JEWISH VOICE BLOG

September 21, 2018

Sukkot (Soo-KOTE) is a seven-day feast commanded by God in Leviticus chapter 23. The Hebrew word sukkot and the word “tabernacles” both mean “booths.” So the holiday is also known as the Feast of Booths and the Feast of Tabernacles. Because Sukkot is also a harvest festival, it is sometimes called the Feast of Ingathering. Sukkot is the only moad (MO-ehd), or “appointed time,” in which God commands His people to rejoice and celebrate. Therefore, the week-long feast is also called The Season of O...

September 21, 2018

A small Bedouin settlement sprung up recently in the West Bank area of Israel. There were no permissions or permits obtained, and the structures were illegal. As prescribed by law, Israeli officials made plans to dismantle it. But then last week, the Palestinian Authority (PA) filed a claim with the International Criminal Court in The Hague regarding “Israel’s plans to raze a West Bank Bedouin village,” The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported. Once again, Israel was cast in a misleading light ...

September 20, 2018

Sukkot Joy, Day 1 Rejoicing over God’s Past Provision Sukkot (Soo-KOTE) is the only moad (MO-ed), or “appointed time,” during which God commands His people to rejoice. It may seem like an unusual instruction. Can you command joy? Isn’t it, instead, a spontaneous, involuntary response? By reading God’s instructions about Sukkot, we can understand that joy can be a choice as well as a response. Intentional rejoicing begins with choosing to contemplate things worth celebrating. Sukkot refl...

September 18, 2018

Yom Kippur (YOHM Kip-POUR) is the holiest day of the Jewish Year. It is the Day of Atonement and one of the biblically commanded Feasts of the Lord. Yom Kippur is a solemn occasion focusing on our deep need for forgiveness and covering for our sin. During the days of the tabernacle and Temples, it was the one day of the year when the high priest entered into the Holy of Holies. He came bringing the blood of sacrifices, first for his own sins and those of his family, then for all Israel. Th...

September 17, 2018

Would you find it strange if I wished you a happy New Year in September? Probably. But that greeting is fitting, because the Jewish New Year – Rosh Hashanah (literally, "head of the year") – began on September 9. It's also known as Yom Teru'ah ("day of blowing the horn") or the Feast of Trumpets, because it features the celebration of blowing traditional Jewish shofars. But there is a very serious side to the Rosh Hashanah celebrations – one that should be meaningful to all of us who be...

September 17, 2018

The Trump administration has again ratcheted up pressure on the Palestinian Authority (PA) to consider its peace plan. In the latest action, National Security Advisor John Bolton announced Monday that the U.S. will close the Palestine Liberation Office (PLO) in Washington, D.C., citing the PA’s refusal to negotiate. U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley said, during a press conference at the United Nations last week, that peace is possible only if Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will “com...

September 12, 2018

Yom Kippur is a solemn day when Jewish people reflect on their sin from the past year. They come humbly before God seeking forgiveness and His favorable “sealing” for the coming year. Messianic Jews understand that Yeshua (Jesus) is our perfect high priest who sacrificed His own blood and took it into the heavenly Holy of Holies on our behalf. With His blood, He made complete atonement for us. Here are some Scriptures to help as you worship God on Yom Kippur. May your day be filled with humil...

September 11, 2018

Scripture encourages us to make the most of every opportunity considering the times in which we live (Ephesians 5:16). In October, we are doing just that by visiting two separate areas in Ethiopia to conduct two different types of Medical Clinics, one right after the other. We will begin with an Outreach in Alamata and then travel to Jijiga for a shorter Clinic focused solely on dental and eye care. Both areas are new to us, and these will be our first Clinics there. We know that despite thes...

September 07, 2018

It is with deep sadness that we share news of the passing of Madelaine “Maddy” Lindvall, beloved member of the Jewish Voice Ministries International (JVMI) family, on September 3, 2018. Maddy was a dedicated employee of the ministry back when it was called Jewish Voice Broadcasts. She was also a personal friend of founder Louis Kaplan and his wife, Chira, as well as to JVMI CEO Jonathan Bernis. “Without Maddy, this ministry might not be here today,” Jonathan reflected upon hearing the news. “...

September 07, 2018

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week praised the Trump Administration’s decision to stop funding the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). This is a body created to aid Palestinians who left their homes after Israel became a nation in 1948. Until Friday, 30 percent – $300 million – of the agency’s funding came directly from U.S. coffers. That high price tag is, in part, because these “refugees” fall under a very liberal definition. UNRWA treats the descendants of ...