News and Reflections
We are Still Fighting the 1948 War
Israel experienced a totally new reality during these past few weeks. A reality that could have been expected, a reality that some might even say was an obvious development. But at the end of the day, we woke up one morning and realized that the Arab-Israeli Conflict that we have been talking about for decades, was far worse than what we may have hoped. That whatever progress we thought we made in the past 20 years may well have been cosmetic at best, or at worst a deliberate manipulation of the Israeli psyche.
Community at a Glance: Bat Ayin
The rural setting of Bat Ayin, with its panoramic vistas and rugged Judean Hills just outside Gush Etzion, provides a peaceful reprieve from the hustle and bustle of city life. The serene natural surrounding is the ideal atmosphere for the spiritual center that is Bat Ayin.
A Visit With Shmuel: Bat Ayin
I traveled to the beautiful Judean Hills to visit Bat Ayin, a small, very spiritual community located among the rugged hills just outside Gush Etzion. This community was established with one goal in mind: to create a purely God-centered life in a natural environment, away from the hustle and bustle of city life.
Israel mourns her dead at Meron
A terrible tragedy happened late Thursday night. As tens of thousands of people were exiting a major prayer gathering at Mt. Meron to celebrate the Lag Ba’Omer festival, a bottleneck was created, a few people slipped and fell, and in a domino cascade hundreds were crushed and trapped. Forty-five people lost their lives that night, including children and teen-agers, and hundreds more were injured.
A Visit With Shmuel: Samaria Region Emergency Center
I was very excited to be able to visit the Samaria Regional Security Center and see for myself how the dedicated staff and volunteers of Samaria are protecting the men, women and children of the area.
What is Zionism?
Zionism was traditionally a Jewish issue. Beginning in the mid-19th century, Jews began to explore the idea of a modern return to the Land of Israel before Messiah’s arrival. Jews who advocated for this state and who sought to make their home in Israel, to “make Aliyah” were called Zionists. But can Christians connect to Zionism as well?
Holocaust Remembrance Day
Tomorrow night begins Holocaust Remembrance Day. It is a day of mourning, of memory, of identification with the victims of the most heinous crimes in the history of humanity, the brutal murder of 6 million Jews by Nazi Germany.
Does Passover relate to Easter?
Passover is one of the most loved and celebrated holidays in the Jewish faith. Easter is a particularly holy day for Christians as they celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. But are these holidays connected in any way? They always fall very close to each other on the calendar – is that a coincidence?
Community at a Glance: Einav
A visit to Einav today is a visit to a beautiful area of Samaria with young people who have recently joined the community alongside the old-timers, all proud of the jewel they have created in the center of Biblical Israel.
A Visit with Shmuel: Einav
I was supposed to go to Einav on Tu B’Shvat and film their tree-planting ceremony, sponsored by you, our CFOIC Heartland donors and friends. But then Israel was plunged into lockdown and my visit had to be cancelled. So when life opened up again, I took the first opportunity to visit Einav and it was a fabulous day indeed.
