News and Reflections
Reflections while sitting on the beach
Even though summer weather continues in Israel until well into October, as August draws to a close and September begins, we mark the end of summer. Probably because school begins on the 1st of September. So last night, a few friends of mine got together to mark the end of summer by going out to the beach in Herzliya. We were five middle-aged women, at the shore of the Mediterranean Sea, sitting on blankets or beach chairs, chatting. We watched and listened to the waves crashing onto the shore, we got our feet wet in the water, and we breathed the fresh sea air.
A Statement Regarding the UAE Announcement
Yesterday, we were all surprised to learn that the United Arab Emirates, a key Gulf State, is planning on signing a peace treaty with Israel to include full normalization of relationships. The White House was very involved in the process and announced that in exchange for this recognition by the UAE, Israel had agreed to suspend any moves towards applying sovereignty in Judea and Samaria.
The Thanks Belong to You!
A few weeks ago, we held our first annual CFOIC Heartland Conference of Judea and Samaria communities. This was a dream of mine for some time — to gather together in one room the representatives of all the communities we work with as well as the various mayors, to share experiences and ideas and just interact with one another.
Hebron/Kiryat Arba Virtual Tour
Today Hebron and Kiryat Arba are full of Jews who have come from all over Israel and from all over the world, to settle in the first Jewish city in history.
Have you ever wondered about Rabbinic Judaism?
Christians all over the world to bless Israel, explains Rabbinic Judaism, including an introduction to Talmud, Midrash and Jewish law, while Tommy Waller, a Christian Zionist, shares the experiences he has had in conversations with rabbis and Jewish friends during his time in Israel.
Ordinary People can do Extraordinary Things
The world is in crisis. The COVID19 pandemic has not only not gone away but in many places, including in Israel, the situation has become more serious. While draconian measures helped ensure that the spread of the virus would be maintained at relatively manageable levels, the economy suffered immeasurable harm. And today, as the economy has begun to open up, we are witnessing the rise, once again, of the numbers of those infected.
When Christians Adopt Jewish Customs
As Christians become more involved in Israel and get to know Jews and Jewish customs, some are adopting these customs. What is this all about? How do Jews view this phenomenon?
Should Christians Evangelize Jews?
Sondra Oster Baras engages Tommy Waller, passionate Christian Zionist and founder and director of HaYovel, in a fascinating discussion on a topic that often divides Christians and Jews: Should Christians evangelize Jews and how and why do Jews respond to attempts to evangelize them in an extremely negative way?
Is the Trump Plan good or Bad for Israel?
The Trump Plan as announced in January of this year, is not a perfect plan. It does provide for Israeli annexation of the areas where there are Jewish communities.
NOW IS THE TIME FOR SOVEREIGNTY IN JUDEA AND SAMARIA!
I was a child in the US in 1967, but I remember vividly the excitement that we all felt when Jerusalem was liberated. And the talk in my house, school and synagogue, was all about the new / ancient places that Jews were now free to visit – Hebron, Shiloh, the mountains of Judea and Samaria. But the excitement was immediately muted by widespread international criticism of Israel for “occupying” Arab territory.
