The Duty and Joy of Service

Ages ago, when man lived mainly off agriculture and cattle-breeding, and slavery was legitimate, a religious teacher told his followers: “Suppose one of you has a slave plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the slave when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? Won’t […]

Freedom in Service

Someone told me recently that if you don’t know what to do next in life, find somewhere to serve. We are always called to serve God, to “work out our salvation with fear and trembling,” and to love our neighbor. And inevitably, we will be blessed in extraordinary abundance by he who called us to […]

Study Program

In cooperation with MF Norwegian School of Theology in Oslo, in March 2015 the Caspari Center in Jerusalem organized an academically accredited theological course for eighteen master’s of theology students and three professors from MF. With approximately 1,150 students, MF is the largest theological education institution in Norway and one of the largest in the […]

Unity in the “Sound Of Silence”

I had the privilege of taking part in the fourth BridgeBuilders reconciliation conference this last Passover. The conference took place in the Wadi-Rum desert in Jordan. Twenty-seven young adults from Israel, the Palestinian territories, and Norway participated in the conference. This was part two of the conference; the first part was held in Norway, in […]

Conflict Resolution 101

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 […]

Trusting in God – Being a Mother in Israel

“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? […]

Stay Rooted and Be Grafted

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 […]

Tu BiShvat with No Tree Planting

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 […]

“Are you pleased, Dad?”

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 […]

Table Fellowship

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 […]