Featured Stories

Israel Brings Hope to Japanese Survivors

{image_1} As soon as the news of a massive 9.1 earthquake and subsequent tsunami striking Japan was known, Israel was offering her services. Israel, although small in size, has a huge heart. As soon as disaster strikes anywhere in the world, Israel is one of the first to offer help. I believe this partially fulfills the promise that God made to Abraham in Genesis 12:3b: “…in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

A Glass Tribute

{image_1} Much has been written about the contributions Jewish people worldwide have made in cultural, scientific, and technological fields in modern times. It has been noted that though they only comprise 0.25% of the world’s population, they make up 22% of all Nobel Prize winners. Their contribution has also impacted the arts, and one of today’s greatest contributors is Dale Chihuly, a world renowned glass artist. In December, he opened a four-month long exhibit in Tel Aviv, featuring about 100 of his works, 10 of which were created specifically for that exhibit.

Below the Lines

{image_1} The need for potable water has reached critical proportions in Israel because of a seven-year drought, as reported in the February Dispatch. Internet sites record every millimeter of rain that falls on a daily basis. However, that information can be somewhat difficult to comprehend, especially those for the Sea of Galilee (or Kinneret). What are the two “red lines” often referred to? And what about the “black line”? How much water is needed to get from one to the other, and what are the consequences of falling below any one or all three lines?

The Muslim Brotherhood

{image_1}As turmoil continues in the Middle East, one organization whose name has surfaced often is the Muslim Brotherhood. Some in Western media describe the Brotherhood as a moderate organization that eschews violence and stands on a platform of humanitarianism and democracy. Others portray the group as radical and militant, with a history of violence and a very political agenda. In the final analysis, perhaps there is some truth in both views.

Gas Find Could Bring Peace or Conflict

{image_1} For years, it seemed that Israel was the only Middle Eastern nation lacking in oil and natural gas. More recently, however, Israel has gone from pauper to prince in the energy field in a short time, with large natural gas discoveries in the Mediterranean Sea inspiring dreams of energy independence, increased revenues, and perhaps even energy exports. But there is more potential to Israel’s energy discovery than just dollar signs. In a world where Israel’s friends seem to be shrinking in number, the Jewish state’s newly found resources offer the potential for political breakthroughs.

Israel’s Biblical Zoo

{image_1}Anyone traveling to the Holy Land and visiting Jerusalem will find an amazing commemoration of two biblical events at Israel’s 62-acre (25-hectare) zoo: creation and Noah’s ark. Both of these events have something in common—animals. Situated amidst the bustling, modern neighborhood of Manahat, the Tisch Family Zoological Gardens, or better known as the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo, is an ideal picture of God’s love for creation. Here, the theme of creation and the miraculous account of the ark are beautifully woven together.

The Battle for Israel’s History

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As long as there have been historians, there have been those who would rewrite their stories, and for a myriad of reasons. On the positive side, re-examining history has long been accepted as a means of keeping our understanding of the past current. Developments in science, technology, archaeology, etc, have shed new light on old stories, sometimes adding a new dimension to a particular historical period or event and sometimes even modifying the mainstream view. Allowing for the reinterpretation of longstanding views based on new evidence is, in fact, good scholarship, providing that adherence to accuracy is central to the review.

Israel’s Water Crisis

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Almost every winter we cover the topic of drought in Israel. After seven years of drought in a row, it is certainly justified. Israel’s water crisis is looking even worse this winter. November 2010 was the driest in the North in 48 years with some forecasters saying this winter might be the driest of all seven years.

The Museum at the Heart of the Universe

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On July 26, Israel’s largest cultural institution, the Israel Museum, reopened after undergoing a three-year-long, $100-million renovation.

Jesus and the “Holy Tongue”

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Did the historical Jesus speak Hebrew? The supposition of New Testament scholars—indeed the virtually unchallenged assumption in Bible dictionaries and Gospel commentaries for well over a century—is that the native tongue of Jesus was Aramaic, not Hebrew. That is beginning to change. The cumulative research of a generation of scholars living in the Land of Israel, both Jews and Christians, strongly challenges this conventional conviction as outmoded and misleading.