As the Israel Director of Caspari Center, I have the privilege and joy of speaking regularly to Christians from the nations who come to Israel and are eager to meet Israeli Messianic Jews. Without exception, every group I meet asks questions about the Arab-Israeli conflict, and the prospects for its near resolution. This is quite […]
“Mom, how come God allows them to shoot rockets? Why doesn’t he just stop them? Mom, what would happen if a rocket hit our home? Mom, what if Ari’s dad has to go to the war? Could he die there? Can children also die? Mom, what if the siren goes off when you are outside? […]
The power of the tree as a symbol. Modern media use many symbolic images to sell computers, cars, and even medicine, despite the fact that analytical specifications would be enough for consumers. Still, other things often need to be expressed as metaphors. For example, trees have notable roles in the Bible, starting with the Tree […]
Thanks to the abundance of holidays on the Israeli calendar, I regularly find myself reflecting on the next one, always seeking some new perspective on it. Recently I noticed that I also ponder the holidays’ meaning in connection with the children’s lessons for Shabbat school. Probably all children’s teachers look at life through the prism […]
Actually, the question was, “Are you pleased with my results, Dad?” Earlier that day David had heard my compliments on his last two English tests, but he obviously needed some extra reassurance. Well, he surely got it, but his question almost made me chuckle. My 13-year-old son had no way of knowing that at the […]
At the Caspari Center, besides working hard we also share things often. The table is set at the office in many ways. Firstly, we share food. At the Caspari office we have an “international meal” once a year, just before Christmas and Hanukkah. Everyone is supposed to bring a small taste from their home country […]
“Lectures that challenged, discussion that brought light, and excursions that put flesh on the bones.” This is one participant’s impression of the “Jesus the Jew: A Light to the Nations” missiology course held by the Caspari Center in November 2014. The course focused on Jesus, the Jewish light to the nations, through the concept of […]
Chanukah, which is not mentioned in the Torah among the feasts that Israel is commanded to celebrate, is often said to be a non-biblical holiday. Therefore, the logic goes, these eight days could be considered merely joyous days for children, another vacation from school. Indeed, the memorable Chanukah-related events took place many years after the […]
The Bible was written in three languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. Hebrew and Aramaic were the languages used for the Old Testament or Tanakh, and Greek for the New Testament. But what language did Jesus speak? Did he use Aramaic, as has been claimed by most scholars, or did he speak Hebrew? The question is […]
This year we celebrated the 200th anniversary of Carl Paul Caspari after whom the Caspari Center was named. So…who was Carl Paul Caspari? Carl Paul Caspari was born into a devout Jewish family in Dassau, Germany, in 1814. His father was a merchant. Caspari received a good education first in a Jewish School and later in […]