This week we are reading Leviticus 16:1 to 20:27. The reading calendar combines two portions, so this week’s assigned reading is on the longer side. The first portion is titled Acharei Mot, which means “after the death,” because the narrative picks up right after the burial of Aaron’s two sons, Nadav and Avihu. The second…
We are excited to share a powerful new episode of the Jerusalem Connection Red Alert Report, featuring documentary filmmaker Igal Hecht, our partner in an important new project: Beyond the River. This sweeping documentary series—currently in production with support from The Jerusalem Connection—aims to cut through misinformation and bring clarity to the complex history of…
This week’s reading is called Tazria and it covers Leviticus 12:1–15:33. This portion is completely occupied by issues of ritual impurity. Last week’s reading, Shemini, was concerned with the structural boundaries between the sacred and the profane, as it pertained to the Tabernacle and priesthood. Tazria–Metzora shifts the lens toward the human body and the…
In this Red Alert Report, we sit down with Paul Calvert, a UK journalist living in Bethlehem, to unpack the complex and often misunderstood realities facing Christians in Israel, Gaza, and under the Palestinian Authority. This conversation was recorded on February 28, 2026, just hours before Operation Epic Fury began. Its release was delayed to…
This week’s Torah portion covers Leviticus 9:1–11:47. The portion is titled Shemini, which in Hebrew means “eighth,” because the text begins “on the eighth day.” In the Bible, the number seven symbolizes the completion of creation. In Genesis, God finishes his creative work in six days and rests on the seventh. Number seven is forever…
Our latest Jerusalem Connection Red Alert Report brings you a powerful firsthand account from Liz Becker, co-founder of Strong Voices for Israel and daughter of a Holocaust survivor. Liz recently returned from Israel after spending time there during the outbreak of the most recent war—and her experiences offer a deeply human perspective on what Israelis…
As we enter the sacred seasons of Passover and Holy Week leading up to Resurrection Sunday, we’re excited to share a brand-new episode of the Jerusalem Connection Red Alert Report that brings fresh clarity to the deep biblical connections between these two foundational celebrations. This week, we sat down with Rabbi Aaron Allsbrook of Ohav…
This week’s Torah portion covers Leviticus 6:8–8:36. The second reading in Leviticus is titled Tzav, which means “Command!” Like last week, the text dryly expounds on how the priests are to present the sacrifices in the tabernacle. Details include how they are to dispose of the ashes, eat the grain offerings, and maintain the eternal…
We are honored to share a powerful new episode of our Jerusalem Connection Red Alert Report, featuring the remarkable testimony of Marzi Amirizadeh—a woman whose journey from oppression in Iran to freedom in America reveals the extraordinary resilience of faith under fire. Born just months before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Marzi grew up in a…
In Jewish tradition, the book is called Vayikra (Leviticus 1:1−5:26), based on the opening words that translate as “And He called.” The book opens exactly where Exodus concludes, with the Israelites camped at the base of Mount Sinai. After the glory of the Lord had filled the tabernacle, God summoned Moses into the tent of…