The Joy of a Jewish Wedding!
Sondra Oster Baras, an Orthodox Jew who has devoted her life to reaching out to Christians all over the world to bless Israel, provides an in-depth understanding of Jewish wedding customs.
The Challenge of Interfaith Marriage
Interfaith marriage is always a heartbreaker, for both families involved. Each family has raised their child in the faith that they believe to be the true one. Each family has immersed their child in the customs and culture that come with their faith.
Losing a Loved One
Death is a natural part of life – everyone will experience the loss of a loved one and will grieve in a personal and profound way. But every culture and faith has created their own ways to help deal with the grief and the loss. Judaism has a unique set of customs surrounding death, burial and mourning that reflect a profound wisdom with regard to human needs as well as a theology of the everlasting.
Celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles
The Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkot, as it is known in Hebrew, has begun to resonate among Christians in recent years. Thousands of Christians celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem each year in fulfillment of Zachariah 14:16. How has this holiday been celebrated by Jews since Biblical times and what is it about this holiday that is so meaningful to Christians?
The Meaning of Shabbat
Sondra Oster Baras, an Orthodox Jew who has devoted her life to reaching out to Christians all over the world to bless Israel, explains the Jewish Sabbath (Shabbat) so that Christians can gain a better understanding of how Jews revere and observe this holy day.
Honoring the Pioneering Elders of Tomer
It’s the Fifth out of Ten Commandments. In Judaism, honoring one’s father and mother is a vital mitzvah (commandment) that recognizes the synthesis of God’s power to give life with the physical beings who help carry out that miracle of creation. More simply, it holds the key to the age-old success of the family unit. When children show honor towards their fathers and mothers, parents can be more effective caregivers, and children learn healthy guidance and how to follow rules.
The Price of a State
Zionism runs strong in my family, as deeply connected to my identity as my family name and my devotion to Orthodox Judaism. Zionism was simple when I was growing up in the United States, because all it took to be a Zionist was to love Israel.
A Friendship Based on Respect
We are all children of an Awesome G-d Who has enabled us to witness the fulfillment of prophecy in our own lifetimes. We have seen the restoration of the Jewish people after the Holocaust and the establishment of the State of Israel in fulfillment of Biblical prophecy. G-d is orchestrating the final redemption and we have been invited to take part. Let’s let Him run the show and we will all be blessed in the process.
From Saint Petersburg to Kedumim
Aliyah’s story begins five years before she was born. Her parents, Avital and Michael Ezer were a young newly married couple in Soviet Russia. They were respected researchers in their fields and had big plans for the future when in 1980; they submitted a request to immigrate to Israel. Their request was denied, and as was the case for all families who requested to move to Israel at that time, their application triggered government persecution. They were targeted, interrogated and then watched by the KGB, and they lost their jobs.
SHOULD WE MOURN FOR JERUSALEM?
August 1, 2017 By: Sondra Baras Today is the 9th of Av, the day according to the Hebrew calendar that commemorates the destruction of both Temples in Jerusalem: Solomon’s Temple and Herod’s Temple (which was a rebuilt version of the earlier Temple of Ezra and Nehemiah). For centuries, this date marked the terrible fate that … Read more