Since the first time I heard its haunting melody, I have been drawn to the short Jewish liturgical piece put to music entitled “Vehi Sheamda.” The words of the title are translated, “And it is this that has stood,” with the word “this” meaning God’s covenant relationship with Abraham and his descendants. The song
Continue Reading »We often hear Israeli leaders claim that the Israel Defense Force (IDF) is an ethical, moral army, motivated by Jewish values, while Israel’s enemy is far different. What do they mean? According to the Oxford Dictionary, ethics is defined as “moral principles that govern a person’s behavior or the conducting of an activity.” Values are
Continue Reading »War is ugly. It destroys lives. It steals away innocence. It highlights the evil of which humanity is capable. October 7, 2023 should have been a day filled with laughter and joy on Simchat Torah (Rejoicing in the Torah). But some 2,000 Hamas terrorists shattered the festive morning by storming Israeli communities and homes,
Continue Reading »Christians around the world have been alarmed at news of recent anti-Christian actions in Israel. A number of incidents are at the heart of the concerns. In September last year, Jordanian King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein stood in the United Nations General Assembly and said that Christianity is under attack in Jerusalem. In March, Knesset
Continue Reading »Whether it means stockings hung by the chimney with care in the northern hemisphere or a week at the beach in the south, Christmas is a holiday beloved by billions around the world. For many Christians, it is a time with real sacred meaning, celebrating the birth of the Son of God, the Savior of
Continue Reading »Across Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel) and in Jewish communities around the globe, the season to kindle the Hanukkah (Festival of Lights) candles is here! Synagogues, community centers, households and businesses come aglow with the light of the special menorah (seven-branched candelabra) called a hanukkiah. Its eight branches (plus one to light the
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Over 50 years ago, Israel’s first and only female Prime Minster Golda Meir famously stated, “Peace will come when the Arabs will love their children more than they hate us.” More than half a century later, things have not changed. Meir’s words still ring true today as Israel faces a persistent and ever-increasing threat
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It’s Friday afternoon in Beit HaKerem, the Jerusalem neighborhood where I live. There are fewer and fewer cars on the road as a pre-Shabbat (Sabbath) hush begins to descend. However, it’s a different story in the park on the other side of Herzl Boulevard, where an exuberantly noisy group of 20–30 young Israeli children
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Every tourist shop in the Promised Land stocks a range of brightly colored t-shirts proclaiming that the wearer of the particular garment has dipped a toe in the four “seas” of Israel. The claim is a bit of an overstatement, really. Only two of Israel’s famous waterbodies—the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea—meet the
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From the pen of CEO Peter Fast comes the ninth installment of the Quirks of Israel. Join Peter on a journey through the wonderfully peculiar culture, traditions, heritage and daily life of this singular nation as he unpacks, introduces and celebrates the quirky aspects that make Israel so wonderfully unique. Jerusalem is a city
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