Inside View Sep/Oct 2024
God designed and ordained marriage as the natural order of a man and a woman becoming one flesh. The first marriage occurred at the beginning of human history…
JEWISH CULTURE
Feasting at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb
Throughout much of the book of Revelation, the apostle John recorded the…
The Friends of Israel in Action Nov/Dec 2023
The beautiful island country of New Zealand features lush volcanic hillsides, scenic mountain passes, hospitable people…
God & Money
The popular musical Hello Dolly! had many memorable lines; but my favorite is this one: “Money,” said Dolly Levi, “pardon the expression, is like manure…
Let’s Nosh Some Hamantaschen!
A humorous quip describes most of Jewish history: “They tried to kill us. They failed. Let’s eat…”
Villainous Antiochus
The pages of history are filled with heroes and villains. Heroes protect people and fight evil, like Winston Churchill who led the people of Great Britain in…
Shalom! Welcome to First Friday!
On the first Friday of every month, something unusual takes place in Richmond, Virginia. It’s a Shabbat (Sabbath) service where…
The Friends of Israel in Action May/Jun 2022
Nobody has enjoyed COVID-19 lockdowns. But even when the government makes leaving home impossible, God can still take…
The Friends of Israel in Action Mar/Apr 2022
The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry (FOI) has launched an exciting new work called Encounter to expose Christians to the…
We Lost a Mensch
If you’ve ever been called a mensch, consider it a great compliment. The Yiddish word is used to describe someone of noble character…
Jewish World Update Jan/Feb 2022
The recent U.S. congressional drama about funding for Iron Dome was merely a sideshow to a proposed amendment by…
The Fascinating Hebrew Calendar
It’s easy to become confused with the dates for Jewish holidays because they are not based on the solar calendar we use…
Holiday Under the Stars
Many years ago, a pastor and I visited a friend who is a rabbi at a local synagogue. Sukkot was approaching, and Rabbi offered to…
A Letter to My Dad
Another Father’s Day is just around the corner. My dad passed away in 2008; and at age 97, my mom still misses him. Perhaps that was why she showed me…
‘Do This in Remembrance of Me’
At sundown on March 27, Jewish families the world over will gather in homes as they have for thousands of years to instill…
No Place Like Home
A bump on the head and a trip to Oz was all it took for Dorothy to realize there’s no place like home. Dorothy is the main character in L. Frank Baum’s children’s book…
‘Hava Nagila’ and the Resurrection
“I don’t talk politics, and I don’t talk religion!” Ninety-year-old Ruth stood 4 feet 10 inches tall in the doorway of her home…
Jewish World Update Sep/Oct 2020
If a large percentage of Jewish people in America are liberal and don’t support President Donald Trump, why is Trump…
Israel’s Precarious Situation
On the night of October 24, 2019, all of Israel’s television news programs led with the same foreboding report: Israel’s…
Apples of Gold Mar/Apr 2020
Most countries are against Israel. I am sure that if any other country had as many enemies as Israel does, it would not exist anymore…
A Jewish View of Christmas
“Where were you on Christmas?” The unexpected question from U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) to Elena Kagan…
Apples of Gold Nov/Dec 2019
This week we received a phone call that a friend of our family was very sick in the hospital, so my wife and I went to visit her. Visiting a hospital is different from…
The Ultra-Orthodox Dilemma
Teens in the Western World usually have the luxury of choosing to attend a college or university, join the workforce, or enter military service after graduating from high school…
A ‘Taste of Heaven’ Sabbath Song
The prophet Elijah is perhaps the most beloved prophet in the Bible. He is the forerunner of the Messiah and the…
The Great Divide
Why should Israelis and American Jews see eye to eye? Americans and Israelis are not alike. They have different concerns, interests, lifestyles, and even a different calendar…
Zvi Nov/Dec 2003
As it is written in Ecclesiastes 11:1, “Cast thy bread upon the waters; for thou shalt find it after many days.” So it has been with me. Before I was married, I worked in a joinery…
Workmen’s Circle
The children of Israel provided an interesting name for the heavenly bread sent to them from the Lord. They called it manna, which means “What is it?” (Ex. 16:15). The same question is asked today…
Baruch Ha Shem
Elohim appears more than 2,500 times in the Old Testament. It is powerful, plural, and used by two divine personalities.
Play Ball!
