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Sondra Baras

Israel Deserves Better Leadership!

More than 2000 years ago, the Maccabees rebelled against the Syrian Greeks and miraculously defeated them, liberating the Jews from pagan rule and re-entering the Sacred Temple in Jerusalem.  They immediately set to work, purifying the Temple and renewing the ancient services.  But when they tried to light the Menorah, they discovered that there was only enough pure olive oil to last one day. 

The Challenge of Interfaith Marriage

Sondra Oster Baras, an Orthodox Jew who has devoted her life to reaching out to Christians all over the world to bless Israel, shares a Jewish perspective on inter-faith marriage, even as Kimberly Troup, Christian Zionist director of CFOIC Heartland’s US office, and Tommy Waller, also a Christian Zionist, share their own perspectives.

The Lesson of Hanukah

More than 2000 years ago, the Maccabees rebelled against the Syrian Greeks and miraculously defeated them, liberating the Jews from pagan rule and re-entering the Sacred Temple in Jerusalem.  They immediately set to work, purifying the Temple and renewing the ancient services.  But when they tried to light the Menorah, they discovered that there was only enough pure olive oil to last one day. 

In Memory of Ted Beckett

Ted Beckett

November 2, 2020by Sondra Baras I am often asked about the origins of CFOIC Heartland.  People are particularly intrigued at the thought of an Orthodox Jew heading up an organization called Christian Friends of Israeli Communities. I always respond that the idea was a Christian one but I launched the organization’s Israel office and turned … Read more

In Memory of my Father: Joseph Oster זצ״ל

October 6, 2020by Sondra Baras My father passed away three weeks ago.  He was 94 years old and during his final months, he had sunk into the depths of dementia and no longer recognized me.  It had been many months since I had been able to have even the most rudimentary conversation with him.  In a … Read more

Losing a Loved One

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 understanding of these Jewish customs. Sondra is joined by Kimberly Troup, Christian Zionist director of CFOIC Heartland’s US office, and Tommy Waller, also a Christian Zionist, who share common Christian customs and attitudes towards death and mourning, comparing and contrasting them with Jewish ones.

Shabbat Succot

This week we celebrate one of my favorite holidays… Succot, the Feast of Tabernacles. It is quite remarkable that the Torah readings discuss sacrifices brought to the Temple thousands of years ago.

Celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles

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.

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.

Prophets and Leaders, Part 1: Eli

Sondra Oster Baras analyzes the meeting between prophet and leader in three instances where the prophet warns the leader of the cessation of his dynasty. Part I focuses on Eli, the last High Priest at Shiloh.