Echoes of the Past: Recognizing the Signs of Rising Hatred

I have seen everything that’s happening today before. I have lived through these times before. And I know where they lead. I was born in 1924 in Karlsruhe, Germany. As a child, I witnessed Hitler’s rise to power, which began around the time I was nine years old. For the first three years of school,

Women Leading in Defense and Innovation

Israel is known as a startup nation and a powerhouse of technological and military ingenuity. In recent years, a quieter yet equally revolutionary transformation has been taking place: the rise of women to leadership roles in fields critical to Israel’s security and innovation. From elite units in the IDF to groundbreaking tech startups and government

The Battle of the Gods

“Allahu akbar!” These are often the first words to pierce the subconscious minds of many Jerusalemites in the predawn darkness. They’re not alone. The adhan, the Islamic call to prayer, rings out like clockwork every morning from countless minarets, the thin towers pointing heavenward like green fingers over mosques across cities worldwide. The call stirs

Therapy with a Tail

What if you could witness Christian generosity in action, transforming lives in Israel? Recently, during a visit to Neve Landy, a home for troubled boys, I had the opportunity to do just that. Neve Landy is unique in its model, mission and the lives it changes. Let me share this extraordinary place in southern Israel

Survivors: Then and Now

I found myself sitting on an old couch, eating pierogi (Russian dumplings), listening to the life story of an elderly woman and her husband. They were real. Now, that might sound like a strange statement, but for a young American adult fresh out her teenage years, the Holocaust and its survivors used to be confined

The Flame that Refused to Be Extinguished

The Year is AD 135… Jerusalem lies under the iron grip of the infamous Roman Emperor Hadrian. As the age-old Bible stories recount, the Romans ruled the Promised Land with ruthless cruelty, seeking to extinguish the Jewish light from their Empire. Yet a remarkable archaeological discovery has proven that Jewish faith endured despite the oppression.

Thyme Chicken with Caramelized Lemon and Dates

Although lamb is traditionally associated with the Passover meal, here is a tasty alternative made with chicken thighs and bursting with the distinct Israeli flavors of Medjool dates and lemon. So, if you would like to vary the menu, we guarantee this will be a delightful addition to your seder meal this year! Ingredients 6

Dousing Iran’s Ring of Fire

Thirteen years after the opening shots of the Syrian Civil War rang out on March 15, 2011, the devastating conflict came to an abrupt finale—against all odds and all in just over a week. Damascus fell to a coalition of rebels led by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) on December 8, 2024,

The Officers of the IDF

My first encounter with an officer of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) was in 1985 at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, home of the US Army Field Artillery. Assigned there for the Officers Advanced Course, I was privileged to sponsor one of the allied nation officers in attendance: Captain Nir Granot from Tel Aviv. My wife and

To Life!

Jenan Matari wrung her hands uneasily as she peered bravely into the camera. “This is a very heavy, uncomfortable video,” she began. Matari paused briefly, as if bracing under the burden of the message she was about to deliver. “We’re going to talk about the existence of Israel as a sadist entity as a whole,”

Check in on Your Jewish Friends

A flight from Tel Aviv landed in Dagestan—a southeastern region of Russia bordering the Caspian Sea—on October 30, 2023, just weeks after Hamas’s devastating massacre on October 7. Videos of the incident show a mob from the Muslim-majority region, knowing a plane was arriving from Israel, storming through the airport, searching for anyone Jewish. Some

Widows and Orphans: The Group No One Wants to Join

January 15, 2025

My mother was a widow for twelve years. I saw in my own family the sorrow a widow feels when she loses her spouse. I witnessed the loneliness and the ongoing pain as every holiday rolls around. Even though my mother wasn’t destitute, she was emotionally wounded for the rest of her life because she

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