Sports radio, a relative newcomer in the arena known as talk radio, is a result of the mutual admiration between professional athletes and the fans who watch them. The last names of the people who produce…
Jewish Music: Capturing the Heart of a People Conclusion
In Old Testament days, Jewish worship revolved first around the Tabernacle and later the Temple. Crucial to that worship was music, particularly the skill and purpose of its presentation. In accordance with 2 Chronicles…
Jewish Music: Capturing the Heart of a People Part One
As an art form, music is multifunctional. It can tell stories, teach, record great events, inspire people to action, vent human emotion, or just be enjoyed. Stated simply, music…
Blessings on Your Head
At the beginning of the movie Fiddler on the Roof, Jewish people in the little Russian village of Anatevka ask their rabbi if there is a special blessing for the czar. The czar ruled…
A Day for Remembering Yom Hashoah
Some of the most disturbing words in all of Scripture are found in the book of Esther: There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom…
Pondering the Question of Evil
Why is there so much evil in the world? That question has challenged philosophers and scholars since time began. Spend just 30 minutes watching the national news—with its usual display of wars, man’s injustice…
When You’re Dead, You’re Dead!
A number of years ago, I attended the funeral of a dear Jewish friend named Max. I had met him through mutual friends shortly after his right side had become crippled by a stroke.
Camping Out Under the Stars
So you don’t like camping? You may change your mind after you get a glimpse of life in today’s sukkot.
Tabernacles in the Millennium
A day is coming when people of all nations will go up to Jerusalem for the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles—and woe to them if they don’t go!
A Look at the Fall Festivals
Rosh Hashanah marks both the beginning of the Jewish high holidays and the civil year on the Jewish calendar. It’s a good time to wish your Jewish friends leshana tova (happy New Year)…
So, What Exactly is That?
Meeting new people is a regular part of my job. Usually it takes just a short time before I find myself asking the inevitable question, “What do you do?” Sometimes (not often, I hope)…
Israel in the News Sep/Oct 2001
According to an Internet report on Yahoo!® News, the poll was conducted by the Palestine Center for Public Opinion from May 24 through 26 and showed 76 percent of respondents favored “operations like the May…
Zvi Sep/Oct 2001
Almost every Jewish home here has a mezuzah nailed to the right doorpost of the front door. A mezuzah is a small receptacle that contains a piece of parchment on which is written Deuteronomy 6:4–9.
Chosen? for What?
Were you ever the first one onto the baseball diamond but the last to be chosen for a team? Or worse, maybe you were never chosen at all? Maybe, though, you were the best player…
Aliyah for the People of the Book
The People of the Book.” Whom do you think of when you hear that phrase, which so clearly distinguishes a specific people? Which people and what book? The people are the Chosen People, the Israelites…
Organized for Service
In 1843 twelve Jewish men, each one an immigrant, met on the Lower East Side of New York City. Their purpose was to form an organization to help their own people in need—a type of
Zvi Jan/Feb 2001
We have a saying in Israel: Curses, like chickens, come home to roost. But a curse cannot rest where a blessing has been pronounced. Many rabbis today are making new laws, and they claim these…
Lost Hope Reclaimed
Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost; we are cut off on our part…
The First Line of Defense
Once a year an Orthodox community in Israel assembles to honor the boys from fatherless families who are ready for bar mitzvah. The fathers of these boys all lost their lives in service to their…
From Badge to Banner
Vexillology. Most people have never heard the term; but according to World Book Encyclopedia, it is the study of the history and symbolism of flags. Its root can be traced to the Latin word for…
God’s Heart for Israel Romans 9-11
God chose Israel thousands of years ago. Has He stuck with her? This article examines Romans 9, 10, and 11 in light of the sovereignty of God.
The Man Who Brought Hebrew Back to the Land
For its first issue of the year 2000, The Jerusalem Report, a prominent international Jewish magazine, published the results of a poll in which it asked its readers to choose the one hundred greatest Jews…
Jewish Humor
The obstetrician wanted to be sure. His patient had told him the date she expected her baby to be born. Taking into account her age, size, and weight gain…
The Talmud
“No! No! No!” the grandmother screamed as the six-year-old boy placed the clean spoon into the drawer of clean utensils. “That spoon goes with the milchig [dairy].” The youngster should have known;
Jesus’ Ministry in His Hometown: Luke 4:16–30
I was scared stiff at the prospect of preaching in my hometown! A few years earlier, I had come to the Lord in a church in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
But I Say Unto You: Matthew 5:21–48
Swimming pools become graveyards for many young children each summer. To prevent these needless tragedies, some municipalities require fences around pool perimeters. Some pool owners take the additional safety measure of installing another barrier on…
Are There Horns Under That Hat?
