January 21, 2020by Meira Weber The last thing we were expecting to show up on the doorstep of the CFOIC Heartland Israel Office that day was the rain-soaked and windswept Chief of Security from Har Gilo. He blew in like the storm raging outside, bursting into the office with a huge, exhilarated grin and carrying … Read more
January 14, 2020By: Meira Weber In Israel, there is an endearing yet perplexing tradition of calling complete strangers “achi” – “my brother.” I used to think it was funny, like a sarcastic, ingratiating nickname someone would use when they were trying to get on another person’s good side. It took me a long time … Read more
I know for many who love Israel and follow the Hebraic roots of our faith, whether or not to celebrate Christmas can be a real struggle. And I usually get some chastising notes and emails from well-meaning folks who are aghast that I allow a pagan Christmas tree in my home, when I should know better! So I will apologize in advance if talking about Christmas or saying “Merry Christmas” is offensive to you.
My sisters and I returned home from school on that first night of Chanukah the year we moved, myself only nine years old, ears and nose bright red from cold. Inside the house, hand-drawn decorations crowded the walls and a fire crackled merrily in the fireplace, suffusing the living room with leaping golden warmth. The … Read more
For the Lord comforts Zion; he comforts all her waste places and makes her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song. Isaiah 51:3
One of my friends once joked, “Jews have a blessing for everything!” We laughed at the time, but it’s true.
do know that I’ve never felt safer than when I am in Israel. Because it truly is the Holy Land and because I am right where God wants me to be, there is an incredible sense of peace as you walk the land.
There is something very innate about wanting to create a space or shelter for ourselves. This is why I’ve always liked the holiday of Sukkot. During this week-long festival we get to live in temporary huts topped with branches and often beautifully decorated with artwork, flowers, and foliage.
The first month of the Jewish year is always an exciting one. Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year, catapults us right into a festive celebration of this year’s potential – we say special prayers, we blow the shofar, and we eat special foods that symbolize the blessings we hope to benefit from and bring with us into the new year.
Don’t come to Israel just for the food – the Bible will come alive for you in Israel and I must say that is a far more important reason to come than the food. But I have to admit – food runs a close second!