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…
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…
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…
This week’s portion is Beshalach (Exodus 13:17–17:16), which translates to “when he sent.” The name comes from the opening verse: “When Pharaoh let the people go…” (13:17). After ten rounds of increasingly destructive plagues, Pharaoh finally agreed to release the Israelites. Exodus 14 first provides a list of place names describing the winding journey of…
Continuing our series “Communion and Connectedness,” Shelley and I talk to Israeli writer Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz. Eliyahu shares his heart, through tears and smiles, and his experiences in Israel since October 7, 2023. Building bridges between the Jewish and Christian communities for many years, Eliyahu embodies the notion of Israel being “a blessing to the…
By Inna Rogatchi, Times of Israel— There is no other Jewish holiday about which I’ve created and wrote more than about these most dark eight days in any given year during which we are smiling and relaxed every evening being reassured by the growing number of candle flames in our various Hanukkiahs, being warmed up…
By Professor Shimon Glick— Premeditation: The Hamas pogrom was a carefully orchestrated event with a clear, declared goal, expressed orally and in writing. They aimed to murder civilians of all ages and kidnap hostages. The leadership of Hamas has expressly stated its goal to repeat such attacks repeatedly in the future. Barbarism: The extraordinary cruelty…
Red Alert: Conversation with Yakir Englander, Director of IAC (Israeli-American Council) Today’s special guest is Yakir Englander, Director of Leadership for the Israeli-American Council (IAC). Yakir is an Israeli now living and working in the United States. His journey keeps him tightly connected to Israel and the Israeli-American community. Yakir provides us with an intimate…
Follow Bible Fiber wherever you listen to your podcasts! Welcome to Bible Fiber. I am Shelley Neese, president of The Jerusalem Connection, a Christian organization devoted to sharing the story of the people of Israel, both ancient and modern. This week we are studying Nehemiah 12 which means this is the second to last episode…