Life in Israel

Transportation in the Holy City

By Melissa Reagan, BFP Graphic Designer

{image_1} It was about a week and a half after first moving to Israel that my cell phone rang as I was at the Jerusalem Municipality waiting in line to get the water service turned on in my new apartment. I was pleasantly surprised to hear the soft, southern drawl of my former boss back in America. When I explained where I was and what I was doing, she replied, “I’m picturing camels lined up out front…”

Golda’s Kitchen Cabinet

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“When the word ‘greatness’ comes to mind,
Golda Meir comes immediately to the forefront. Her commitment to her
Land and to her people was the paragon of human dedication. Her
complete involvement, tempered with love, fired by fierce devotion,
caused the world to know that she was a true mover of
mountains.” What a great description of Israel’s
fourth prime minister, who was only the third woman in the world to
hold such an office. David Ben Gurion, Israel’s first prime
minister, called her the “only man in the
government”!  

“Peace, Peace!”  But…There Is No Peace

{image_1}It’s around 8:30 p.m. in Jerusalem on March 6. A group of men in an upstairs classroom at the Mercaz HaRav Yeshivah (religious school) are just finishing evening prayers. The night commences the start of the Jewish month of Adar, the festive month in which Purim is celebrated, the festival that rejoices in the bravery of Queen Esther and the salvation of the Jews from destruction at the hands of their enemy Haman. But unbeknown to the men completing their prayers, an enemy of the Jewish people is walking into the yeshivah, armed with an AK-47 assault rifle. The bullets begin firing. The men in the classroom can hear the incessant shots. Jose can see into the study hall below, a separate area from where the shooting was taking place, through a window, as students are running. Jose and the other men turn off the lights, barricade the doors, and lay on the floor.

The Hurva Rises Again

{image_1}The Hurva Synagogue, in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City, was Israel’s largest and central synagogue for 84 years. In 1948, it—along with 28 others—was destroyed by the Jordanians. Now, its famous dome is rising above the city’s skyline to once again become a prominent piece of Jerusalem’s landscape. This house of prayer, as Jewish people call it, has a glorious history that matches its former glorious interior.

Jerusalem “A Very Heavy Stone”

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Under the sovereign rule of Israel, Jerusalem has been a holy city for
the world’s major monotheistic faiths:

Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Here, all people enjoy freedom of
worship. Across this city in the early hours of the morning, we wake to
the sound of the call to prayer amplified from Muslim mosques.
Meanwhile, in Bethlehem, Christians have fled to Chile to escape the
persecution and brutality of Islamic thuggery. Is this where a divided
Jerusalem will lead us if a portion of it is established as the capital
of the proposed new Palestinian state?

60 Years of Excellence

Strong Leaders

The leaders we are highlighting here are only a few of dozens we could choose from. We are thankful that God has given Israel so many strong men and women to help shape this country. What an awesome privilege they have had!

What Happened at Carmel?

{image_1}It is in Israel where the Bible comes alive to Christian pilgrims. This is especially true at Carmel, where the great contest between monotheism and paganism took place (1 Kings 18). Today, it is one of the most beautiful mountains in the Land and is the site of this peaceful Carmelite Monastery. Tom, our local Israel tour guide, takes us back to that event, uncovering the secret to Elijah’s fire and some miracles that are often overlooked in this story.

What Happened at Carmel?

{image_1}It is in Israel where the Bible comes alive to Christian pilgrims. This is especially true at Carmel, where the great contest between monotheism and paganism took place (1 Kings 18). Today, it is one of the most beautiful mountains in the Land and is the site of this peaceful Carmelite Monastery. Tom, our local Israel tour guide, takes us back to that event, uncovering the secret to Elijah’s fire and some miracles that are often overlooked in this story.

Bar Mitzvah: A Boy’s Aliyah

{image_1}We non-Jews understand that the word aliyah (ah-lee-AH), literally “going up,” is used when a Jewish person immigrates to Israel, but it is also used in a Shabbat (Sabbath) service when a Jewish man is called “up” (uh-LEE-uh) to read from the Torah (Gen.–Deut.). This is one of the privileges a 13-year-old boy assumes at his bar mitzvah when he becomes a man and is deemed old enough to be held accountable for his actions. Hopefully, there is a spiritual aspect to his aliyah, as he “ascends” to a new plane in his personal relationship with God.

Bar Mitzvah: A Boy’s Aliyah

{image_1}We non-Jews understand that the word aliyah (ah-lee-AH), literally “going up,” is used when a Jewish person immigrates to Israel, but it is also used in a Shabbat (Sabbath) service when a Jewish man is called “up” (uh-LEE-uh) to read from the Torah (Gen.–Deut.). This is one of the privileges a 13-year-old boy assumes at his bar mitzvah when he becomes a man and is deemed old enough to be held accountable for his actions. Hopefully, there is a spiritual aspect to his aliyah, as he “ascends” to a new plane in his personal relationship with God.