The Elections – October 9, 2012
Elections are the main topic of conversation on the news these past few days – elections in Israel and elections in the US. Just a few hours ago, Prime Minister Netanyahu announced that he was calling for early elections, to take place just after the first of the year. Talk of elections in Israel had
We Must Rely on G-d Alone – September 2012
The news is filled with one major issue these days — Iran! The centrifuges continue to spin as Iran gets closer to full nuclear capability. The US and Europe have tried sanctions with only limited success as China and Russia continue to refuse to join in the sanctions. Ahmedinejad continues to make bold and
G-d is Involved in Our Land – August 7, 2012
In the early hours of Monday morning, Jihadist terrorists attacked an Egyptian army base in the Sinai Desert, killed some of the soldiers and made off with two armored vehicles. They then made their way to the Israeli border. As they attempted to cross and carry out a major terrorist attack, the IDF responded
Let’s Make a Difference – July 10, 2012
Yesterday was a fast day, the 17th of the Hebrew month of Tammuz, which ushers in a 3-week mourning period for the first and second temples, thousands of years ago. Our sages have long laid the blame for the destruction of the Second Temple and the subsequent exile from the land, in the first and
Justice For Israel – June 5, 2012
The major story in Israel today is one that affects the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria directly. It is the story of the Ulpana neighborhood in Bet El, a relatively large community in the Benjamin region of Samaria. Many years ago, the community of Bet El purchased land adjacent to the community from a
Politics in Israel – May 8, 2012
What a topsy-turvy week this has been for Israeli politics. Just a few days ago, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu made it clear that he was moving towards early elections, and initiated legislation in the Knesset to send Israel to the polls the first week of September. Then just this morning, Netanyahu announced a new unity coalition
Blessed is He Who Keeps His Promise – April 15, 2012
Today is the day after Passover and everything goes back to normal. Last night we were up late washing and drying dishes, putting away the Passover dishes and taking out the regular dishes, stripping the beds from the company that stayed with us for the holiday, and starting on the mounds of laundry that always
Israel and Iran ~ March 7, 2012
Prime Minister Netanyahu just completed a very important visit to the US. He addressed AIPAC, the important pro-Israel lobby organization, and met with President Obama. Commentators have seen Obama’s speech at AIPAC as very pro-Israel, although some have questioned whether that was a function of pre-election strategy. But the overriding issue of this visit was
UNESCO, Gilad Shalit, Iran – November 8, 2011
These past few weeks have included a number of significant events, seemingly unrelated, and yet all bear watching for their inevitable affect on current affairs in Israel. In early September, Mahmoud Abbas began the process of obtaining UN recognition for a Palestinian State. Just a few days ago, UNESCO voted to accept “Palestine” as a
Am Yisrael Chai – Israel lives – December 5, 201
Today the four women who make up CFOIC Heartland’s Israel office went on an outing, to recharge our batteries and learn something new about our wonderful land of Israel. We chose the Palmach Museum in Tel Aviv which tells the story of the pre-State underground group which did so much to protect the Jews in
Thoughts on Yom Kippur – October 10, 2011
Just two days ago, on Saturday, Jews all over the world marked the holiest day of the year, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. I wanted to share some thoughts with you that were part of my Yom Kippur experience this year. The fast began just before 5 pm on Friday. Clothed in white, our
Planting Trees – February 7, 2012
Tomorrow is Tu B’Shvat, the annual holiday of trees. Although this day was well known in Jewish sources for centuries, since the beginning of the 20th century, when Jews began returning to the Land of Israel in large numbers, this day took on greater significance. The early Zionist pioneers found a desolate land, with a
