The Bridge

Yael Speaks at Girls' School Graduation

ccourtney — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:46:38 +0000

Yael Eckstein recently spoke at the graduation ceremony of 29 students at Fellowship-supported Beit Ulpana, a boarding school for 118 high school girls from the former Soviet Union.

The girls who attend Beit Ulpana come to Israel without parents, so the facility is both their school and their home.

The girls receive a good education, which culminates in their passing the university matriculation exams. They also receive a comprehensive Jewish education, including lessons about Jewish history, tradition, and love for the land of Israel.

Helping a Single Mother Care for Her Family

ccourtney — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:24:58 +0000

Sasha came to Israel from the Ukraine. Her husband passed away two years before she made aliyah (immigrated to Israel), leaving Sasha to care for their two daughters.

Though Sasha is grateful for her new home in the Holy Land, the transition hasn’t been easy. She has had to learn a new language, find work, and raise two children on her own. She and her girls live in a run-down one-bedroom apartment in a public housing building.

Israeli Professors in Slippers

ccourtney — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:31:56 +0000

Check out the creative ways Israel celebrated National Science Day earlier this week:

Monday Devotional: A Ticket to Heaven

ccourtney — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:41:48 +0000

“Now Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites, and Moab was terrified because there were so many people. Indeed, Moab was filled with dread because of the Israelites.” —Numbers 22:2–3

Honoring Our Fathers -- Both Earthly and Heavenly

ccourtney — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 21:43:53 +0000

This Sunday, people in the U.S. and other countries throughout the world will observe Father's Day. On this day, I again recognize how fortunate I am to live in Israel near my 93-year-old father and my wonderful mother, who made aliyah(immigrated to Israel) two years ago. I'm also the proud father of three grown daughters, and grandfather to five amazing grandchildren. I am truly blessed.

The Fellowship Launches Summer Camps for Underprivileged Kids

ccourtney — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:47:37 +0000

The Jerusalem Post recently ran an article on The Fellowship’s newest venture:

The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews announced this week that it will establish summer camps in 50 different communities across the country for children from low-income families to enjoy this summer.
The Fellowship, which works to strengthen Israel's society through philanthropic ventures, will be spending some NIS 16 million [nearly $4.5 million] for the project which is expected to serve some 13,000 children.

Getting a Gas Mask for My One-Year-Old Daughter

ccourtney — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 19:46:39 +0000

Living in Israel has afforded me countless privileges, such as being able to visit Jerusalem and other holy sites as well as hearing my kids speak Hebrew, just as our ancestors did some 2,000 years ago.

So when I walked out of an elementary school gymnasium earlier this week with a box containing a gas mask for my one-year-old daughter, I didn’t complain or regret my decision to live in Israel. I simply tucked the gas mask neatly into my car, and drove off with the same fortunate feelings of joy and security that I always feel when contemplating my life here in the Holy Land.

The Fellowship House Ethiopian Spiritual Center Dedication

ccourtney — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 16:24:10 +0000

Thanks to a gift from The Fellowship, the 14,000-member Ethiopian Jewish community in the city of Netanya, Israel, finally has a spiritual center they can call their own.

The Fellowship House Ethiopian Spiritual Center will serve as a bridge between traditional Ethiopian culture and modern Israeli culture.

Bedside Blessings

ccourtney — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 19:33:21 +0000

What does it mean to walk in the way of the Lord? How can we, as human beings, emulate the ways of God? One of the simplest ways I have found is by reflecting His beautiful characteristics. Just as God is merciful, so too we are commanded to be merciful. Just as God is kind, so too we are commanded to act with kindness. And when we review the course of any day, we find many opportunities laid out for us in which we have a choice to be merciful to others or not, to treat others with compassion and kindness or not.

Israeli Invention Helps the Blind to "See"

ccourtney — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 17:46:51 +0000

As Israeli company has developed a “seeing aid,” a small device attached to a pair of glasses that helps visually impaired people “see.” One reporter takes it for a test run:

Listen to the Sounds of the Old City

ccourtney — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 21:37:45 +0000

Take a listen to some of the wide range of music performed recently at the Sounds of the Old City Festival in Jerusalem.

Guardians Rescue a Young Girl from Fear

ccourtney — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 15:57:13 +0000

Looking at Lital, a lovely 14-year-old girl, you would never know what she has been through.

Lital’s mother was mentally ill. She was so obsessive about her daughter, wanting Lital beside her all the time, that she forced the girl to stop going to school after the first grade. Sometimes Lital’s mother would lock her and her brother, Oren, in the house to keep them close. The children feared their mother and would hide in closets, in showers, and under beds to avoid her.

Jerusalem Festival of Light Dazzles

ccourtney — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 19:09:15 +0000

The fourth annual Jerusalem Festival of Light opened last week, featuring sculptures, mobiles, and light shows throughout the Holy City created with tens of thousands of lights.

Visitors to the amazing displays have enjoyed designs by people from Israel, Austria, Portugal, Germany, France, and Holland.

The festival ends this Thursday, but you can enjoy more photos of the beautiful displays here.

Monday Devotional: Above Reason

ccourtney — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 15:25:50 +0000

“This is a requirement of the law that the LORD has commanded: Tell the Israelites to bring you a red heifer without defect or blemish and that has never been under a yoke.” —Numbers 19:2

Take a Virtual Tour of Five Israeli Synagogue Ruins

ccourtney — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 21:40:54 +0000

Throughout Israel, ruins from 90 different synagogues have been discovered over the years – some of them well known and frequently visited, others rather obscure.

