Congregation Shema Yisrael

News Articles

 | 

Sometimes an article published by a news agency has a particular impact on communities of faith or at least they have some special interest to us. For that reason, I decided to create a page to collect links to those articles. These agencies have no affiliation with our congregation and their views do not necessarily represent our views. These items are presented here for information only.

Israel's Olmert says peace deal closer than ever

July 13, 2008, By AMY TEIBEL, Associated Press Writer
This is a fine example of slanted journalism and an indication that Olmert is not up on his Torah. For example, take this quote, "Embattled Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert declared Sunday that Israel and the Palestinians have never been closer to making peace...even as a widening corruption probe brings him closer than ever to being ousted from office". On the one hand, Olmert is preaching peace while on the other hand, he is under suspicion (which doesn't mean he did it, of course) of corruption. Is this person credible? Also, at one point in the article, the writer states, "Israel has continued its contentious construction of homes on lands the Palestinians want for a future state...", while shortly later saying, "Israel, meanwhile, says Abbas hasn't done enough to curb militants bent on attacking Israel...". The first quote seems to indicate a "fact"; that Israel has continued "contentious" construction, while the second quote seems to indicate that it's only Israel's opinion or belief that the (so called) Palestinians haven't done enough to curb militants (terrorists). At least the media seems to stand against Israel. The full story can be found at Yahoo! News. I've also provided a print-friendly view.

Snake-handling pastor arrested

July 13, 2008, FRANKFORT, Kentucky (AP)
This is part of what happens when a faith community or religious leader takes one piece of scripture out of context, and builds an entire theology around it. while the church in question is called the "Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus Name", the "full" part doesn't seem to apply. I found the story at CNN News and am providing a print-friendly version of the article.

Missles and the Messiah Making News by Joel Rosenberg, best selling author and founder of the Joshua Fund, Thursday, July 10, 2008. The part of this blog that interested me the most was information that Israeli Professor Israel Knohl of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem discovered in his studies of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Up to this point, Jewish scholars traditionally believed that the death and rising of the Messiah three days later, was a Christian invention, with no basis in the Tanakh (Old Testament) or other ancient Jewish writings. Professor Knohl has presented evidence in what he calls "The Gabriel Revelation", that indeed, Messianic prophesy now significantly connects ancient prophesy and the death and resurrection of Jesus (Yeshua). Here's a print-friendly version.

Muslims more numerous than Catholics, By ALESSANDRA RIZZO, Associated Press Writer. March 30, 2008. Sometimes, we as Messianic believers, are judged because our congregation or our movement isn't as large as some think it should be. Now, we who believe in the G-d of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, know from this article, that size does not make "right". Here's a print-friendly view.

Christians Wrong About Heaven, an interview with N.T. "Tom" Wright, Bishop of Durham, Church of England by David Van Biema for TIME Magazine, February 7, 2008

Report: Plot to kill Israeli PM foiled

October 21, 2007, Jerusalem, Israel.
In an October 15th news article, United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that now it the time for a "Palestinian State" within the borders of Israel. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has been championed at Israel's latest "peace partner" in these efforts, despite the fact that each and every prior Palestinian "peace partner" has turned out to have only one agenda: the destruction of Israel. Now would-be assassins, all from Abbas' Fatah Party have been found to been involved in a plot to murder Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert during a recent visit to the West Bank city of Jericho. I am providing a print-friendly version of the original CNN News Article.

An Open Letter to U.S. President George W. Bush from Ruth Matar, Women in Green

October 18, 2007, Jerusalem, Israel.
I've long been an admirer of Ruth Matar and the Women in Green organization. To quote from their website: "Women for Israel's Tomorrow (Women in Green) is a rapidly growing grassroots women's movement -- grandmothers, mothers, wives, and daughters; housewives and professionals; secular and religious -- all bound together by a shared love, devotion and concern for Israel. We are not affiliated with, nor do we support, any particular political party". Ms. Matar writes a very compassionate and informed letter to President Bush on why it is ill advised and dangerous to support the establishment of a "Palestinian State" within the borders of the Land of Israel. I highly recommend reading this letter which I've reproduced from an email I received into a print-friendly version for anyone to review.

Rice: Now is time for Palestinian state

October 15, 2007, Ramallah, West Bank.
There have been "outcries" for a "Palestinian state" for years and always without the understanding that the Land of Israel, as is the entire earth, is owned by the Almighty and that the Almighty has given the Land of Israel to the Jewish people as an eternal heritage. This news story is just the latest threat against the Land and against the Almighty's chosen people. Sadly, it places the United States in a very dangerous position relative to the Almighty's promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:3, "I will bless those who bless you, and him who curses you I will curse; and all the families of the earth shall bless themselves by you". The original story can be found at Yahoo.com and I've provided a print-friendly version as well.

Fundamentally Freund: No way to treat our Christian friends

September 18, 2007, Michael Freund, THE JERUSALEM POST.
Michael Freund writes a thought provoking article on Christian support of the Land of Israel and the Jewish people and how that support would be accepted graciously by Jews anywhere in the world...except in Israel. This is not a condemnation of Israel at all but an observation of how Israelis react to the perceived "threat" of Gentile believers visiting the land during the most Holy time of the year, written by an Israeli Jew. I've provided a print-friendly version of this article for all who are interested.

Interfaith marriages are their business

September 12, 2007. Many of the articles I cull from the mainstream news have interesting and even sometimes heartwarming themes. This one can present as disturbing depending on how you look at it. Sometime ago, I published an article on the congregation's website titled "Who is a Rabbi?". My focus was to compare the background, credentials, and qualifications of those in the Messianic movement who call themselves "Rabbis" to Rabbis who were educated in mainstream Jewish Yeshivas. The Interfaith article exposes a different side to "alternative Rabbis" and their motivations. CNN News hosts this story but you can also get a print-friendly copy.

Holocaust survivors reunite with vet

September 14, 2007. In April of 1945, a 24 year old U.S. Army tank commander named Carrol "Red" Walsh and his patrol came across a train stopped along a hillside during the U.S. Army's dash across northern Germany in the final, chaotic days of World War II. What they found were 2,500 emaciated and ragged Jewish prisoners from the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in a collection of abandoned freight cars. On Friday, the now 86 year old Walsh reunited with the of the Holocaust survivors he met that day in April. Read the story of this reunion that has its roots in a class project launched by Matthew Rozell, a history teacher at Hudson Falls High School. The story is carried by Yahoo.com but you can also read a print-friendly copy.

Christians, Jews in Holy Land alliance

August 20, 2007. This is a fabulous story about an Orthodox Jewish woman who raises money for the support of Jewish settlements in Israel from evangelical Christians. It's an odd partnership but a good one. The article highlights the First Assembly Church of God congregation of Pastor Gary Christofaro in Melbourne, Florida. Find out more about this important connection between Christianity and Israel, Christian Zionists, and a congregation so connected to their Jewish roots that "on Friday nights they observe the Jewish Sabbath with Hebrew prayers" You can find the story at CNN.com but I'm also supplying a print-friendly copy.

Fossils challenge old evoluton theory

August 8, 2007. The secular news is actually publishing a story that brings into question some of the beliefs of evolutionary theorists. As believers, we understand that it was the Almighty that created all life including human life and that we did not evolve into our present state from lower forms of life. I'm posting this article here for the general edification of anyone who is interested. Fossils challenge old evoluton theory. I'm also supplying a print-friendly copy.

Back to the Main Articles page