Life in Israel

Eliminating the ‘‘World Wide WAIT’’

{image_1}WHILE ALL OF US KNOW WHAT THE ‘WWW’ really stands for, there are times when we
could be excused for believing that it refers to a “world wide
wait”—such are the sluggish response times you often contend
with. But Ofer Gadish, cofounder of FasterWeb, created a better way to
connect to Web sites. The result? Gadish’s FasterWeb application, which
promises to make Web surfing up to 10 times faster.

A New Look for an Old City

By Charleeda Sprinkle, Assistant Editor

{image_1}Incessant pounding reverberates as deep caverns are dug for the foundations of new apartment buildings and hotels; pedestrians cautiously walk down torn-up streets; and buses are rerouted to accommodate revised construction schedules. What a mess! God’s great city, Jerusalem, is undergoing a makeover!

Shavuot a harvest celebration

{image_1} Shavuot, also known as the Feast of Weeks and Pentecost, occurs on the sixth of the Hebrew month of Sivan in Israel. In ancient times, it was one of the three pilgrim festivals which required a visit to the Temple, along with Pesach (Passover) and Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles). Today, the holiday commemorates the giving of the Torah (Gen.–Deut.) at Mount Sinai where the covenant relationship between God and His people was formalized. It is marked primarily by services in synagogues beautifully decorated with flowers and greenery and by the eating of dairy foods.

The Story of God’s Deliverance—Pesach

{image_1} Pesach (Passover) is one of three pilgrimage festivals during which all the men of Israel are to come up to Jerusalem. The other two are Shavuot (Pentecost) and Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles). Celebrated on the Hebrew month of Nisan 14–21 (generally in April), Pesach is an eight-day holiday remembering the Hebrews’ exodus from Egypt. Unlike most of the biblical feasts, Pesach is celebrated primarily in the home with friends and family, not in a synagogue. At least 98% of Israeli Jews participate, to some degree, in Pesach, celebrating God’s protection and provision. It’s a popular time for Jews from the nations to visit Israel, and many Israeli families take week-long vacations.

The Story of God’s Deliverance—Pesach

{image_1} Pesach (Passover) is one of three pilgrimage festivals during which all the men of Israel are to come up to Jerusalem. The other two are Shavuot (Pentecost) and Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles). Celebrated on the Hebrew month of Nisan 14–21 (generally in April), Pesach is an eight-day holiday remembering the Hebrews’ exodus from Egypt. Unlike most of the biblical feasts, Pesach is celebrated primarily in the home with friends and family, not in a synagogue. At least 98% of Israeli Jews participate, to some degree, in Pesach, celebrating God’s protection and provision. It’s a popular time for Jews from the nations to visit Israel, and many Israeli families take week-long vacations.

May Those Who Love You Be Secure

{image_1} “Do you ever feel scared over there?” my aunt wanted to know. I was home visiting family I had not seen in a while. Moving from America to Jerusalem had made me a bit of a curiosity to relatives who had, for the most part, stayed close to home. They had a lot of questions mostly about whether or not it was safe to live in Israel.

Israel Tourism Revisited

By Joshua Spurlock, Correspondent, BFP Israel Mosaic Radio

{image_1} Imagine horseback riding on a mountain, kayaking downriver, relaxing in a spa, and visiting a city that never sleeps—all in one vacation! No it’s not a hectic cross-country trip in the United States or an exotic trip to some far-away island; it’s just a few of a multitude of options a tourist has when visiting Israel. From the lush Golan in the north to the awe-inspiring desert in the south to central, busy Tel Aviv, the modern state of Israel is realizing exactly what God meant when He promised them a good land. Thanks to the relative peace since the end of the Second Intifada terror war, tourists are realizing it too, in record numbers.

Exodus Passenger Makes Aliyah

{image_1} On July 19, 1947, Frances Greenberg, then 27, and 4,514 other olim (immigrants) aboard the ship Exodus were denied their dream of entering the Land of Israel. On July 22, 2008—61 years and three days later—Frances and 209 other olim achieved that dream on a Nefesh B’Nefesh flight, a new adventure for all of them, and for Frances, coming full circle. Joining her on the aliyah (immigration) were immigrants from across the United States and Canada, who came from a variety of occupational backgrounds, including 23 who are joining the Israel Defense Forces.

Living in Bible Times

By Cheryl Hauer, International Development Director

{image_1} One of the most common statements uttered by Christians as they explore the Land of Israel is, “It would have been so wonderful to have been here during Bible times.” Their minds are filled with first-century images of quaint villages in the Galilee, the mighty Temple in Jerusalem, and eager crowds gathering to listen as itinerant rabbis preach from hillsides—definitely “Bible times” images. But those images are no more so than the exciting and diverse sights and sounds that are everyday life in this remarkable nation today.

The Exodus

{image_1}Originally a US packet steamer, the President Warfield made
trips between Virginia and Maryland from 1928 to1942. During WWII, it
served both Britain and America. Afterwards, it was sold to an American
shipwrecking company that served as an agent of the Jewish underground
defense force Haganah and was renamed Exodus 1947 after the biblical
exodus from Egypt.