The terrorists came on Shabbat night. Wind whispered through the quiet streets of Rechalim. The rustle of trees and the occasional hum of a passing car on the nearby highway were the only sounds in the small Samarian community.
As I drove down Route 60 one night, otherwise known as the ancient Path of the Patriarchs, my heart filled with joy. This is the Biblical Heartland, where Abraham first received the promise of the land! And it is truly growing with modern communities. Every group of twinkling lights means another part of the prophecy is being fulfilled,another neighborhood is growing in Judea and Samaria. As I travelled down the road and looked up at the mountains to my right, I rejoiced in one of the smallest of these communities: Nofei Nechemia!
But beyond the joy that we all feel in the birth of a new baby, the Brit itself has such a special significance to us as individuals and as a people. Some 4,000 years ago, an old man named Abraham heard the call from G-d to leave his home and go forward to the Land of Israel. Some years after his arrival in the land, G-d commanded him to circumcise himself as an act of covenant between him and G-d, an act of covenant that would be repeated by his descendants forever. At the original covenant with Abraham, G-d changed Abraham’s name from Abram to Abraham.
From the four corners of the earth, the nations are seeking out Israel, eager to learn and understand G-d’s word as it emanates from Jerusalem. We are witness to the fulfillment of this prophecy. We are living in amazing times when the nations are seeking out the word of G-d from Jerusalem, asking the people of Israel to share the wisdom of centuries of intense Bible study.
Zufim would like to focus on additional emergency equipment that will help the volunteers and professionals of Zufim ugrade their security protection. There is a pressing need to establish a network of surveillance cameras with a central command control station, including solar transmission ability, to prevent infiltration and breaches of security by hostile elements. All of these important improvements to Zufim’s security system will represent a huge step towards creating that safe home that Zufim residents are so eager to provide for their families. I hope you will do whatever you can to help the people of Zufim stay safe, feel safe, and protect their children to the best of their ability.
Last week, we celebrated Lag BaOmer, an ancient Jewish holiday that connects us to the events of the Bar Kochba Rebellion, the last Jewish revolt against the Roman Empire which came to a tragic end in the year 135. In Israel, we celebrate the day by lighting bonfires, reminiscent of bonfires that were used by the ancient rebels to send signals to one another. Today, the bonfires are pure fun, as children and adults gather around, roast potatoes and hot dogs, sing songs and just enjoy the warm fire against the usually cool night air.
As I reflect on these various conversations, with Jews who are trying to understand new developments in Christianity and with Christians who are trying to understand their connection to Judaism and to Jews, I realize that while the main goal of CFOIC Heartland has always been to connect Christians to Israel and specifically to Judea and Samaria, so much of what I am doing is far broader than that.
Since joining CFOIC Heartland in 2013, I have made the most wonderful friends, both Jewish and Christian, in Israel and all over the world. I have learned so much about a whole group of people, you our Christian friends, that I had not really known much about. I have come to value and appreciate the vital support we have from our Christian Zionist friends around the world, support that often comes with a love and passion that we rarely find anywhere else.
As Christians, you share the Bible with us, but you have not shared our experiences as a nation. But it is so moving to me to meet Christians who want to understand those experiences better, who are eager to meet Jews, face to face, and hear the telling of the Exodus directly from us. For the modern –day Exodus from Exile to the Land of Israel is truly the story of Modern-Day Israel. It is the story that can be told by Jews of faith, on the basis of faith and it is this story that never fails to grab Christians, for you too are people of faith.
Maale Levonah Gymboree has seen better days; it is dilapidated, run down from all of the good fun use over the years. It desperately needs a face lift. The building must be renovated and new Gymboree games and equipment must be purchased.