News and Reflections
The Helpers
Israel is a celebration of Jewish strength. And from the beginning, it was the youth who took the lead in the fighting, settling, and sacrifices that were essential to the creation and sustenance of the new State of Israel.
Bridging the Distance – Connecting to Israel
For those of you who wanted to come and visit with us, or are seeking a more intimate, direct connection to Israel and to us, the people of this wonderful land, we created this film for you. We can’t visit with you in person but we wanted to stay in touch.
ISRAEL: The 72 Year Miracle
There are many statistics that I love to remember on Israel Independence Day — that we are the only western country with a growing birth rate, that we are the only western country that has more trees today than we had 100 years ago, that we consistently rank as one of the countries with the highest happiness index, that we have one of the best air forces in the world — imagine that only 72 years after that rickety four-plane group.
Yom Haatzmaut – Israel Independence Day 2020
This year, Israel Independence Day was different. Our synagogues have been closed for weeks and our prayer gatherings are limited to just a few people standing on a street corner. There were no public gatherings, no popular singers on public stages. We stayed home...
Remembering Strength – The Youth of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
Israel is a celebration of Jewish strength. And from the beginning, it was the youth who took the lead in the fighting, settling, and sacrifices that were essential to the creation and sustenance of the new State of Israel.
Re-Living Passover
This re-living of the Passover story is a monumental event in the Jewish calendar, and every year, families convene to celebrate together.
Corona in Israel
As we approach Passover, we are reminded of the first Passover the Children of Israel celebrated in Egypt: “And you, no man should leave the door of his house until morning and the Lord will pass to strike Egypt... And he will not allow the destroyer to come to your houses and strike.” (Exodus 12:22-23) May G-d protect us all, and keep us all safe from this terrible plague, as we remain in our homes, reminding ourselves of that first miracle Passover thousands of years ago, praying for redemption.
Passover Holiday
Cooking for Passover is a bit like preparing for Christmas dinner, except that it’s three Christmas dinners in a row, no bread is allowed, and the whole extended family has turned out to attend!
Israel has shut down
Schools are closed. Offices, restaurants, factories, and workplaces are locked and shuttered, their workers holed up in their homes with bated breath, waiting for the newest update, the newest mandate, the newest rule we must follow to keep ourselves safe from disease.
Esther – The Purim Story
Join Sondra Baras as she shares a personal Bible Study teaching from Samaria in the heart of Biblical Israel on the book of Esther.