By: Sondra Oster Baras On Tuesday night and Wednesday, we will be observing Yom Kippur, otherwise known as the Day of Atonement, the holiest day of the year.  It is a time when Jews all over the world spend the day in fasting and prayer.  This year also marks the 45th anniversary of the Yom […]

With your help they can purchase toys and games and install a large indoor sand-box.  This space will be used every day! All of the babies and toddlers will be so excited to have a safe place to play as they are growing up in the heat of the Jordan Valley.  And their parents will enjoy the air-conditioned fellowship as they come together to watch their children.   Imagine the smiles of delight, and the squeals of joy as the children safely run and play

We were treated to wonderful news last week as US President Donald Trump declared that the US would no longer fund UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, and criticized the agency for hindering rather than helping efforts to improve the lives of Palestinians.  UNRWA’s 2017 budget, according to the Washington Post, was $1.1 billion and the US provided more than 30% of that annual budget.

Every year the entire community of Leshem, where I live, goes on a one night camping trip at the Sea of Galilee.  A group of volunteers organizes the entire trip. This year the trip was set for the 15th day of Av (July 26th),  the Jewish version of Valentine’s day, so the theme of the trip was LOVE.

Should there be a house fire, a car accident, or any emergency situation, the emergency personnel need to know where to go to give aid, and they need to be able to call for help. Can you imagine their frustration watching a house burn down and not being able to reach the main fire department because they can’t get a signal on their cell phone? This is exactly why Migdal Oz is asking for your help.

From the four corners of the earth, the nations are seeking out Israel, eager to learn and understand G-d’s word as it emanates from Jerusalem.  We are witness to the fulfillment of this prophecy.  We are living in amazing times when the nations are seeking out the word of G-d from Jerusalem, asking the people of Israel to share the wisdom of centuries of intense Bible study.

Sunday was the Ninth of Av, the date on the Hebrew calendar which commemorates the destruction of both the First and Second Temples in Israel.  The Second Temple was destroyed in the year 70 CE.  It was destroyed by the Romans as the final blow to Jewish sovereignty in the Land of Israel at that time. 

We arrived at the party fifteen minutes early because he wouldn’t let us be late and he stood by the door greeting his friends and their parents as they walked in. I was amazed.  He is usually such a whirlwind, jumping off the walls, bumping into things and basically all over the place. But on that day there was nothing of that frenetic energy. The party started and he was amazing. Standing in the middle, the tallest in the class, he knew all the words to the songs and sang loud and clear. Actually, he was the loudest, and so off key! My husband wondered who Matan takes after but I knew right away – I laughed and told him that he is just like my grandfather.

The Bet Yatir Youth Center has seen hundreds of teens grow up within its walls.  Today, those walls are shabby. This is where you come in. The parents of Bet Yatir are asking you to invest in their teens.  They know the potential within their teens. They are asking you to make a donation so they can refurbish the well-used youth center and make it look new again.

I am Jewish and my Jewish identity is key to who I am.  It is key to what my nation is and it is key to the existence of Israel.  We will not apologize for being.  We will not apologize for defending ourselves.  We will never tire of the attempts to seek peace with our neighbors but in so doing we will never deny who we are.  I am Jewish and I am proud of it. And if there are those who hate me because I am Jewish, so be it.  I will not apologize for who I am.