JEWISH VOICE BLOG

July 11, 2014

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a press conference July 11, 2014 about Operation Protective Edge Sirens continued to scream warnings throughout the day today in Israel. It’s just before 9:00 p.m. on Friday evening there—the beginning of the Sabbath. As of nightfall Thursday night, over 350 rockets had been fired at Israel, with about 90 of them intercepted by the “Iron Dome.” Israel had conducted almost 900 airstrikes in Gaza. The origin of the Israeli-Palestinian problem ...

July 10, 2014

Israelis in Tel Aviv look at a car damaged as a result of a long range missile fired from Gaza. Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system intercepted it and prevented more devastating consequences. According to Israel Defense Force (IDF) communications, there are approximately 10,000 rockets owned by terror groups in the tiny Gaza Strip. Of those 10,000, Hamas has approximately 6,000 rockets in their arsenal. Almost the entire nation of Israel is threatened by the various ranged missiles aime...

July 10, 2014

Israel Time: 9pm Thursday - US Pacific Time: 11am Thursday - Eastern Time: 2pm Thursday Sirens blare in Israel’s southern cities as Hamas continues its rocket barrage from Gaza. Missiles have been fired at Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Israeli Defense Force’s (IDF’s) anti-rocket system “Iron Dome” shot down a number of them over the Holy City. It is the first time rockets from Gaza have traveled that far into Israel. “Sirens, interceptions, and the rising Palestinian death toll from IDF strikes ...

July 10, 2014

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Messiah . . . – Colossians 4:2-3a UKRAINE: Early this year, with much excitement, we announced our 2014 “Hear O’ Israel!” Festival of Jewish Music & Dance location as Ukraine. Within weeks the situation there had escalated to a boiling point. In the months and weeks since then, we have monitored the situation closely, and ...

July 09, 2014

Here at Jewish Voice Ministries we’re encouraging all of our partners and friends to join us in praying for the people of Israel as the situation there becomes increasingly volatile and dangerous. Tensions between the Israeli people and Hamas, a terrorist organization, were already at the breaking point following the kidnapping and murder or three West Bank Yeshiva students by individuals tied to Hamas. This tragedy was followed by the news that a young Palestinian man had been murdered by a ...

July 08, 2014

We are so excited about our upcoming Hear O’ Israel! Festival of Jewish Music & Dance in Ukraine! This event and its timing, have the potential for a powerful impact on the nation of Ukraine. There are a number of things that make this event so significant: • This year marks 20 years since Jonathan Bernis held his first Festival outreach, and it was in Ukraine. Our return there is a remarkable way to celebrate all that God has done through these Festivals over the past two decades. It ...

July 08, 2014

The situation in Israel and Gaza is getting more volatile by the moment. Hamas has fired 130 rockets into Israel since midnight. Israel has called up 40,000 troops for a possible ground attack on Gaza in what it is calling “Operation Protective Edge.” Exponential violence between Israel and Gaza Israel responds to Hamas rockets from Gaza with an airstrike on Gaza City in rapid escalation of violence between Israel and Gaza. AP Images, July 8, 2014 Recent days have seen an extreme escal...

July 03, 2014

Last Tuesday was a national Day of Mourning in Israel as grief and anger gripped the nation over the discovery of the bodies of the three young Yeshiva students who had been kidnapped three weeks earlier. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis turned out for the boys’ funeral services. Protests also broke out across the country as many called out for a more aggressive response from the Israeli government. Speaking at the funeral of one of the young men, Finance Minister Yair Lapid said, “To bu...

July 02, 2014

Eldana is a tiny, fragile part of a “Lost Tribes” community that has been practicing distinctly Jewish customs and traditions for centuries. She faces a terrible decision. The sun has driven her to the reddish-brown mud hole at the edge of her village . . . her family’s primary water source. Eldana must decide if she is thirsty enough to dip her little plastic cup into the chalky brown liquid and drink. At three years of age, she knows the water smells bad. What she doesn’t know is th...

June 30, 2014

Our heartfelt prayers go out to the grieving families and friends of the three kidnapped Israeli teenagers whose bodies have been located today, according to the Israeli Defense Force (IDF). A spokesman for the IDF released the heartbreaking news that, after three weeks of searching, a volunteer search team has located the bodies of Naftali Fraenkel, 16, an American-born Israeli citizen, and his fellow classmates, Eyal Yifrach, also 16, and Gilad Shaar, 19, in a shallow grave in an open field ju...