativity.
An Update from Israel June 14, 2021
For most of the last two years, Israel has been embroiled in an ongoing election campaign, with four elections taking place in less than two years. Most of the time, we were governed by transition governments and for a short time by a permanent government that only lasted a few months. It has been chaotic, to say the least.
A Visit With Shmuel: Telem
Join me as I visit Telem, a small and isolated community of ninety families located just outside Hebron. The people of Telem, salt of the earth Zionist pioneers, have created a close-knit community where everyone is family.
