Who Is Gilad Shalit?

check out my newest video:

happy last day of Hanukkah

here's what it's really all about:

Happy 7th Day of Hanukkah

Hanukkah fun continues...

sufgan-NO!

ok, it's official. i'm sick of Hanukkah donuts. after multiple Hanukkah parties at work, with friends and on my own...I am now over, I mean so over, the 'sufganyote'. they were delicious for a while. I had every kind from 'melon and vodka' to 'dolce' de lece' to pistachio, whipped cream, strawberry, strawberry hot out of the oil, chocolate and on and on. i even did a video on how to make sufganyote (see below) but now i'm done.

tonight i took some friends visiting from Chicago out for their first sufganyote. we went to one of my favorite bakeries in all the world...Sambooki in Jerusalem. it was my favorite sufganyote last year and it wins again this year! even though it was my last, and i almost wanted to gag at the thought of eating another one...when i took that first bite, i was reminded of the genius that is Sambooki. i don't know what they do...perhaps it involves them putting some sort of narcotic in their dough. but, whatever the case...they are fantastic.

but...as we say in hebrew 'ze all. that's it, i'm done. happy hanukkah!

Happy Hanukkah (Part 2)

Happy Hanukkah!

The Newest Miracle for the Ethiopian Jews

This past Saturday I had the privilege of visiting a congregation of Messianic Ethiopian Jews. It was so awesome to see Jews, from Ethiopia, here in the promised land, worshipping Yeshua the Messiah!

Here's a video I produced about what God is up to in the Ethiopian community, here. I pray it inspires you as much as it did me:



A Message From Matt

Take 4+ minutes to watch a video from Matt Chandler. It was made just days before he went in for brain surgery. Typical of Matt, it is loving, challenging and glorifying to God.

A VIDEO MESSAGE FROM MATT CHANDLER

A New Attack on Messianic Jews in Israel

Thursday, December 03, 2009 Israel Today Staff

Messianic Jew attacked by Orthodox in northern Israel

Two Orthodox Jewish residents of the northern Israel town of Beit She'an were arrested on Wednesday a day after they are suspected of having torched the parked car of a local Messianic Jew.

Eliav Levine said his car was burned while it was parked outside the Beit She'an police station. His lawyer, Calev Myers of the Jerusalem Institute of Justice, said the entire Levine family has suffered constant harrassment from Beit She'an's religious community.

Beit She'an is home to a very large Orthodox Jewish population, but also has many Messianic residents, many of them immigrants from the former Soviet Union.

The Orthodox accuse their Messianic neighbors of what they call "missionary activity," and constantly strive to disrupt their lives in the hopes of driving out the believers in Yeshua (Jesus).

Myers said it is time for the police to step up and start protecting all Israeli Jews, regardless of their religious leanings.

While Messianic Jews in Israel have been gaining broader acceptance among average "secular" Israelis, the authorities continue to deny them certain rights and protections, apparently out of fear of the very vocal, influential and often-violent Orthodox community.

Chanukah Donuts

Sufganya is the Hebrew word for Chanukah Donut!

Chanukah is the feast of Dedication which is celebrated every December. This year it starts next Friday evening.

It last for 8 days.

At the heart of this feast is the true story the Syrians taking over the Jewish Temple, a small group of Jewish fighters that over-powered the Syrian army, re-claimed the Temple and then cleaned and re-dedicated it to the LORD.

The holy oil that was to burn constantly above the ark of the LORD, was just about out. Only a tiny bit remained.

It would be over a week until more could be brought to Jerusalem.

But, somehow, remarkably...this tiny bit of oil lasted for 8 days, until the new oil could arrive.

So, at Chanukah time, we eat foods fried in oil to remind us of that special miracle. The most popular fried food, this time of year, is the sufganya. They are special donuts...that rival a paczki which is the special donut eaten on Fat Tuesday in the U.S.

