1+ day, 1+ hour ago (502+ words) But exile is not only a punishment, it is a correction. His mother Rebecca sends her younger son to her brother Laban so that he might learn in the school of life how to contend with God and with human beings and prevail. She believes in him. But does he believe in himself? What does the Master of the Ladder promise him? A homeland: "the land on which you are lying, I will give to you and to your offspring". A great nation: "your offspring shall be as the dust of the earth". And a purpose: "all the families of the earth shall be blessed through you and through your offspring" (Genesis 28:13-14). A people, a land, and a Torah. And we have spoken often about how Genesis, the foundational book of our nation, "teaches us to read our historical journey…...

1+ week, 2+ day ago (188+ words) Rebekah presents Jacob (disguised as Esau) to the blind Isaac. Painting by Luca Giordano. Italy, mid-17th century That is how the poet Nathan Alterman described the struggle to find water in the Negev, before Israel was born. "A man in his dream and a tree in its roots, bound in dread, petrified and stilled." Jews have always been the canary in the coal mine for civilizational collapse. Hatred begins with the Jews, spreads to other minorities, and ultimately consumes the very societies that harbor it. As in Jotham's parable, the thornbush, barren and full of hate, is a warning to the world: if the thornbush reigns and directs violence against the Jews, then ultimately "fire will come out of the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon." Western civilization is in peril. We repeat our call to our Jewish brothers and…...

2+ week, 2+ day ago (376+ words) While tens of thousands of Israelis will pour into the Cave of the Patriarchs on the Sabbath of Parshat Chaya Sarah, the place where Abraham purchased the first piece of land for the Jewish people in Israel, there are those working around the clock to turn that symbolic occasion into a daily reality. The "Harchivi Mekom Aholech" organization, which has operated in Hebron for over 18 years, engages in what's known locally as "redeeming homes" " purchasing Arab buildings with full cash payment, transferring them to Jewish ownership, and revitalizing the Jewish fabric of the city. "Our goal is to make Hebron Jewish," said Miriam Fleishman, the organization's director, with a smile that doesn't hide the determination. "We're not ashamed of it. Hebron is the city of the patriarchs. There was always a Jewish ember there; now we're expanding it." According to…...

2+ week, 2+ day ago (442+ words) Two of them withstood social pressure and clung to the truth against the ten who slandered the land. One was Caleb son of Jephunneh, who after the entry into the land conquered Hebron and made it the capital of the tribe of Judah. Years later, the reign of King David began in Hebron, and from there, it spread across the land and history, until it reached Jerusalem. 3. The negotiations "between Abraham and Hittites described in the Torah echo well-known conventions of the ancient Near East and Hittite documents, yet they contain a unique innovation. Abraham says to the Hittites: "I am a resident alien among you. Grant me a burial holding among you so that I may bury my dead before me" (Genesis 23:4). A resident alien was someone who arrived from another country and settled in a place, typically with…...

2+ week, 4+ day ago (360+ words) he Isaiah Projects and Gideon 300 will host a tribute event honoring the late American conservative leader Charlie Kirk on Sunday, November 16 at Beit Shmuel in Jerusalem. The gathering will celebrate Kirk's lifelong advocacy for freedom as a biblical value, Shabbat observance, and unwavering support for Israel. Pastor Rob McCoy, who served as Kirk's spiritual guide, will deliver the main address, while recording artist Nissim Black will share personal reflections on Kirk's impact. The post Conservative voice Charlie Kirk to be remembered at Jerusalem tribute appeared first on www.israelhayom.com. A memorial gathering honoring the American conservative leader Charlie Kirk will take place Sunday, at Beit Shmuel in Jerusalem, organized by The Isaiah Projects and Gideon 300. The event will focus on principles Kirk championed throughout his career " namely freedom rooted in biblical teachings, which he considered essential to building just…...

3+ week, 8+ hour ago (602+ words) After a lengthy visit to Yad Vashem, the group attended the Reformation service at the Redeemer's Church in Jerusalem's Old City. Lehrer was explicitly welcomed at the beginning of the service in his capacity as Vice President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany. In his sermon, delivered in Arabic and for which translations were offered, Bishop Azar spoke of a "genocide" against the Palestinians: "But what does reformation look like after two years of genocide? () When the international community ignores Palestinian suffering, that is a call for reformation. () When the dominate global narrative dehumanizes the Palestinians and ignores the Palestinian Christians' existence, that is a call for reformation." Azar also criticized Israeli checkpoints in Judea and Samaria and spoke about "falsely imprisoned people". He did not mention the Hamas terrorist attack of October 7, the fate of the Israeli…...

3+ week, 4+ day ago (437+ words) Reform Rabbi Jamie Field brought Jewish values to Netflix's "Squid Game: The Challenge" Season 2, competing alongside 455 contestants for a $4.56 million prize. The post Reform rabbi competes on Netflix's 'Squid Game' appeared first on www.israelhayom.com. JTA reports that Jamie Field, then a rabbinical student at Hebrew Union College in New York City, watched "Squid Game: The Challenge" Season 1 in 2023 when an on-screen message prompted applications for the competition. Field, who had long been drawn to reality shows like "Survivor" and "The Amazing Race," discovered profound Jewish meaning in these programs. She told JTA that "the really beautiful thing about these shows is that when you're in such a pressure cooker, for me, it's not about the challenges, although those are fun to watch, but it's about watching people be people and make mistakes and grow and foster connections between…...