EDUCATING YOUNG PIONEERS On the eighth night of Hanukkah in 1975, thousands of young, ambitious pioneers gathered at an abandoned railroad near Sebastia, the site of the ancient Israelite city that bore the name “Samaria,” with one goal in mind—to finally begin rebuilding Samaria. They knew if one community was established in Samaria, many others … Read more
During the Feast of Tabernacles in 1977, an idealistic couple heading to visit the pioneering community of Kedumim suddenly found themselves taking on a new mission.
Around 1700 years ago, a group of devout Jews settled the southern edges of Judea in the Hebron Hills. Their hearts were directed towards Jerusalem, the eternal site of the Shechinah (The Divine Presence) where the Temple once stood in all its Divine glory.
Almost 3,800 years ago, the great-great-grandchildren of Joseph, excitedly surveyed the lush hills of Samaria comprising the tribal territories allotted to them by Joshua. However, the tribesmen of Manasseh and Ephraim, the two sons of Joseph, faced an ostensible dilemma: How would their mountainous territories accommodate and provide for their large populations?
It was the dead of night. The community of Kedumim was shrouded in fog. Most families were fast asleep, dreaming of the week ahead. But for two women, sleep was the last thing on their minds. As they hunched over a wall of computer screens, their eyes were vigilantly fixed on the flickering images before … Read more
Kedumim’s Lehava High School for Girls seeks to channel this spirit through a brand-new leadership program, where students select a problem that needs solving, a humanitarian need or a technological challenge, and then create the solution.
A few weeks ago, I personally visited some of the communities in Samaria, to get an update on their needs and to gain a first-hand perspective on how your support has helped them. It was a wonderful opportunity to drive through the mountains I love and visit with the leaders and ordinary residents that represent the heartbeat of this land.
We cannot change the past nor bring back the dead. But we can encourage and strengthen the living. We can reach out to the brave men, women and children of Judea and Samaria and give them what they need, when they need it. I hope you will help us help them. I hope you will continue to partner with us as we strengthen the Jewish presence in the Biblical Heartland.
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.
Spring 2014 Gush Etzion Seniors For as long as she can remember, she experienced difficulty eating, trouble speaking, not to mention the blow to her self esteem, and the psychosocial ramifications of her condition. Ella Furman was born in the former Soviet Union, in 1947 with a cleft palate. Cleft palate is a condition in … Read more