The Fellowship Dedicates New Ethiopian Spiritual Center

ccourtney — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 17:07:30 +0000

Thanks to The Fellowship and our donors, the 14,000-member Ethiopian Jewish community in the city of Netanya, Israel, finally has a spiritual center they can call their own. On behalf of this community, Rabbi Eckstein says, "Todah rabah! Thank you!"

New York Celebrates Israel

ccourtney — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 18:51:05 +0000

More than a million spectators gathered in New York City this past Sunday to line the parade route for the annual Israel Day Parade, the largest communal gathering in support of Israel in the world.

Fifth Avenue was a sea of white and blue for the Israel Day Parade.

Getting in Touch with Israel's History

ccourtney — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 18:16:13 +0000

There’s so much history in Israel, when you visit you don’t just get to see it, you might even get to dig up a piece:

Israelis Share Agricultural Expertise with Farmers in India

ccourtney — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 18:17:06 +0000

Israel has long been among the world’s leaders in agricultural technologies, growing impressive yields despite a constant lack of water and vast expanses of desert terrain.

Not satisfied with keeping these innovations to themselves, Israeli agriculturalists are often sharing their expertise with other nations facing similar challenging landscapes. The latest training is with farmers in India.

Jewish Boy’s Kidney Saves Palestinian Boy’s Life

ccourtney — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 22:08:26 +0000

For the parents of three-year-old Israeli boy Noam Naor, it was a terrible nightmare. After falling from the window of their fourth-floor apartment, Noam was rushed to the hospital and soon declared brain dead.

But in their grief, they made a decision that brought a dream come true to the parents of ten-year-old Palestinian boy Yakoub Ibhisad.

From Ailing and Alone to Loving Care

ccourtney — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 16:45:43 +0000

Zinovi, an elderly Jewish man living in Russia, is alone. His wife died several years ago and his son, Mark, moved to Germany with his family.

One day when Zinovi was making some roof repairs, he fell off a ladder. The result of the fall was multiple fractures of the hand, one rather serious. While Zinovi was in the hospital for his hand, doctors discovered he also had a heart condition. Soon after, he suffered a heart attack.

Korean Women's Choir Performs "Shalom Aleichem"

ccourtney — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 19:59:54 +0000

During his recent trip to South Korea, Rabbi Eckstein heard the Ein Gedi Women's Choir perform several songs, including "Shalom Aleichem" (which means "Peace Be Upon You") at Seoul Theological University. Take a listen:

Monday Devotional: Unforgettable

ccourtney — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 14:36:02 +0000

“Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and certain Reubenites – Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab,and On son of Peleth – became insolent.’” —Numbers 16:1

The Fellowship Breaks Ground on New Trauma Center

ccourtney — Fri, 31 May 2013 19:01:49 +0000

On May 20, Rabbi Eckstein and Yael Eckstein attended a cornerstone-laying ceremony for a Fellowship-funded trauma center in Eshkol, a rural region in southern Israel frequently targeted by terrorists’ rockets.

Happy 65th Birthday to the IDF!

ccourtney — Fri, 31 May 2013 17:28:02 +0000

Sixty-five years ago today, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) was formed to protect the then-two-week-old Jewish state.

United in Shalom, Peace

ccourtney — Fri, 31 May 2013 17:04:05 +0000

Dear Friend of Israel,

When I founded The Fellowship 30 years ago, our bridge-building efforts focused on Christians and Jews in America. Nonetheless, I have always believed – and continue to believe – that The Fellowship’s message is global. We have a role to play wherever there are Christians longing to learn more about the Jewish roots of their faith and Christians and Jews seeking to work together to support Israel.

Israelis Develop Earthquake-Proof Table

ccourtney — Thu, 30 May 2013 21:03:27 +0000

Not only is the Israeli-developed earthquake-proof table a lifesaving invention, it’s now part of the permanent collection at the department of architecture and design at New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

Israel Sets Healthier Standard for Fashion Industry

ccourtney — Thu, 30 May 2013 16:15:08 +0000

Israel recently made a stir when lawmakers passed a law banning the use of underweight models in advertising, the first ever legislation of its kind.

Israel’s new legislation is the first time a government has made it illegal to show half-starved models in commercials. According to the “PhotoShop Law,” advertising agencies also must disclose whether they’ve digitally altered pictures to make models look thinner.

Ask Yael: How Do You Keep the Sabbath?

ccourtney — Wed, 29 May 2013 19:59:54 +0000

In this month's Ask Yael video, Yael answers Marie's question: "What do you do on your Sabbath day? Is it OK to heat up food and do other household activities?" Check out Yael's response:

Fellowship Vehicle Sweetens Life of IDF Soldiers

ccourtney — Wed, 29 May 2013 17:14:49 +0000

In response to the needs of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers performing reserve duty far from home for weeks at a time, The Fellowship provided funds for the IDF’s first mobile welfare center.

This vehicle travels throughout southern Israel and provides soldiers with drinks, snacks, and a television, as well as telephone and internet connections. More importantly, it provides them with the strength of knowing that they’re not alone, thus enabling them to continue with their task of protecting Israel and the Jewish people.