Sufganyot (the plural of sufganya) come in every possible variety you can imagine. They are round, about the size of a fist and have various fillings and toppings.

They are only made during this season (starting after Sukkot - the feast of Tabernacles and running until the end of Chanukah)

Each bakery and restaurant has their own different style of Sufganyot...so far here are my favorites this year:

1) a jelly-filled sufganya from a stand inside the Shuk ha Carmel (Carmel Market) - it was fried so well, it was crispy...and had powdered sugar on top. (eaten with my friends Sha'ul and Rivka)

2) 2 smaller sufganyot from Mazzarine cafe on Gordon Street in Tel Aviv. 1 was pistachio flavored with pistachio cream inside and ground pistachio on top. the other was sort of a yummy white chocolate inside with more white chocolate on top. (shared with my friend Sarah)

3) a carmel sufganya at 'Bagels and Coffee' on Dizengoff street. it had carmel inside and carmel on top with slivered almonds. the carmel tasted like what you find on a carmel apple. (puchased for me by my friends Ashley and Beto)

4) mini white chocolate and jelly filled sufganyot from my favorite bakery in all of tel aviv next to the Shufersal Market on Ben Yehuda Street between Mapu and Gordon. these were not nearly my favorite, which is surprising since they have the best ruggalach on the planet!

other mentions: the first sufganyot i had of the season at the gas station on Hamasger street in Tel Aviv. note, never by sufganyot at a gas station. we were just so excited to see them out, that my friends and i bought some.

2 more weeks of sufganyot left...so more to come!

UPDATE ON 12/8/09: I have a new #2 favorite so far this year, it is from 'Bakery' near HaMasger Street in Tel Aviv. Today I had an amazing sufganya with sugar on top and carmel inside. Everything they make there is great...so I'm not surprised their sufganya are so good!


(this photo taken last year enjoying a sufganya at Sambooki Bakery in Jerusalem)

Persecution in Beersheba

Here's my new video on the persecution case in Beersheba, Israel. I wrote about it in an earlier blog, but for those who don't like to read (like me) just watch:

Persecution is Real

Persecution of believers in Yeshua is real in Israel. Just watch this two part video made by a young woman from the town of Arad. The harassment that she and others face there, by the modern day Pharisees, is unreal. Please pray for them.

A Virtual Mentor

Today my heart is heavy. Just after 4am my best friend left me a voice-mail message, telling me that a man I greatly, greatly admire has developed a sudden and very serious medical condition.

Matt Chandler is Pastor of the Village outside Dallas, Texas. It's the congregation my best friend's parents attend. Through them, I learned about Matt and began listening to podcasts of his teachings. I've also been blessed to visit their congregation many times.

I instantly loved Matt's style of teaching. He is the first teacher of God's word that I ever heard combine solid verse by verse teaching with wicked sarcasm and humor. I don't think he came up with the formula intentionally, that's just Matt. He is smart, witty, and has a sense of humor that I totally get. But, he also has a passion for the Bible and loves to teach it...verse by verse, book by book...unapologetically.

The podcasts are such a gift. We not only get to hear Matt's teachings, but also Matt's vision for how a congregation should be run. How people should and can do life together. Everything from how to run the nursery and Sunday school for kids (they don't just babysit, they pray over those babies!), to how to raise funds for a bigger facility without doing fundraisers (no thermometers on stage for him). His teachings on sex are the most honest and challenging I've ever heard. He shares so openly about every aspect of life, it has been a vehicle for the Holy Spirit to search out every corner of my life...and has challenged me to truly strive to live as an image-bearer of our great God...every moment of every day.

Last year I got to spend some time with Matt. My friend's dad arranged a meeting for us. I thought we were just going to sit in his office for 15 minutes, and that was fine with me.

