Jonathan Feldstein

I was nauseated three times today. Early Tuesday morning I received news—like the rest of Israel—within minutes of a particularly gruesome and bloody terror attack. In the early morning hours at a small synagogue in a western Jerusalem neighborhood of Har Nof (Mountain View), during morning worship, some 25 men were attacked by two Palestinian …

‘It’s Horrific and Inhuman’ Read More »

This week, I had the special privilege of hosting Bridges for Peace to dedicate the first of two ambulances donated to Israel this year. The ambulance was so new that it even had the “new ambulance smell.” It will join the fleet of more than 1,000 ambulances responding to nearly 700,000 calls annually across the …

Ministry Builds Bridges for Peace in Israel Read More »

My friend, Rabbi Yehuda Glick, was shot in Jerusalem recently. This attempted murder was shocking on two levels. First, personal violence and gun-related crimes that are far too common in much of the U.S. are relatively rare in Israel. That alone makes it headline news. Additionally, the attack was shocking in that it took place …

Attempted Murder Over the Right to Pray? Read More »

Many are familiar with the saying, “If you give a person a fish you feed him for a day, but if you teach a person to fish you feed him for life.” How about an onion? It’s not clear where the original saying came from, but the principle is still valid and important. In Judaism, …

Jonathan Feldstein: Ugandans, Fish and Onions Read More »

Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles, ends in Israel this week. Living in Israel, celebrating the biblically ordained festivals, ties us deeply to the Land in a way that’s unique and special. Sukkot officially marks the transition from the hot and dry summer months to the cold and rainy fall and winter months. Since Israel is …

Israel’s Lifelines: Blood, Water, Oil and Wine Read More »

Many will surely recognize the adaptation of Shakespeare’s famous quote from Hamlet: “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” If Shakespeare were writing Hamlet today, he might very well have written that about Sweden rather than Denmark. Separated in distance by more miles of water than lies between much of Israel’s pre-1967 armistice line …

‘Something Is Rotten in the State of Sweden’ Read More »

Some months ago, I wrote about the blood moon phenomena as my friend, Pastor Mark Biltz, who discovered the connection to the overlaying of current events with the Jewish calendar, and how, during years when there were successive “super moons,” great or tragic things happen to the Jewish people and the land and people of …

Jewish New Year Brings a Shemitah, Blood Moons and Unsure Future Read More »

With the most awesome and introspective season on the Jewish calendar upon us, it’s very hard not to see God’s hand in recent events and His protecting Israel, even in the wake of the recent war. As we beseech Him for a year of health and happiness for us and for our loved ones, we …

Despite Constant Threat of War, Blessing Remains on Israel Read More »

We all know the scripture of Genesis 12:3, “I will bless those who bless you, I will curse those who curse you.” But sometimes we forget that the scripture continues, “The nations of the world will be blessed through you.” We all want to be one with God’s heart, and blessing Israel is one of …

Simple Biblical Formula: Bless Israel and Be Blessed Read More »

After more than seven weeks of rocket fire at Israel, as of this writing, it seems that the latest ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is holding. After several previous ceasefires—all accepted by Israel but all broken by Hamas—there’s a sense that this one may hold for a while. Of course, that could change at any …

Chances for a Palestinian State Hijacked by Hamas Read More »

In case you’ve been on vacation, or missing news from Israel that’s been supplanted by news from Missouri or ISIS in Iraq, things in Israel are still pretty tenuous. There’s a new cease-fire in place that is largely based on the same terms offered over a month ago. Israel said yes then, and, recently, said …

‘There’s a Feeling This Will Never End’ Read More »

With a ceasefire under way from the intense ground fighting in Gaza and dozens of rockets having been fired at Israel daily (more than 3,000 total since the fighting began) as Israel has eliminated 32 Hamas’ terrorist tunnels, many terrorist leaders, casualty numbers on both sides are horrifying. Israelis do not diminish the civilian casualties …

Jewish Blood Doesn’t Come Cheap Read More »

Since my last update, I have traveled thousands of miles, visiting and sharing personal stories with thousands of Christians who love and support Israel. It’s been very hard being so far from home, in every time zone across the U.S., especially as the war still rages. Over and over, I have been overwhelmed and overcome …

‘Living Openly as a Jew Isn’t Easy’ Read More »

While waiting to board my recent flight to the U.S., I struck up a conversation with a man on line next to me about his experiences in Israel, elated at recounting the experiences of his first trip here. He expressed regret that it took this long to get to Israel (he was probably five to …

Is Israel’s Response to Hamas Disproportionate? Read More »

This morning we woke to news of some of the results of last night’s ground incursion into Gaza by Israeli troops. I genuinely believe that had Hamas kept the quiet, Israel would not have sent in ground forces, not to put our men at risk and not to risk harming Palestinian Arabs who are being used …

Eye Witness Reports ‘Horrors’ of Explosive Gaza Ground War Read More »