A Visit with Shmuel, is a virtual 360° look at Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria. Each month, as Shmuel Junger, CFOIC Heartland Director of Development, travels across the Biblical Heartland, he'll share with you the landscapes of new Jewish communities, their biblical roots, and anecdotes about the life of its pioneers.
The fall holidays are upon us and that leaves us very little time in between the holidays. So I was particularly excited to get in a visit to Revava before the holidays began. And what a visit it was! This is a community that is totally dedicated to kindness – to helping other people. And they have been particularly welcoming to six families who recently made Aliyah (immigrated to Israel) from France.
Revava has recently absorbed six new immigrant families from France. And while community residents have been welcoming and helpful to them, the new immigrant families have needs that extend beyond what the community can provide on its own. COVID brought its own challenges – it is very difficult to learn Hebrew on zoom!! Join us in supporting these new immigrants in Revava! You can take part in settling the people of Israel back in their land in fulfillment of prophecy
I traveled through winding, narrow, mostly two-way roads in the rugged hills of Samaria to visit Talmon. Talmon was established in 1989 by a handful of families, committed to reviving and resettling a Jewish presence in the Biblical Heartland of Israel. Located more than an hour’s drive from the nearest city, Talmon has grown into a vibrant community, with 300 families, and its residents exemplify kindness and mutual responsibility.
Join me as I visit Telem, a small and isolated community of ninety families located just outside Hebron. The people of Telem, salt of the earth Zionist pioneers, have created a close-knit community where everyone is family. They are farmers, laborers, and professionals who wish to develop their ancestral homeland while raising their families with Biblical values. The expansive views surrounding Telem offer spacious land to create affordable housing and build a large thriving community in Biblical Israel.
Telem faces a clandestine battle nobody talks about – Arabs stealing Jewish land. The brave pioneers of Telem are truly safeguarding Jewish land in the Biblical Heartland.
Join me for an exclusive visit to Bet Yatir – a religious moshav in the Judean Desert, just south of Hebron. Bet Yatir’s story exemplifies idealism, pioneering, and true self-sacrifice in pursuit of fulfilling a dream.
Bet Yatir has recently completed the construction of a new daycare building, but the community needs your help to furnish and equip the new center. Investing in the children of Bet Yatir is an investment in the future of this pioneering community.
Join me, as I drop by the village of Gevaot, a community of forty families in the hills of Gush Etzion. The people of Gevaot are truly modern-day pioneers who dedicate their lives to creating a thriving utopian community. What does that mean? Tune in to my exclusive visit to Gevaot
Over 200 teenagers are currently classified as at-risk in the Gush Etzion region and they desperately need your help. A regional center for at-risk youth has been having tremendous positive results. But unfortunately, due to insufficient funds, this program is on the brink of shutting down. Your donation today will ensure the youth center stays open and continues to help at-risk teens.
I was supposed to go to Einav on Tu B’Shvat and film their tree-planting ceremony, sponsored by you, our CFOIC Heartland donors, and friends. But then Israel was plunged into lockdown and my visit had to be canceled. So when life opened up again, I took the first opportunity to visit Einav and it was a fabulous day indeed. Tune in to my exclusive visit to Einav.
During COVID when the teenagers were zooming school only a few hours a day, the teens of Einav would get up at the crack of dawn to turn the natural forest just outside the community into a beautiful park. These kids have worked hard but now they need your help. You can partner with them and turn their park into the gem of the community – a gathering place for all members of the community, in the heart of nature.
I was very excited to be able to visit the Samaria Regional Security Center and see for myself how the dedicated staff and volunteers of Samaria are protecting the men, women and children of the area. The center is located near the communities of Har Bracha and Rechalim, not far from the Biblical Oak of Moreh.
As I mentioned in my vlog, the security center is fully equipped with cameras, monitors, and a host of communications equipment. But as more terrorists are choosing arson as a key method of attack, it is imperative that the Regional Security center include a proper fire station. You can join with the people of Samaria and become protectors of Zion, by donating to help build the Regional Fire Station. You can protect the people of God’s land from the terror of fire.
I traveled to the beautiful Judean Hills to visit Bat Ayin, a small, very spiritual community located among the rugged hills just outside Gush Etzion. This community was established with one goal in mind: to create a purely God-centered life in a natural environment, away from the hustle and bustle of city life.
The Bat Ayin Yeshiva Bible Academy is a spiritual center that welcomes Jews from all walks of life. They are building a new study hall at the Yeshiva, but they need funding for furnishings and bookshelves. With your help, this incredible center will continue to enable young Jews to reconnect with their faith, in the heart of Biblical Judea.