But Matt greeted me by saying 'let's get out of here'. We got in his car and he drove us to a nearby coffee shop, where he insisted on paying for my drink. We talked for an hour, me asking him every question under the sun and him pouring wisdom and honesty and encouragement on to me. After an hour, I said 'man I could ask you a million more questions'. To which he responded 'go for it'. I said, 'it's already been an hour, don't you need to get back?' 'Nope, I'm good for at least another hour...fire away'. And our conversation continued.

After 2 hours, he finally admitted he really did need to get back for a meeting. We drove back to the office and when we walked in, almost his entire staff was in the lobby waiting. It turns out, Matt was due back an hour earlier for a meeting, but he had gotten the time mixed up. They had been calling him for said hour, but Matt didn't have his cell phone with him. When Matt is meeting with someone, he truly gives them his undivided attention. No cell phones allowed.

Yesterday Matt, who is only 35, had a seizure. He hit his head and had to be rushed to the hospital. It turns out he has a small mass on his frontal lobe. Next week he'll be meeting with doctors to figure out what the next step is.

Matt's response on Twitter this morning: "I am His and confident."

I love Matt Chandler. I love how the LORD works in and through him. And I am so grateful he shares that with all of us.

Please pray for Matt and his wife Lauren and their 3 kids.

And, treat yourself to Matt's teachings. They'll change your life if you let them. As Matt puts it, it's like sitting under a waterfall of God's grace. Tonight I'm praying for an extra big dose of that grace for you Matt...

Matt's Sermons

Thanksgiving in Israel

So, as it turns out...I have the greatest job in the world! I get paid to go exploring around Israel and then to make videos about it.

Today I am launching my brand new web series called: Chaim 'B Yisrael or Life in Israel.

The first episode is about some Americans trying to celebrate Thanksgiving in the Holy Land.

I hope you enjoy it!

Pnina Pie

Pnina Comforti is an Israeli Jew. She owns a bakery and coffee shop in the town of Ashdod.

Some time ago, she became a believer in Yeshua. Since then her life has been turned upside down.

The radical group Yad L'Achim began protesting at her bakery, hanging up signs about her all over town telling lies about her, and the people who give out Kosher certification revoked her Kosher license, thus dooming her business.

Pnina fought all the way to Israel's supreme court to try to get her Kosher license back...and she won! The court ruled that just because she is a Messianic Jew is no reason to label her food as 'un-Kosher'. Still, however, the orthodox Rabbi in charge continues to appeal the case.

Recently Pnina got a death threat. Below is a video I produced about this latest chapter in her life:

Freedom of Religion

Unlike many nations in the world, there is no 'separation of church and state' in Israel. In fact it's just the opposite. We were founded, as a nation, for "church" (synagogue in our case). Our 'religion'/beliefs are the foundation of our nation. The freedom of religion is a cornerstone of this tiny Jewish homeland.

Which makes the story I'm about to tell, all the more shameful.

Today I spent the day in Beer Sherva. That is the town that Abraham named, where Isaac lived, where Jacob went out from, where an angel fed Elijah after he fled from Jezebel. Today, sadly, it is known for something far less holy. It was the scene of a riot by extreme orthodox Jews inside a Messianic Jewish congregation.



Here is a description of what happened that day:

on Shabbat, 24 December, 2005, a violent demonstration took place at Kehilat "Nahalat Yeshua" in Beer Sheva, and the orthodox demonstrators even entered and took control of the congregational premises for a period of about 3 hours.

These orthodox Jews terrified the congregation, by storming in and taking over their building right in the middle of their Shabbat service. They vandalized the building, and even threw the pastor into the baptismal pool (mikve).

As a result of this violent demonstration:

8 February, 2007, a lawsuit was filed against Rabbi Yehuda Deri (the Chief Rabbi of Beer Sheva) and "Yad L'Achim (R.A.)" for their involvement in the above demonstration, which seriously violated the right to freedom of religion and freedom of religious expression and faith of the believers who gathered together at the congregation on that Shabbat.


