“What is a miracle?” Growing up as a child In Israel, I asked myself this question every time I played with the dreidel during Hanukkah, the Feast of Lights. The dreidel has 4 letters in Hebrew representing the words “[A] Great Miracle Happened Here” Ness Gadol Hayah Poh.

Under a recent deal with Israel’s Defense Forces (IDF), Hamas released the first group of Israeli hostages which included: 4 children, 3 mothers, and 6 other women. The United States is hoping that American citizens will be among some of the 50 hostages set for release as part of the four-day ceasefire deal between Hamas and the IDF.

We live in a time when it is becoming increasingly popular to be hateful toward Israel or apathetic at best. Regardless of how the rest of society treats Israel, it is vitally important that we continue to align ourselves with God’s love for Israel and the Jewish people. He has inherently demonstrated through the ages that His plans and purposes for Israel are firmly established.

The National Leadership Center’s Executive Director, Eran Glazer, and his family recently experienced a God-sized miracle during this difficult time in Israel. God is answering your prayers of protection over Israel and our team in Israel.

Those that have found refuge in the God of Israel can count on Him to intervene miraculously in their lives. Have you heard the joke about how the great military generals of all time gathered to talk about their victories? One by one they stood and recounted stories of mind boggling and impressive feats.

Israel, as a nation living under constant existential threat, has developed the keen ability to accurately define its reality. The atrocities we witnessed Iran-backed Hamas commit only cement Israel’s assessment of current realities. For over a decade, they have sounded the alarm on Iranian aggression and Western appeasement.

“Good people often refuse to believe the totality of evil until evil proves them wrong. Let’s not fool ourselves, evil is here and we can’t continue to be blind to that fact.”

Everything changed when Mosab turned away from terror and violence and chose to embrace the teachings of a Jewish Rabbi- Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God. Because of these choices, Mosab was dubbed a traitor by his people, disowned by his father, and suffered an agonizing separation from his family and home.

“I hope and pray that civilized nations everywhere will back this fight, because Israel's fight is your fight. Because if Hamas and Iran’s axis of evil win – you will be their next target.” -Bibi Netanyahu

Every day, the Israel-Hamas war brings fear inducing news that turn our stomachs into a gnarled mess. Each passing day of the war brings us closer to God in desperation.

Let’s join in one accord to pray the above promises over Israel. As Israel continues to defend itself against Hamas, let not our voices be silent or our prayers be few. Our voices and engagement make a difference to Israel’s welfare.

Photo: Creator: Chris McGrath | Credit: Getty Images

When we say “Never again!”, we must commit to making it a current reality - Never again is Now!

This is the season of three Jewish holidays, marking 3 different, yet connected occasions: Rosh Hashanah (The Jewish New Year also known as the Feast of Trumpets); Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement), and Sukkot (The Feast of Tabernacles, Tents, or Booths). As soon as Yom Kippur is over, you can hear the sound of hammers in many areas of Israel, as families happily build their Sukkah. Fathers and children work together to set up the tent, where they will “live” during the seven days of the Feast.

To the casual observer, the Jewish High Holidays that we will be observing next month are a potpourri of festivals. The first holiday is Rosh Hashanah (September 16-17, 2023), the Jewish New Year. This day is observed by blowing the ram’s horn (shofar), dipping an apple in honey, and eating copiously. Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, follows eight days after Rosh Hashanah.

We will embark on a remarkable journey through the pages of history and faith, delving into the profound leadership insights from the life of Gideon in the Bible.

In the pages of history and faith, we find a treasure trove of wisdom from the life of Joshua, a remarkable leader whose journey continues to illuminate the path of leadership excellence. Like him, we aim to be a generation that understands their Biblical heritage of great faith, purpose, and leadership.