Several years ago there was a TV series called Little House on the Prairie. One of the show’s characters, a youngster named Albert, became friendly with an elderly Jewish man.
Tenach, Torah, & Targum
The Torah is the foundation stone for the Jewish people. Inspired by God and written by Moses, it has been central to Jewish life since its inception.
Food For Thought
Food, with its various tastes, smells, textures, and visual appeal, is a powerful trigger in the process of remembering. Whether it is in the preparation, serving, or eating, certain foods seem to prompt many people…
Fussy Fressers
Food is an integral part of Jewish life. One man explained it this way: “For our people, food is more than a necessity of life; it is an emotional experience.”
A Special Diet
Food, glorious food! We need it to survive. We eat it to celebrate almost any occasion. We offer it in hospitality or comfort. Socially, food somehow helps to build bridges for easier and better communication…
Dressed for Worship Part Two
As Tevya, the milkman in Sholem Aleichem’s story Fiddler on the Roof, considered various practices unique to his Judaism, he turned to the audience and asked, “Why do we do the things we do?”…
Dressed for Worship Part One: The Tallit
Who hasn’t had it happen—a missed appointment, that lack of association between a name and a face, the forgotten anniversary or birthday? Forgetfulness is a plague that knows no prejudice.
Death and Mourning
Chai is the Hebrew word for life. Jewish people frequently wear gold charms depicting this Hebrew character on chains around their necks, emphasizing the fact that life is Judaism’s most precious and cherished commodity.
Shabbat
Holidays are commemorative days used by most people to participate in recreational activities, to travel, or just to relax. Conversely, holy days are special days set aside for worship.
A Little Sanctuary Ezekiel 11:16
As a youngster growing up, I can remember two synagogues in our neighborhood. Sitting high on a hill was an imposing, three-story brick building with beautiful white stone pillars in the front.
The Jewish Wedding
Marriage is regarded as one of the most important and significant decisions in the lives of Jewish people. The Torah (the five books of Moses) clearly states that God made “an help fit” for Adam…
Bar Mitzvah
On Saturday morning, June 11, 1966, I walked from the stage of the synagogue to the platform (bema) where the Torah lay open. Following in the tradition of my father and grandfather…
Brit Milah
The birth of a boy into a Jewish family is cause for great joy and celebration (simcha). On the eighth day after his birth, a ceremony takes place that unites him with all other Jewish…
Ruth and Boaz: The Story of the Kinsman-Redeemer
The Jewish community has always looked upon marriage as a sacred and divine institution. It is viewed as a holy covenant between a man and a woman, a necessity for the divine plan to propagate…
God’s Law for Redeeming the Land
One cannot understand fully the story of Ruth and the role of Boaz as the kinsman-redeemer apart from a knowledge of God’s program of land redemption for Israel and the responsibilities of the kinsman-redeemer.
Zvi Feb/Mar 1993
For many years, the people of Israel have been singing about the time of the Messiah’s coming. Of course, we who believe in Christ according to the Scriptures know that He has already come…
Purim: No Minor Festival
An old Yiddish saying translated into English, says, “As a high temperature does not denote serious illness, neither is Purim a festival.” Its meaning reflects the impression among some that the Feast of Purim…
Passover
Praised be Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with Thy commandments, and enjoined upon us the mitzvah of kindling the Festival lights …
Be Ye Holy: The Feast of Unleavened Bread
Of all the feasts of Israel, none exemplifies the holy standard of living to which God calls us more than the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Instituted by God and given to the nation of Israel…
Shavuot: The Feast of Weeks
All of the festivals of Israel give great insight into the New Testament. Shavuot, or Pentecost, as most Christians know it, is no exception. Understanding the background and practice of this festival gives rich insight…
After a Half Century
On May 2, 1922—half a century ago—an 18-year old Jewish lad made his confession of faith in Jesus as Messiah and Savior in a small chapel in Warsaw, Poland, in the presence of an assembly…
Different Jews
These headlines pose quite a contrast. It is important to note that these two groups are the extremes statistically. Only a small percentage of Jews hold either view.* But they do reflect just how difficult…
Judaism in Crisis
“American Jewry is in the midst of a spiritual holocaust, one it has unleashed upon itself,” says syndicated columnist Sheldon Engelmayer. Engelmayer’s sentiment is being echoed by the Jewish religious community on many fronts these days.