After years of delays, finally tomorrow Rabbi Deri will take the stand, in the trial.

Today I attended an all day prayer and worship gathering at the congregation, to seek the LORD in anticipation of the trial. It was a beautiful day! Believers from, literally, all over Israel and all over the world came to show their support. There were people from Germany, Switzerland, America and everywhere in between, on hand to pray and to sing praises to God. The prayer gathering started at about noon and was scheduled to go until at least 7pm. I left after 5pm, and it showed no signs of slowing down. A constant stream of people continued to come, throughout the day. The Body of Yeshua was truly united today and it was a beautiful sight to see!

Throughout the day, the story of Paul the Apostle was really heavy on my heart. Specifically these passages describing Paul's arrest, beating and subsequent trail:

Acts 22:25: Is it legal for you to whip a man who is a Roman citizen and hasn't even had a trial?

Acts 23:11 The following night, the LORD stood by him and said, "take courage! For just as you have borne a faithful witness to me in Yerushalayim, so now you must bear witness in Rome.

Acts 24:13-16 ...Nor can they give any proof of the things of which they are accusing me. But this I do admit to you; I worship the God of our fathers in accordance with the Way (which they call a sect). I continue to believe everything that accords with the Torah and everything written in the Prophets. And I continue to have a hope in God-which they too accept-that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous. Indeed it is because of this that I make a point of always having a clear conscience in the sight of both God and man.

Acts 26:6-8 How ironic it is that I stand on trial here because of my hope in the promise made to our fathers! It is the fulfillment of this very promise that our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they resolutely carry on their acts of worship night and day; yet it is in conneciton with this hope, that I am being accused by Jews!

then I love in Acts 26:28 where Agrippa said to Paul, 'in this short time, you're trying to convince me to become a believer in Yeshua!'

and Paul replied, 'whether it takes a short time or a long time, I wish to God that not only you, but also everyone hearing me today, might become just like me...'


God kept reminding me that Paul was the greatest persecutor of the first believers in Yeshua. The first 'Messianic Jews'. And God ended up using Paul as the greatest emissary of His Good News, after blinding him on the road to Damascus and saving His soul.

Please pray for the persecuted Messianic Jews in Israel today. And please pray for Rabbi Deri and all those in the group Yad L'Achim who exist only to persecute Messianic believers. Please pray that God would raise them up to be the next Paul...turning their zeal for hatred of Yeshua into a zeal for sharing His word.


Thank you for reading.

A Messianic Jew in Israel

This blog is intended to document the experience of one Messianic Jew living in Israel. A Messianic Jew is a Jew that believes in Jesus (His hebrew name is Yeshua) as the promised Savior or Messiah of Israel.

The Jewish Bible, known as the Tanakh (or Old Testament) promises a Savior throughout its texts. It gives detailed prophecies about how and exactly when the Savior is to come and how we will know who He is.

Messianic Jews believe that the Man known to the world as Jesus fulfilled all of these Tanakh prophecies and has proven Himself to be the Jewish Messiah (in Hebrew Mashiach) and is in fact the Savior of the World, the Son of God, God in the Flesh, the Reconciler of Mankind, The Alpha, Omega, Redeemer, King of Kings, LORD of Lords, etc...

Messianic Jews believe that Yeshua came to earth, born to a Jewish family, had Jewish followers (disciples) and made it clear He did not come to start a new religion, but to fulfill all of the promises of the Jewish scriptures and faith.

Over the years, Gentile followers of Yeshua have morphed this Jewish faith into a complicated system that appears to many as a separate and new religion. Many alleged followers of "Christianity" have twisted scriptures and given a tarnished name to that of "believer in or follower of Jesus".

But, no matter what various people have done with it over the years, the original teachings of Yeshua, if taken in their original form and context, remain the same Truth they have been for nearly 2,000 years.


I look forward to sharing my experiences in this blog, in the days to come. Thank you for reading.