By Michael Freund, JPost— As Jews around the world gather together to celebrate the onset of Passover, we will all sit down to participate in one of the most intriguing religious rituals ever conceived. Whereas many of the other acts that have come to define Jewishness center around certainty, the Seder is at its core…
By Michael Freund, Jerusalem Post— As Israel takes its first tentative steps back toward normalcy in the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic, this weekend’s festival of Purim could not be more fortuitous. After the death and despair, the lows and the lockdowns of the past year, when our lives were upended in ways we could…
By Ambassador (ret.) Yoram Ettinger, “Second Thought: a US-Israel Initiative”, Ettinger Report— 1. Purim’s historical background. The 586 BCE destruction of the 1st Jewish Temple and the expulsion of Jews from Judea and Samaria – by the Babylonian Emperor, Nebuchadnezzar – triggered a wave of Jewish emigration to Babylon and Persia. The latter replaced Babylon…
By Rabbi Efrem Goldberg, Aish.com— While Purim is normally one of the happiest days on our calendar, this year it will mark a sobering milestone. Purim will essentially mark a full year of living through a pandemic that has radically changed our lives. While we are beyond grateful for the progress with treatments and vaccinations,…
By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz, Israel 365— On Monday, an improbable sight appeared as delegations from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, wearing traditional Arab garb, took part in the public lighting of the Hanukkah menorah at the Kotel (Western Wall) in Jerusalem. “HANUKKAH MIRACLE” “Who would have believed that peace would come to our home…
By Arlene Bridges Samuels, CBN Israel— Although the eight days of Hanukkah festivities are ending, seasonal miracles are continuing to spread light across the Middle East. When Israeli children play dreidel games, the Hebrew phrase, “A great miracle happened here” is ever-present. Each dreidel (spinning top) is stamped with Hebrew letters that stand for “A…
Today I interviewed Arlene Bridges Samuels. Arlene pioneered Christian outreach for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). After she served nine years on AIPAC’s staff, International Christian Embassy Jerusalem USA engaged her as Outreach Director part-time for their project, American Christian Leaders for Israel. Arlene is now an author at The Blogs-Times of Israel.…
By Itamar Eichner, YNetnews— Weeks after the formal signing of the normalization agreement between Israel, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain in Washington, a public sukkah was erected in the Gulf state’s city of Dubai on Sunday, in a first-of-its-kind sign of solidarity. The traditional hut, which was built in coordination with Dubai’s local…
By One for Israel— The Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkot as it’s known in Hebrew, is a God-ordained feast with a fantastic point behind it. Or perhaps a range of very meaningful points. There’s the mysterious command of the four species of plant required, the aspect of inviting guests (ushpizin) into your sukkah, the harvest…
By Ambassador (ret.) Yoram Ettinger— 1. Jewish national liberation is the 3rd Jewish pilgrimage holiday (following Passover and Shavou’ot – Pentecost), which has been celebrated for the last 3,300 years. Sukkot commemorates the Exodus, the 40 years of wandering in the Sinai Desert, the construction of the Holy Tabernacle and the victories along the way…