A Visit With Shmuel: Kiryat Arba
This month, I visited the community of Kiryat Arba, one of the original Jewish communities in Judea, established just after the Six Day War.
The Meaning of Hanukkah
Hanukkah is a popular Jewish holiday, usually celebrated in December. Because of its proximity to Christmas, some people assume that it is a Jewish version of Christmas. But Hanukkah is a unique holiday that celebrates a special miracle of salvation to the Jewish people. And its messages can resonate deeply to Christians as well.
Vered Ben-Saadon
Vered Ben-Saadon, owner of an award-winning winery in the small community of Rechalim, purposefully sought to settle in Samaria during the second Intifada. This is Vered’s story.
A Message of Thanks from Sondra and Shmuel
This past year has been a difficult and challenging one in so many ways. And yet, it also offered us hope and many moments of joy and fulfillment. We would like to take this moment to thank you, our CFOIC Heartland friends and supporters, for all you have done for us this past year.
Giving Thanks
Thanksgiving is celebrated at the end of November in the United States. But how does that play out in the Bible, in Judaism and in Christianity?
A Visit With Shmuel: Bekaot
This month, I visited the community of Bekaot, a small agricultural moshav in the Jordan Valley, actually on the Samaria foothills just above the Jordan Valley. What a beautiful place!
A Visit With Shmuel: A Security Update from Judea & Samaria
This month, I decided to skip a community visit and, instead, share with you a personal insight into the deteriorating security situation in Judea and Samaria. I actually filmed this last week, during the holiday of Succot.
Yisrael Medad
Yisrael Medad, an American-born political commentator, historian and activist is perhaps one of the most vocal advocates for the settlement movement in Judea and Samaria. After becoming religious as a teenager, he became actively involved in a Zionist Youth Movement, emigrating with his wife to Israel after the 1967 war and settling in Samaria. This is Yisrael’s story – still passionate for Jewish life in Biblical Israel.
Heartland Story: Protecting Unborn Babies
It was a moving ceremony! Cutting the ribbon were Yossi Dagan, Mayor of the Samaria Regional Municipality, and Sondra Oster Baras, CFOIC Heartland director, flanked by the dedicated staff of the Samaria Urgent Care and Regional Medical Center. Between them stood a brand new, state-of-the-art ultrasound machine. It was the realization of a dream come … Read more
Shulamit Kaminsky
Shulamit Kaminsky has been a dear friend of CFOIC Heartland supporters for many years. When she first came to Israel decades ago, as a newlywed, she and her husband wanted to make a difference in their new homeland. But their commitment to settling the Biblical Heartland did not prepare them for the living conditions in the barren desert of the Jordan Valley. This is Shulamit’s story – a Jewish pioneer working to make the desert bloom.