Dispatch from Jerusalem

Unexpected Illumination

On the corner of Rachel Imeinu and Yotam (a little-known street in my German Colony neighborhood in Jerusalem) stands a bustling, ultra-Orthodox yeshivah (religious school). The yeshivah is three blocks from my apartment, and I stroll past it nearly every day. As I pass the echoing stone walls and vented windows, I hear the students and their rabbis deeply engaged in activity. In the morning, I hear them praying. At noon I hear them debating Torah (Genesis–Deuteronomy). But best of all, in the evenings, I hear the students singing in chorus, and their haunting refrains permeate the otherwise quiet Jerusalem nights.

Tnufa caught momentum after Hurricane Katrina

Israel is on the forefront of developing solutions to mitigate the damage from hurricanes such as Katrina, which lashed the south-eastern United States in September.
The Tnufa (momentum) committee, which is headed by chief scientist Dr. Eli Opper, has approved a preliminary research and development program aimed at advancing the development of an innovative technology for barriers against floods like the ones that followed Hurricane Katrina, according to a Globes Business report. The technology will make it possible to speedily build anti-flood barriers of any length and height necessary to protect a population center from the kind of massive flooding that destroyed thousands of homes in New Orleans.

Peace with Israel after the Disengagement

“We will continue our martyrdom operations [terrorist attacks] inside Israel until all our lands are liberated, by Allah’s will.”

Treasure found in Temple Mount Rubble

When Dr. Gabriel Barkay, archaeology professor at Bar-Ilan University, led his team into a Kidron Valley garbage dump, he was inspired by Psalm 102:14, “For Your servants take pleasure in her stones, and show favor to her dust.”

Psalm 23

Mllions of people think of Psalm 23 as the gentle comfort of the loving Shepherd embodied in words. It’s true. It is a picture of comfort that has lived down through the ages. I like to look at familiar Scriptures and see if there is anything that I missed on the first reading. Recently, when I read Psalm 23, I began to see some additional insights.

Conscience Of The Holocaust

Thoughts on the Death of Simon Wiesenthal

“When history looks back, I want people to know the Nazis weren’t able to kill millions of people and get away with it…” Simon Wiesenthal, who died in his sleep on September 20, 2005, was often called the “conscience of the Holocaust.” He died in his home in Vienna at the age of 96. During the Holocaust, he lost 89 family members, survived 12 Nazi camps, and weighed less than 100 pounds when he was liberated from Mauthausen in 1945.

Awaiting the Son of David

In October during the High Holy Days, the nation of Israel welcomed in Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year), celebrating it by dipping apple slices in honey and wishing one another shana tovah u’metuka––a year that is good and sweet. The meaning of this simple sounding salutation runs far deeper than the outwardly corresponding “Happy New Year!” that we Gentiles ritually wish to each other at the end of every cycle of the Gregorian calendar.

Words Are Not Enough

“I love you, I love you, I love you. Thank you Becky!” Golda’s eyes sparkled as she kissed my cheeks one after the other. As an immigrant from the former Soviet Union, Golda receives food from the Bridges for Peace food bank. I attempted to start a deeper conversation only to realize that she had already spoken all of the English she knew. Switching to Hebrew, I found that we were able to converse a little better, albeit in a halting fashion. Finally we called over Boris, who translated from Russian. Golda’s story is special. After her brother and his wife were killed in a terror incident in the former Soviet Union, she adopted their four children. All five of them immigrated to Israel.

God is Bigger

Since the day of her inception, the State of Israel has struggled to survive. The birth of Israel on May 14, 1948 was followed immediately by an all out war from five neighboring countries. War has followed war, and miraculously Israel has won every one, often against incredible odds. Israel has been referred to as a miracle nation. Certainly Bible lovers can see the miracle-working hand of God in Israel’s rebirth, the ingathering of the Jewish people, and the restoration of the Land.

From My Heart…

The International Board of Bridges for Peace announces the appointment of Rebecca Brimmer as our chief executive officer (CEO).