The American Jew: Stranger in Our Midst
The 19th century witnessed thousands of European Jews pouring through Ellis Island to their new home in America. They were greeted by words penned by a Jewess, Emma Lazarus, and mounted in bronze…
The Jews: Diversity With a Common Loyalty
The history of a people is like a river that flows between two banks. Even when it twists and winds through different lands, it is still the same river.
Yom Haatzmaut
The time was 4:00 p.m. The date was Friday, May 14, 1948. A black sedan pulled up to the front of the Tel Aviv Museum. Out of the back seat emerged a short, white-haired man…
Joel of Jerusalem Dec/Jan 1990/1991
We are quickly approaching the Feast of Hanukkah, or, as we call it, the Festival of Lights. The celebration is always the same, year in and year out. People recite the same words…
The Shema: How Much of Me Does God Own?
Hear, O Israel: The Lᴏʀᴅ our God is one Lᴏʀᴅ: And thou shalt love the Lᴏʀᴅ thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
The Majesty of Herod’s Temple
The Temple of Jesus’ time was built by Herod the Great. Appointed by the Romans, Herod was king of Judea from 37 to 4 B.C. He had the dubious reputation of being the most unpopular…
Joel of Jerusalem Jun/Jul 1990
The Lord Jesus said, “when they bring you unto the synagogues, … be not anxious how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say; For the Holy Spirit shall teach you in…
The Light Shines Brighter Still
Most people in the world don’t know much about Hanukkah—they should. All most of us see in it are those quaint eight-branched candelabra which adorn the outside of synagogues or are seen in public displays…
I Have a Jewish Friend
Hi my name is Amy, and I believe that Jesus died for my sins and rose again. That makes me a Christian. I know I’ll go to Heaven when I die.
A Debt to Pay
Question 20 people on the street about why America has risen to become a land of such power and plenty, and you are likely to hear 20 different answers.
The Visit of the Boy Jesus to Jerusalem
The raving maniac died! The various loathsome diseases which inflicted Herod the Great had claimed his impious life. Archlaus, his eldest son, had received the subordinate title of Ethnarch, and his jurisdiction was over Judea…
Another Look at the Pharisees
A third-century rabbi, reflecting on the past history of his people, remarked, “Israel went into exile only after it became divided into twenty-four sects.”
Josephus
As the Bible reader moves from Malachi to Matthew, he encounters many new ideas, movements, and institutions never mentioned in the Old Testament. In the Gospels, for example, he reads about synagogues, Pharisees, Sadducees, Zealots…
Joel of Jerusalem Dec/Jan 1988/1989
There are some people in this world who will never be reached for the Lord through a verbal witness only. These people want to see action. They want us to put hands and feet to our words.
Joel of Jerusalem Oct/Nov 1988
When I was employed as a construction worker, I had many Arab friends, and they often came to my home to visit. Since the recent problems in Israel have developed, however, they don’t come to see me anymore.
Joel of Jerusalem Jun/Jul 1988
In 1 Thessalonians 5:13 the Lord admonishes us to be at peace among ourselves. However, some people who appear to be nice and peace loving are only trying to impress others with their lofty character.
Joel of Jerusalem Mar/May 1988
As we know, a small match can cause very great destruction. And so it is with the tongue, which is one of the smallest parts of the human body but also one of the strongest and most dangerous parts.
Joel of Jerusalem Dec/Jan 1987/1988
In the days preceding Christmas, many people in Israel ask believers, “How can God have a birthday?” The concept of the birth of Jesus is very hard for the Jewish people to accept.
Joel of Jerusalem Oct/Nov 1987
As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we must be “diligent in season,out of season” (2 Tim. 4:1) and “be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh [us] a reason of the hope that is in [us], with meekness and fear” (1 Pet. 3:15).
Joel of Jerusalem Aug/Sep 1987
Since my recent heart attack, I have been advised by my doctors to give up my employment as a carpenter and go on permanent disability. Of course, no one wants to become inactive, but I pray this will not be the case with me.
Joel of Jerusalem Apr/May 1987
What a wonderful feeling it is to be one of the Chosen People of God and to live in the Promised Land which He has given to us as His people.
The Grace of God In The Life Of A Twice-Born Jewess
What a privilege to share what God has done in my life! The oldest of three children, I was reared in a Jewish home by good, loving parents. Although we rarely attended synagogue, we celebrated the holidays.
Joel of Jerusalem Feb/Mar 1987
I was recently walking along the street in the old city of Jerusalem, and I saw two young orthodox Jewish students carrying what appeared to be a very heavy package.