Hebraic Roots

​Building on a Sure Foundation

When we bring Christians to Israel, there are certain places we believe they absolutely must see. Those include the Sea of Galilee and Jordan River, Capernaum, Dead Sea, the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City and the Western Wall (Kotel). But at the top of the list is the site of the Temple Mount Excavations.

Do Our Actions Matter to God?

Living in Israel has given me the opportunity to be exposed to different ways of thinking. The relationship between faith and works (or grace and works) is one area where Jews and Christians seem to think differently. Our Orthodox Jewish friend, Moshe Kempinski, has expressed to us on more than one occasion the uncomfortable conversations

An Ancient Call to a New Generation

I was four years old the first time my feet walked across the polished hardwood floor of an evangelical Christian Sunday school classroom. From that point on, my life was cultivated in an environment where the ancient text, the Bible, was foundational. Because of that upbringing, I committed hundreds, possibly thousands of verses to memory.

The Siddur—an Inner Understanding of the Jewish People

 Bridges for Peace is committed to building sincere, respectful relationships between Christians and Jews in Israel and around the world. We are often privileged to partner in such efforts with the Center for Jewish–Christian Understanding and Cooperation under the direction of David Nekrutman. We thank David for the following article, written to help Christians better

Reconciliation

The Church’s ongoing journey from anti-Semitism to a love for Israel—our Hebraic roots revealed.  

In 1945, the world was stunned to learn the extent of the murderous actions of the Nazis against their enemies, and in particular the killing of six million Jewish people. The fact that they justified their actions by referring to the writings of well-known Christian leaders, including the great reformer, {image_3}Martin Luther, was shocking. Many sincere Christians began asking questions about long-held theological stances which had deeply impacted the Jewish people in an overwhelmingly negative fashion. In the ensuing years, many individuals and denominations subsequently repented of anti-Semitism.

The Land-Promise in the New Testament

The covenantal land-promise of the Older Testament (OT)—God’s promise of the land of Israel to Abraham—continues in the Newer Testament (NT), where it is implicit, if not explicit. This is self-evident; the burden of proof is on the critic who feels the need to delegitimize Israel’s claim to the land. {image_2}

The Geography of Israel

{image_1}Have you ever wondered why God asked Abraham to move? Why couldn’t he have served God in Ur? Moving his household was a major event. Remember, they didn’t have moving trucks, so moving took weeks, maybe months. There is a very good answer, and it has to do with geography.

The Biblical Feasts

{image_1}The Bible talks about a number of special holidays called ”feasts.” Today, these biblical feasts continue to be celebrated in Israel and around the world by Jewish people and an increasing number of Christians as well. Christians often refer to them as “Jewish” feasts, but what does the Bible say? “And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: “The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts”’” (Lev. 23:1–2).

Cleaving—Dabak

{image_1}Intimacy—we all want it; we all desperately need it. Some of us, however, have been so hurt in life that we fear it, or we have been so denied it that we don’t know how to pursue it. Yet, it is something we must have to survive. People commit suicide because they either lose it or can’t find it. The good news is God has the recipe for it. It’s His desire that we have it with Himself and with man.

Symbolic Objects

{image_1}After visiting Israel or becoming interested in the Hebraic roots of their faith, many Christians are drawn to symbolic objects used in Judaism. Studying about them can bring rich understanding of God and His ways. Since most Christians are not familiar with them, we are going to identify and define a few. They are all biblically based.